Hectare for hectare, steep and mountainous areas in the tropics are arguably the most environmentally important real estate on the planet. Why? For starters, it’s estimated that a third of the world’s biodiversity lives in mountainous areas, with much of that in the tropics. Mountains—especially tropical mountains—are notoriously rich in locally endemic species that occur … [Read more...] about Water for life: The urgent need to protect steep tropical environments
Gender Safeguards: Four Examples of Risks We Must Avoid
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
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
Living Shorelines: The Space Where Engineering Meets Science
To create a shoreline that reduces erosion while providing habitat for everything from shorebirds to horseshoe crabs, sometimes nature could use a helping hand. Enter engineers and conservationists. During a raging spring downpour, scientists from the Conservancy, ecologists and engineers from CH2M, and wildlife refuge managers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) … [Read more...] about Living Shorelines: The Space Where Engineering Meets Science