At the tip of my running shoe, lying in the dirt, is an empty, crushed, shotgun shell; then another one; and there, in the shrubs, again. I register the fact, but it's too hot, in the sizzling late morning Caribbean sun, to think much about it, busy as I am taking notes, keeping out of trouble and looking for shade. I just wondered for a split second what kind of game people … [Read more...] about The Tilapia Wars
Sustainable Infrastructure: we want it, we need it, and we can live better with it
I just came back from spending three days in Panama at the Sustainable Mega-Infrastructure and Impact Assessment symposium, jointly organized by the IDB and the International Association for Impact Assessment. We visited perhaps the best known infrastructure project in Latin America and the Caribbean – the Panama Canal – and learned how they have managed water, biodiversity, … [Read more...] about Sustainable Infrastructure: we want it, we need it, and we can live better with it
Is Infrastructure a Threat or an Opportunity to conserve our Biodiversity?
Governments and multilateral development banks around the world now recognize the social and economic importance of biodiversity. Despite this, a major gap between current funding levels for biodiversity projects (US$53 billion annually) and total estimated need (US$300-400 billion annually) remains. With no major increase in biodiversity financing on the horizon, new ways … [Read more...] about Is Infrastructure a Threat or an Opportunity to conserve our Biodiversity?
How did 22 street vendors become the administrators of a Commercial Center?
On December 8 of every year, around one million people visit the Lo Vásquez Sanctuary in Casablanca, located at 70 kilometers from Santiago de Chile. On that day, the Holiday of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated. In the last decade, pilgrimages to the area have increased over 60%, and today it is the largest religious festivity in the country. Next to the sanctuary, … [Read more...] about How did 22 street vendors become the administrators of a Commercial Center?
Water for life: The urgent need to protect steep tropical environments
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