Urban expansion has changed the earth's surface and, at the same time, its biodiversity. Within just 40 years the world’s urban population will double. By 2050, 70% of the population will live in cities and an additional area the size of South Africa will have been developed. Much of this urbanization will be carried out in the most biodiverse areas on the planet. Between 1950 and 2010, the urban population in Latin America grew from 40 to 80%.
Daily, millions of homes in Latin America and the Caribbean lose energy in the process of cooling or heating. In the case of dry climates, as in Mexicali, Mexico, households can consume more than 1,000 kWh / month for electricity in the warmer months due to the excessive use of air conditioning.The social safeguards cluster works to ensure that people displaced by bank financed projects are left in better circumstances than before and that they also benefit from development projects. Executing a successful involuntary resettlement program is an enormous challenge because it entails negotiating with multiple stakeholders, some who often have competing interests.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has estimated that between $150 and $440 billion dollars are needed annually to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011-2020), and
Upon reading the much anticipated Papal Encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si', I found myself immediately looking for ways to get it into the hands of the CEOs I know. While it is a genuinely great read, it is even better as a resource for institutionalizing ethical business principles, and a brilliant illustration of what servant leadership looks like. There will be many interpretations of this Encyclical. Even before its release, detractors denounced it as political and economic "meddling", a "rehash", and a full frontal assault on fossil fuels.
When I arrived for the first time in San Salvador de Jujuy in early 2014, I was immediately struck by the beauty and wildness of this region. The colorful mountains of the Seven Colors Hill enveloped the village of and pristine rivers and salt flats lined the valley. With this as our backdrop, I was looking forward to the next couple of days discussing a new project with the local government and a drinking water company.One of the poorest in Argentina, the province of Jujuy in the far north of the country, does not have enough drinking water to meet its current needs.
In our previous post we noted how participatory monitoring helps generate more trust between communities and companies with potentially controversial projects.But there are right ways to carry out these joint monitoring exercises. We’ve boiled down our experience at the IDB into three key tips that can provide a starting point for participatory monitoring.
Every year, the United Nations celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on the 9th of August. This is not only an opportunity to take stock of the many challenges that development poses to indigenous people, but also of the ways that indigenous peoples themselves are challenging traditional development practices and promoting their own approaches. The stakes are probably higher than ever.
