The Inter-American Development Bank's commitment to gender equality is based on the conviction that it is an intrinsic value and objective in and of itself, as well as on the evidence that shows that the equitable participation of men and women in development processes contributes to the their success and sustainability. These principles are reflected in the Operational Policy … [Read more...] about Gender Safeguards: Four Examples of Risks We Must Avoid
Environmental and Social Safeguards
Happy Crossings! Reducing animal-vehicle collisions: who is it good for and why does it matter?
Vehicles hitting animals is a problem: animals may die, people may die, and in most cases, someone has to pay for the consequences. While highways and roads allow people to travel everywhere, along the way, these roads cross through the habitat of many native wildlife species and collisions, therefore, become almost inevitable. In the United States, there are between 1 to 2 … [Read more...] about Happy Crossings! Reducing animal-vehicle collisions: who is it good for and why does it matter?
Why Haiti’s Economy Needs Parks
It seems everywhere I look in Haiti lately we are finding a species of bird, or fish, or mammal, or diverse community of species we didn’t know was there. Whether it’s the humpback whale that took everyone by surprise by appearing in Fort Liberte Bay in January, the remarkable invertebrate diversity found in the crystal clear Riviere Glace in the buffer zone of Macaya National … [Read more...] about Why Haiti’s Economy Needs Parks
Is “sustainable infrastructure” yet another buzzword? Not if you work in impact assessment!
Sustainable infrastructure? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Maybe once it was, but in the future, if done right, it could be a huge opportunity. The stakes couldn’t be higher to build the right kind of infrastructure. We are in the midst of an unprecedented infrastructure boom that is forever changing the face of our planet, with human needs and economic growth stressing natural … [Read more...] about Is “sustainable infrastructure” yet another buzzword? Not if you work in impact assessment!
Where will we get one million trees? Five lessons from a reforestation project
The Norte Grande Electricity Transmission Program in Argentina, financed by the IDB, included an extra high tension transmission line to strengthen the national power grid and facilitate competition in the wholesale generation market. That line, which unites the provinces of Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Chaco and Formosa, was almost 1,200 kilometers long and … [Read more...] about Where will we get one million trees? Five lessons from a reforestation project