Five things the world is saying about ecosystem restoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – set to launch during World Environment Day on 5 June – aims to rally citizens, governments and corporations around one common goal: preventing, halting and reversing the destruction of natural spaces.
The drive comes as experts warn that ecosystems around the world are facing collapse. The planet is losing 4.7 million hectares of forests every year – an area larger than Denmark – and over the past century, half of the globe’s wetlands have been drained.
“The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s mission is as important as it is daunting,” says Tim Christophersen, coordinator of the UN Decade with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Meet seven women saving the planet
UNEP / 05 Mar 2021
Women are playing a lead role in tackling some of the planet’s biggest environmental threats, from climate change to species loss, to pollution. International Women’s Day, which falls on 8 March, provides an opportunity to reflect on women’s contributions as caretakers of people and nature, defending environmental and human rights and representing the interests of those whose voices may otherwise go unheard.
Meet seven extraordinary women who are using their powers to save the planet.
Mindy Lubber poses for a photo. Photo: UNEP
Mindy Lubber is CEO and President of Ceres, a non-profit organization that uses hard data to show investors and corporations that clean technologies, like solar power, wind energy and water recycling, are not only environmentally and socially responsible, they’re also good business.
A virtual, immersive journey through three unique deserts to experience firsthand the diverse wildlife and people supported by the often-overlooked ecosystems.
Duck conservation takes flight in Jamaica
On January 20, 2021, the day of the inauguration of American president Joe Biden, two ducks named “Joe” and “Kamala” took flight from a remote wetland near Negril, Jamaica. And, like their namesakes, the fowl will be the focus of international attention.
That’s because Joe and Kamala are West Indian whistling ducks, the rarest duck species in the Americas, with fewer than 20,000 remaining, found only in the northern Caribbean. Conservationists released the pair, which were outfitted with GPS trackers, into the wild on 20 January, kicking off a study to learn more about their species and, researchers hope, ensure their survival.
Red Lists: Gauging the force of nature in North Macedonia
Photo by Dragan Arsovski / 15 May 2020
Maintaining healthy ecosystems are important to help protect against the spread of disease. A large mixture of species means that some act as ‘dead end’ hosts, preventing diseases from spreading. As countries plan their
, it is crucial that the role biodiversity plays in underpinning the health of people and planet is taken into account. Here’s one example from North Macedonia.
The creation of the first National Red Lists there will provide insight on extinction risks at national level and help assess the impact of measures to preserve biodiversity.