To make bug juice, use the following ingredients: one hundred (100) insect traps millions (1,000,000+) of insects one (1) high-speed blender Blend vigorously. Place the resulting bug juice into a DNA sequencer, and press “go.” The results should show the degree of genetic differentiation among all of the insects captured. I’m not making this up – this is a real … [Read more...] about Can Bug Juice and Geothermal Energy Help Protect Costa Rica’s Dry Forests?
Environmental and Social Safeguards
Three effective ways to increase women participation in construction works
In spite of advancement in women’s participation in many sectors, globally “the share of women in construction industry has remained shockingly low for decades -– under 3 percent”[1]. Women are considered to be disruptive to an “all-male” workforce and have to confront cultural stereotypes, sexual harassment, and life –balance challenges. However, with a large portion of … [Read more...] about Three effective ways to increase women participation in construction works
The Power of Checklists
A few of months ago I read a great book by Atul Gawande (The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right) which makes a compelling argument: when dealing with complexity, we can do better using the simplest of methods – the checklist. After finishing the book, I started implementing checklists in my work for two specific tasks: improving the way I supervise the environmental, … [Read more...] about The Power of Checklists
Regional Policy Dialogue Strengthening Licensing and Enforcement Procedures in the Region
By Grace Menck Figueroa In November 2015, 18 IDB member countries came together in Lima, Peru, to attend an event of the Regional Policy Dialogue (RPD), to share their experiences in the environmental licensing process and the common challenges of ensuring adequate enforcement measures. In addition, the environmental public authorities also discussed ways of increasing … [Read more...] about Regional Policy Dialogue Strengthening Licensing and Enforcement Procedures in the Region
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?