In the state of Acre, a remote corner of the western Brazilian Amazon, lies the staple of the rubbertappers’ livelihoods, latex. This milky fluid is released when the rubber tree is cut and hardens once it’s exposed to the air. Latex has been a vital source of income for vulnerable forest communities for decades. However, up until the late 1990s, the combination of unclear … [Read more...] about What do condoms, safeguards, and sustainable development have in common?
Environmental and Social Safeguards
Two ways governments put a price on forests
Forests are highly valued for the wood and other non-timber products they provide such as fruit, food, medicinal products, and countless other benefits with aesthetic and spiritual value. Forests also play an important role in protecting the soil, generating water and oxygen, and housing very rich biodiversity. Their value to humanity is immeasurable. These attributes of … [Read more...] about Two ways governments put a price on forests
Translocation: To move or not to move
New infrastructure often requires space, and many development projects have to destroy or modify habitats in order to make that space. Even with the most careful planning, the reality is that trees may need to be bulldozed and wildlife may be killed. To avoid this, it is a common practice to move- or translocate- plants and animals out of harm’s way, and re-plant or release … [Read more...] about Translocation: To move or not to move
What are the basic principles of a resettlement policy?
The social safeguards cluster works to ensure that people displaced by bank financed projects are left in better circumstances than before and that they also benefit from development projects. Executing a successful involuntary resettlement program is an enormous challenge because it entails negotiating with multiple stakeholders, some who often have competing interests. The … [Read more...] about What are the basic principles of a resettlement policy?
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