June 3 is World Bicycle Day, an invention almost 200 years old that has added inestimable value to the world. During the coronavirus pandemic, the bicycle represents an unmatched rival to permit a more hygienic way to move around, contribute to a sustainable recovery of the economy, and support the transformation of urban transport towards decarbonization via a just … [Read more...] about The bicycle can propel us towards a more sustainable and inclusive future post-pandemic
What is in the soil, stays in the soil: Conserving carbon in our soils to transform food systems
By Juan Pablo Bonilla, Manager of the IDB's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector and Ana María Loboguerrero, Head of Global Policy Research at CCAFS. Preventing the expansion of agricultural land into high-carbon landscapes is one of the actions to reduce emissions in food systems. We are in a time of crisis and great uncertainty. COVID-19, besides being … [Read more...] about What is in the soil, stays in the soil: Conserving carbon in our soils to transform food systems
How can green bonds help to build resilience after COVID-19?
The coronavirus crisis is severely testing the resilience of Latin America and the Caribbean economies and health care systems. At the same time, LAC is extremely vulnerable to climate risks and disasters such as floods, the spread of disease and loss of infrastructure. Governments’ fiscal space is currently being squeezed considerably following weak economic growth combined … [Read more...] about How can green bonds help to build resilience after COVID-19?
How to Strengthen Hurricane-Response and Recovery in a Global Pandemic
A 2019 Regional Hurricane Risk Analysis financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and undertaken by the firm Ingeniería Técnica y Científica S.A.S de Colombia found that Caribbean island states are indicatively at risk of suffering probable maximum losses of US$56 billion dollars for a probable 100-year cyclone. Typically, Caribbean disaster managers simulate and … [Read more...] about How to Strengthen Hurricane-Response and Recovery in a Global Pandemic
Bushmeat in Latin America: a latent danger to biodiversity and public health
A great deal of the deadliest viruses in the late history (i.e. HIV, SARS, MERS, etc) share an origin with the coronavirus COVID-19; they appear in other animal species and then reach humans. The latter process is known as zoonosis and it is the result of our irresponsible interference with biodiversity and its ecosystems. Consequently, if human beings persist in exploiting … [Read more...] about Bushmeat in Latin America: a latent danger to biodiversity and public health