In the past few years, ‘Nature-based Solutions’ has emerged as a new umbrella term for measures “inspired and supported by nature”. Nature-based Solutions may include a range of urban, coastal and land-based approaches, such as coral reef restoration, afforestation, watershed creation, green roofs and facades and more. These types of ecological approaches that utilize the natural world, can help policymakers tackle many societal issues, such as climate change.
Latin America and the Caribbean is a region with a huge social, cultural, political, and economic diversity that has made major strides in poverty reduction. Relevant quantitative data shows that at least 70 million people pulled out of extreme poverty and moved up the social ladder, swelling the ranks of the middle class to more than one-third of the region’s population.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) launched a warning call, emphasizing the benefits of keeping the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees, as to date our planet is living the consequences of an increase of temperature between 0.8 ° C and 1.2 ° C on average. The countries that signed the Paris Agreement and committed to taking climate action should look for new ways to address the problem and should do it quickly.
The increase in recent years of intensive hazardous events in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), such as the devastating Hurricanes in 2017 (Harvey, Irma, Maria, Nate, and others), the intensive earthquake in Ecuador in April 2016, the Argentina Floods in 2013 and many other events, have caused many fatalities, injuries, disruptions of infrastructure and people’s livelihood, as well as vast economic losses.
For urban populations, mangroves are usually unwelcoming places, full of insects, reptiles and mud. However, after half a century of ecological research, we now know that mangrove forests offer great value through a variety of environmental services such as nurseries for fish, crustaceans and mollusks, supplying food and medicinal plants, protecting against natural disasters and stabilizing coastlines. They also provide construction materials, can be sites of cultural and religious significance for indigenous populations as well as recreational and touristic places.
At the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), we work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. We do this through financial and technical support and through advancing infrastructure, from roads, bridges and power plants, to water supply, hospitals, housing and much more. Equally as important in our work is to achieve development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. We can’t build a road where local flora or fauna is threated unless we have adequate mitigation measures.
Two-thirds of the Latin American population live in cities and almost 80% in urban areas. This is how Latin America is positioned as the most urbanized region of the developing world, which means that by the year 2050, nine out of ten Latin Americans will live in cities. Rapid urbanization brings opportunities for subnational governments towards sustainable development. The impacts of climate change are increasingly evident, and every year there are more victims and economic damages.
In 2017, tourism generated more than 10% of global GDP, 1 in 10 jobs, 6.5% of total exports and 4.5% of total investment. That same year, Latin America and the Caribbean received more than 114 million international visitors. However, the market share of LAC worldwide remains low, similar to the level ten years ago (around 8%). Given the region´s tourism potential, and the prospects of growth for the tourism sector worldwide, it is crucial that LAC governments strengthen their commitment to tourism and its sustainable development.
Most of us have dreamed about having a flying car to escape the traffic or just to enjoy mesmerizing views from above. It’s 2018 and it seems like flying cars are finally here, but why aren’t many people buying them? I’m sure there are several good reasons why—at least for now—and going over them can help us understand why small farmers are slow to adopt new technologies such as self-guided tractors, drones and many apps out there.