Sostenibilidad

On August 9 we celebrate International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, an international day currently observed by the United Nations which advocates for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In a previous blog-post we mentioned some actions that are being carried out by some countries to counteract the negative effects of cattle farming on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and deforestation. This time we will analyze the link between beef production and food security in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

While climate change has affected various nations worldwide, it has had significant impacts on small island developing states such as Trinidad and Tobago. This growing phenomenon has not only affected the islands socially, but it has also been a silent killer of its economy. Like many other small islands developing states, Trinidad and Tobago has fallen victim to the rise in sea levels, increased flooding, the increased unpredictability of weather conditions, hillside erosion and the loss of coastal habitats; all of which are symptoms of the continued progression of climate change.

Did you know that mangroves are among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet? Today we celebrate the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, but not all is celebration, current estimates show that 67% of mangroves have been lost, and nearly all will be lost over the next 100 years if we don’t take drastic measures now.

The soccer world cup started a few days ago. For many, it is the most anticipated event in four years, making it an implicit crime to have meetings or phone calls during critical matches or even worse, surf channels. Even getting married in these couple of weeks can be a problem. Daily talks include the events of the last games and predictions of the next matches, shame of you if you are not aware of the scores and the best plays! It is usual to get together to watch the games and have some meals and drinks.

The empirical evidence on the effectiveness of projects seeking to improve land tenure has shown that titling has positive effects on income generation (average increases of 15%); increasing agricultural productivity by 40%; and promoting empowerment of women in economic decision-making (up to 17%). These improvements in income, productivity and women's empowerment are also associated with improvements in food security, although the effects on this last variable have been less studied.

Consider this hypothetical scenario. The government of Betija, a beautiful Caribbean country, is investing in tourism infrastructure to support the influx of millions of visitors per year to its coastal capital. The project includes the rehabilitation of the town walkways, selected city center facades, and a renovated historical museum for locals and tourists. The museum is surrounded by an open market that features local goods sold by both formal shops and informal vendors. There is also a taxi stand near the area.

2018 is a particularly important year because it will allow us to demonstrate whether we are able to translate the objectives of the Paris Agreement into real actions. In the upcoming COP24, which will take place in December 2018 in Katowice, Poland, one of the main tasks will be to finalize and approve the guidelines needed to operationalize the implementation of the Paris Agreement, officially termed the "Paris Agreement Work Program (PAWP)”.

Latin America and the Caribbean is a region shaped by and very much of the ocean. All but two IDB member countries have important ocean coastlines, and 25% of the region’s population lives on the coast, with the number reaching nearly 100% in Caribbean island countries. But while rainforests, grasslands and rivers have so far stolen our attention, it’s time for our oceans to get their due.In 2012, approximately 275 million people in the region worked on fishing or aquaculture, contributing around $15 billion to the region’s GDP.

Today is World Oceans Day 2018 (#WorldOceansDay) with the action focus being: Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean. There is an increasing awareness of the importance of oceans especially the issue of contamination of ocean space by marine debris, including plastics, with the ever-increasing growth of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch; but of greater importance is the evolution of the concept of the Blue Economy.