The pioneering nonprofit treats 87 percent of Lebanon’s infectious waste, reducing the risk of disease transmission. Arcenciel was also involved in drafting Lebanon’s first solid waste management law, promoting sustainable tourism and taking an active role in supporting Palestinian and Syrian refugee camps.
“Building something for the future is what drives us,” says Robin Richa, CEO of arcenciel.
Saving the forests of South America
Latin America and the Caribbean host some the world’s most diverse forests, storing carbon emissions and many health and economic benefits. Anyway large areas of the region’s forests have been cleared or degraded to make way for mining, agriculture and infrastructure projects.
Constantino Aucca Chutas is a biologist based in Peru who works to help indigenous communities conserve land and establish protected areas for their native forests. Peru is home to 4.3 million indigenous people, and experts say these communities are at the forefront of forest conservation.
In 2000, Aucca co-founded the Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos, a non-profit organization that has planted more than 3 million trees and protected or restored 30,000 ha of land in Peru. It has also delivered solar panels and clean cooking stoves to remote communities. Auka is now managing plans to protect and restore 1 million ha of forests in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru over the next 25 years.
“It is important that everyone respects these indigenous communities and all communities,” he said. “Conservation without money is just a story. If you don’t involve local communities, it’s a very bad story.”
Reviving India’s misguided taxonomy
The conflict between humans and wildlife is one of the biggest threats to animal species, and experts say climate change and the ongoing loss of habitat caused by deforestation, the negative effects of those wars are accelerating.
In India, Purnima Devi Barman has devoted much of her career to saving the giant relief tree, the second rarest tree species in the world, from the effects of human activities. Tiger populations have declined worldwide due to deforestation, pollution and degradation of wetlands, their natural habitat.
To protect the species, Barman mobilizes a group of village women to help change public perception of the bird. Now, about 10,000 women support and protect nesting sites, rehabilitate injured storks and introduce storks to traditional practices. Barman’s team has helped increase the number of nests in three villages nearly 10 times, planting 45,000 saplings around nesting trees and wetlands to support the recovery.
“Recovery is important to save our species and save ourselves,” says Barman. “We are [need] social opportunities. Be brave and be one step away from your own home. You don’t have to have a special degree or a bachelor’s degree – anyone can be a conservationist.”
Demonstrating the economic importance of the environment
This argument for “mixed property” is the basis of Dasgupta’s Economics of BiodiversityThe foundation of the growing field is a famous 600-page report known as environmental capital accounting, in which researchers attempt to assess the value of the environment.
Determining the economic value of the environment helps governments better understand the long-term costs of logging, mining and other harmful industries, ultimately strengthening the case for conservation. in the natural world.
Input resources are included in the Environmental Economic Accounting System supported by the United Nations and UNEP’s Integrated Resource Index.
“We have to try and understand the world around us. Because when you see the environment in action, you are not surprised,” said Dasgupta. “No matter what you study… you have to embrace the fact that the economy is surrounded by nature.”
Empowering women across Africa
Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet has been advocating for women’s land rights in Africa for thirty years, where women often face difficulties in owning or taking property due to traditional customs.
“By promoting women’s rights and securing land rights for women, we can also promote land conservation, sustainable management of forests and sustainable development in general, ” said Ndjebet. “Women should be empowered to heal.”
An organization he founded in 2001, Cameroon Ecology, has rehabilitated 600 ha of degraded land and forest in his home country of Cameroon. The organization is working with local communities to restore 1,000 ha of forests by 2030.
For the UNEP Champion of the World
The United Nations Environment Program’s Global Champions recognize individuals and organizations for their work in the environment. The annual World Champion award is the UN’s highest environmental honor. It welcomes senior leaders from government, civil society and the private sector.
For the UN Decade of Environmental Protection
The UN General Assembly has declared the years 2021 to 2030 the UN Decade for Environmental Protection. Led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN and supported by partners, it is designed to prevent, stop and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems throughout the world. world. The goal is to save billions of hectares, covering land and water ecosystems. A global call to action, the Tenth Anniversary of the United Nations brings together political support, scientific research, and financial efforts to raise awareness of salvation
