Over the course of the past two decades in the Caribbean, there have been various project attempts to develop environmental or natural capital accounting by promoting the application of economic valuation methods to land or marine based ecosystems. These efforts have often been mostly research-oriented, ad hoc, and locally targeted. None, if any, of them has materialized into any systematic national public valuation and/or transformative val
Groundwater accounts for one third of the world’s unfrozen, fresh water resources, providing 50% of drinking water and the main source of water for major industries, particularly irrigation (UN-IGRAC 2019). For each of the past 50 years, the global demand for groundwater has doubled, leading to one third of international basins currently experiencing groundwater storage distress as one of the consequences (Wada and Heinrich 2012).
The Word disaster originates from the Greek dis (a negative prefix) and astrum (star), indicating a bad omen, whereas resilience comes from re (repeat) and silire (get ahead) – the ability to get back on track and overcome. At the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), we are committed to make all projects RESILIENT whether or not they are exposed to natural disasters.
This Friday, March 22nd is World Water Day 2019. This year's theme is "Do not Leave Anyone Behind", in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promises the benefit of sustainable development progress for all.
This is what happened in Honduras between 2013 and 2016, the pine weevil, a beetle the size of a drop of water attacked an area equivalent to 1 million soccer fields in forests (500,000 hectares). This represents 25% of the countries' pine forest. Sadly, 100 million trees were destroyed. The affected area represents the loss of coverage that would have occurred in Honduras' pine forest in the next 110 years with the current deforestation rates; contributing around 200 million tons of CO2.
Disasters are named after the natural phenomenon that caused them (in the case of tropical storms, they are named in alphabetical order, i.e. Hurricane Mitch, Katrina, etc.) or by the name of geological landmarks (the Nevado del Ruiz, the Casitas volcano or like, the Fuego volcano). Nevertheless, in the naming the most important part is not taken into account, the people affected.
In 2019, the Inter-American Development Bank Group celebrated its 60th anniversary. Over the last six decades, it has played a transformative role in Latin America and the Caribbean to promote development. As we reflect upon many of these positive advances and look ahead, what will our contribution to the region be over the next decades? This deliberation must consider that we face simultaneous and overlapping ecological and climate emergencies.
Have you ever visited the sea? Have you wondered how essential its services are in our daily life? Enjoying all that it gives us, in terms of food and entertainment, could be at risk if we do not take immediate action on the management of its resources and the protection of its ecosystems. This body of water, so old and so full of life, occupies 70% of the Earth's surface, and it is estimated that more than a billion people depend on its products.
Strengthening of national and local institutions can be challenging in the most advanced settings, and it can become a monumental task in some developing countries. Finding the right balance between long-term measures to create added value while allowing for results on the ground can prove a challenge even for the most seasoned specialists. This includes compliance with the IDB’s safeguards policies.While any approach has to take into account the specific context, below are some useful tips for that could come in handy when working in emerging institutional environments.