Recently I was in Jamaica attending the Coral Lifeline workshop organized by the Centre of Marine Sciences from the University of the West Indies – I learned a lot including that coral reefs are critical!: These tropical rain forests of the marine world support 25% of fish species but cover only 0.2% of the world surface. Reef fish are economically important and sustain … [Read more...] about Throwing corals a lifeline
Infrastructure and Biodiversity in the Guiana Shield
"Aerial view from rain forest" - © COPYRIGHT: Pete Oxford Photography How can we promote sustainable infrastructure? Infrastructure it’s just not a matter of building more, it’s a matter of enhancing competitiveness for economic growth and delivering much needed energy, water and sanitation, transport and communication services to growing cities. How that infrastructure … [Read more...] about Infrastructure and Biodiversity in the Guiana Shield
Can we protect our rivers and continue to build hydropower projects?
By Graham Watkins The “Paris Climate Agreement” was finalized in December 2015. The agreement supports national drives toward reducing global emissions and improving planning and institutional capacities for adaptation and climate resilience. The agreement potentially opens opportunities for additional concessional financing, particularly financing to support the seventh … [Read more...] about Can we protect our rivers and continue to build hydropower projects?
Location, Location, Location: Where we put infrastructure impacts habitats and biodiversity
This past March, two high profile articles were published that make somber reading for those interested in the natural world. The first, in Current Biology, was led by Bill Laurance and described the risks of rapid infrastructure expansion for habitats and biodiversity and the second, in Science, was led by Nick Haddad and described the pernicious, and now global, effects of … [Read more...] about Location, Location, Location: Where we put infrastructure impacts habitats and biodiversity
Three Key Steps to Prevent the Demise of the World’s Biodiversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Outlook IV paints a dire picture: We are destroying an unprecedented amount of habitat that plants and animals need to survive. We are overexploiting and overfishing the oceans. We are contaminating our water sources and putting pressure on critical habitats such as coral reefs. We illegally hunt and kill animals. We … [Read more...] about Three Key Steps to Prevent the Demise of the World’s Biodiversity