Brazil is an incredibly diverse country – when mentioned, the country’s name instantly conjures images of a multi-ethnic, culturally diverse society, not to mention its art, beaches and the Amazon rain forest. Seldom does the Cerrado (savanna, pronounced say-ha-dough) make an appearance in popular imagery regarding Brazil. Yet, it should be impossible to disregard the … [Read more...] about Building climate change awareness in Brazil
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
3 ways climate change affects food security
The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have made great progress in terms of food security since they set out to meet the first of the Millennium Development Goals, expiring this year. Yet as we look another 15 years into the future and think about how we might meet the new Sustainable Development Goals, it is clear that ending hunger and achieving food security (goal … [Read more...] about 3 ways climate change affects food security
Natural? Disasters
This past February Argentina suffered one of its worst catastrophes of the last 50 years, resulting in more than 4,000 affected households, around a dozen fatalities, close to 5,000 evacuees and a financial loss close to 200 million U.S. dollars. These numbers are merely an estimate of the damage caused by the storm, which shook the province of Cordoba earlier this year. This … [Read more...] about Natural? Disasters