Four years ahead of schedule, the Paris climate change agreement is expected to enter into force next month. Latin American and Caribbean countries played a major role in the diplomatic push to secure the agreement and are now making progress on ratifying it. As of today, over a dozen countries from the region have also ratified – including its largest emitters, Brazil and … [Read more...] about Hottest year ever should spur Latin America on climate change
Water Is Life: How To Preserve This Valuable Resource
The Argentinean province of San Juan is a land of deserts and mountains, surrounded by the high peaks of the Andes, the birthplace of the rivers that crisscross the region. This arid province, where rainfall is scarce--hardly reaching an annual average of 3.9 inches (or 100 millimeters)--depends upon snowmelt from the Andes for its water supply; this, in turn, depends upon … [Read more...] about Water Is Life: How To Preserve This Valuable Resource
From NDC Invest to a Sustainable Development
Moving towards the path of sustainable development is a great challenge. The Paris Agreement, the UN´s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the delivery of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (iNDCs) by 197 parties to the UN Climate Convention all require a shouldering of responsibility for addressing climate change and improving human welfare. If temperature rise … [Read more...] about From NDC Invest to a Sustainable Development
Agroforestry & Sustainable Land Management in Haiti
Land conversion of forests to agriculture and pastureland is a major threat to biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Deforestation and slash-and-burn practices also strip the soil of its nutrients and of its capability to retain water. This results in soil erosion and watershed degradation, which in turn ultimately puts agricultural productivity and ecological … [Read more...] about Agroforestry & Sustainable Land Management in Haiti
Throwing corals a lifeline
Recently I was in Jamaica attending the Coral Lifeline workshop organized by the Centre of Marine Sciences from the University of the West Indies – I learned a lot including that coral reefs are critical!: These tropical rain forests of the marine world support 25% of fish species but cover only 0.2% of the world surface. Reef fish are economically important and sustain … [Read more...] about Throwing corals a lifeline