Environmental and Social Safeguards

This week, as we celebrate the World Oceans Day, I started to think about the importance of oceans and how frequently we forget about the critical role they play. The reality is that oceans are the home of nearly 2 million species. Marine life is so rich and extensive that it goes from the tiniest bacteria to the largest mammal that ever lived on the planet’s surface[1]. But … [Read more...] about Four Safeguard Approaches for Ocean Conservation

After decades of planning and construction, SIEPAC (The Central American Electrical Interconnection System) was finally completed in 2014. It took longer than expected to come to life but on many levels, the 1,800km transmission line represented a boost for the region. It improved electrical markets and provided electricity and telecommunications for millions of residents … [Read more...] about Can Mega-Infrastructure Energy Projects be Done Right?

The project has a lot going for it. In El Alto, Bolivia, IDB has provided a financial package of US$109 million to help bring drinking water to residents while at the same time improve irrigation for 7,000 farmers. Once complete, the integrated watershed will benefit over 260,000 people over the coming 10 years – about 10,000 in remote communities and the remainder in El Alto … [Read more...] about How a High Risk Project in Bolivia Found a Pathway to Success and Sustainability

With International Migratory Fish Day (yes, there is such a day, in case you don’t know) just around the corner, I’d like to share the experience of how Costa Rica, with the IDB’s help, has successfully implemented its first river offset in Central America’s largest hydroelectric project. The Reventazón Hydroelectric Project (PHR) built by the state-run Instituto de … [Read more...] about Costa Rica has implemented a river offset. How does it work?

“We used to see so many more butterflies around Port au Prince” said Adolphe—our dispatch manager— one day last year when he saw me crouching over a plant in IDB’s new Port au Prince office garden, admiring a Monarch butterfly that had recently arrived in Haiti from North America on its remarkable annual migration. It was a casual observation but it got me thinking about … [Read more...] about The Fight of the Butterfly – Restoring Haiti’s Native Species