Nestled among towering volcanoes, Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan is often described as one of the world’s most beautiful lakes. Four of the Central American region’s seven biomes meet in the Atitlan region, making it a biodiversity hotspot and a natural “gas station” for migrating birds. But here, as elsewhere in the developing world, a lack of economic opportunities often drives … [Read more...] about Bird watching tourism takes flight
Ten questions to ensure you have meaningful stakeholder consultations for your project
Consider this hypothetical scenario. The government of Betija is investing in a provincial road infrastructure project, which will upgrade nearly 140 km of roads between the city of Tosan and Ican. The government had identified several categories of stakeholders who could be potentially affected by the project. These groups were given an opportunity to meet with project … [Read more...] about Ten questions to ensure you have meaningful stakeholder consultations for your project
Three steps to a zero carbon future
Coal by Thomas Bresson - COPYRIGHT © (CC BY 2.0) - FLICKR Zero carbon emissions, before the end of the century. This is what it will take to stabilize global temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, the objective countries have set during the Paris Agreement. Academics and government agencies around the world agree reaching zero emissions is technically possible. … [Read more...] about Three steps to a zero carbon future
On the other side of the table: safeguards seen from the executor’s viewpoint
Improving Lives is a slogan commonly used by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to underscore that the work of the different parties involved in projects receiving financing can change (for the better) the lives of people living in our Latin American and Caribbean nations. I am convinced that this is true. How can we improve lives? How can we create better projects? … [Read more...] about On the other side of the table: safeguards seen from the executor’s viewpoint
5 Superpowers Mangroves Have
To commemorate International Mangrove Day (July 26th) let’s take a moment to think about why these wonderful tropical ecosystems are unique and worthy of our protection. Mangroves are formed by trees that are highly tolerant to salt and that grow in an amphibian environment, with aquatic and terrestrial characteristics. Here are five of their superpowers. 1. Reducing … [Read more...] about 5 Superpowers Mangroves Have