A healthy environment is critical to public health, ecosystem vitality, and the sustainability of societies. A majority of countries have endorsed this view and adopted environmental laws or included the right to a healthy environment in their constitutions. However, practice often lags behind the adoption of environmental laws, and to date, there have been very little data to … [Read more...] about The new cross-country assessment that measures environmental governance in practice in Latin America and the Caribbean
Maria Vizeu Pinheiro
Maria Vizeu-Pinheiro is a lawyer specialized in environmental and natural resources issues. Over the last 5 years, she worked at the Environment Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Maria worked on the analysis of environmental policies, governance and regulatory frameworks for multiple IDB's sustainability operations. She led and coordinated the design of a new tool for the assessment of the Environmental Governance and rule of law in ten countries in Latin American and the Caribbean. Also, she participated in the elaboration of the last two Environmental Sector Frameworks. Before joining the IDB, Maria worked as a water and environmental lawyer in “Canal de Isabel II”, a leading company in the water sector in Spain. She also collaborated with the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Spain in Washington, DC. Maria is the founder of the environmental NGO Environment for Inclusion that works in Africa and Latin America, which received the "100 projects pour le climat" award from the French government. María has a degree in law from the Complutense University of Madrid, and an LL.M in international law specializing in Environment and Energy from Georgetown University Law Center.
Ocean problems beyond plastics pollution
Why is the ocean important? The ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface and plays a crucial role in supporting an enormous variety of life. The ocean helps regulate the climate by absorbing excess carbon dioxide and heat. The ocean is also important for the global economy. According to the OECD (2016), its economic contribution was valued at US$1.5 trillion in 2010, … [Read more...] about Ocean problems beyond plastics pollution
Why the Guarani Aquifer Agreement is the Sustainable Groundwater Policy Innovation We Need
Groundwater accounts for one third of the world’s unfrozen, fresh water resources, providing 50% of drinking water and the main source of water for major industries, particularly irrigation (UN-IGRAC 2019). For each of the past 50 years, the global demand for groundwater has doubled, leading to one third of international basins currently experiencing groundwater storage … [Read more...] about Why the Guarani Aquifer Agreement is the Sustainable Groundwater Policy Innovation We Need
Pollution, a form of tacit violence
Did you know that pollution causes 15 times more deaths in the world than all wars and acts of violence? And three times more deaths than malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis combined. The numbers are alarming. Last November, The Lancet published a study that indicates that pollution is the primary environmental cause of deaths and illnesses, causing an estimated 9 million … [Read more...] about Pollution, a form of tacit violence