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.
The construction sector is growing at unprecedented rates and it is estimated that, during the next 40 years, 230 billion square meters of new infrastructure will be built in the world. The sector, between construction works and buildings, is one of the most important sources of pollution worldwide since it consumes 36% of global energy and produces 39% of CO2 emissions.
Food security goes far beyond having enough food. Food security refers to "the situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life" (FAO, 2006). That is, being able to access food of high nutritional quality regularly, without worrying about not having food on the table. Therefore, when we talk about food security we must consider four dimensions: availability, access, utilization, and stability.
Empieza un nuevo año y todos pensamos en compromisos con nuestra salud, familia y empleo. A su vez, es imprescindible enfocarnos en nuestros hábitos y su impacto para darnos la posibilidad de hacer la diferencia en nuestros esquemas de consumo. Por eso, quisiera proponerles que en este 2019 reduzcamos nuestro consumo de plástico. En primer lugar, debemos hacer hincapié en la reducción (más allá del reciclaje). Cada gesto es clave ya que el 50% de los productos de plástico que usamos son de un solo uso y luego se botan.
In 2006 the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) set the objective of strengthening national systems in order to support their development projects. The move helps ensure protection of the environment and at the same time buffer the negative effects that development projects can have on the population when their impacts are not properly detected and managed.Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) identify, evaluate, and propose ways to mitigate development projects’ environmental and social consequences.
¿Sabías que cada año los préstamos para el desarrollo del BID generan en promedio 30.000 contratos para el suministro de bienes, servicios, obras civiles y consultoría? Esto significa que, anualmente, canalizamos alrededor de US$ 10 billones a través de las compras que realizamos para nuestros proyectos. Por otro lado, en los países de la región, el presupuesto destinado a las compras públicas llega a alcanzar hasta un 15% del producto interno bruto (PBI) lo que equivale a aproximadamente 800 billones de dólares.