Photograph by: Enric Sala, National Geographic
March 11, 2020
One year ago, when Cyclone Idai slammed into Mozambique, pummeling Beira with a 20-foot storm surge, very few people were prepared for the force and fury of that superstorm.
Thousands dead or missing nationwide. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops were damaged or destroyed. Millions impacted by flooding and ruined infrastructure. Billions of dollars in economic losses.
Gorongosa National Park was an island amidst this storm.
March 10, 2020
According to a new study, without mangroves, flood damages would increase by more than $65 billion annually. The natural coastal defenses mangrove forests provide globally reduce annual flooding significantly in critical hotspots.
Mangrove forests occur in more than 100 countries around the world, but many have been lost due to an increase in aquaculture, as well as coastal industry and development. The rising sea levels and intensifying impacts of hurricanes caused by climate change is increasing the risk of coastal flooding, and conservation and restoration of natural defenses such as mangroves offers cost-effective ways to mitigate and adapt to these changes. According to the authors, mangrove forests can be easily restored to make people and property safer.
February 28, 2020
The European Commission and the Oceanographic Institute, Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation organise a high-level ceremony to celebrate the coalition of "World aquariums against plastic pollution" at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco on Tuesday 3 March, World Wildlife Day.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, and Inger Andersen, United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director will attend and speak at the event.
February 25, 2020
At the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos in January this year, there was unprecedented interest in and commitment to fighting the climate and nature emergencies facing humanity. Although the world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things by weight, humanity has already caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of all plants. Supporting the concept of stakeholder capitalism, leading CEOs, government leaders and heads of civil society organizations came together in the Swiss Alps to galvanize support for an integrated nature action agenda across the issues of climate, biodiversity, forests, oceans and sustainable development.
February 21, 2020
[…] Environmental defenders around the world are increasingly exposed to threats and violence —sometimes, as in the recent tragic events in Mexico, at the risk of their lives. Any threat or attack experienced by nonviolent environmental defenders is unacceptable.
February 20, 2020
Their 23-day survey counted 55 animals - a total that is unprecedented in the decades since commercial whaling ended. […]
To witness 55 of them now return to what was once a pre-eminent feeding ground for the population has been described as "truly, truly amazing" by cetacean specialist Dr Trevor Branch from the University of Washington, Seattle.
February 13, 2020
Leading scientists and conservationists are proposing that up to 50 percent of the earth’s land and oceans be protected in the coming decades. While some view the goal as unrealistic, proponents say it is essential for preserving the natural systems on which life itself depends.
February 11, 2020
With their deep ties to the land and reliance on fishing, hunting, and gathering, indigenous tribes are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Now, native communities across North America are stepping up to adopt climate action plans to protect their way of life.
February 8, 2020
It’s called the Extinction Wing. Located in a dark corner of the Paris Museum of Natural History, it houses a haunting collection of species that have long vanished from the natural world. With biodiversity declining faster than at any time in human history, what size museum will future generations need?
February 5, 2020
Indigenous ideas of nature are gaining a foothold in mainstream legal systems by making rivers, forests and even rice legal persons. Does this help protect the environment?
February 2, 2020
Negotiations are ramping up on a new framework for the Convention on Biological Diversity. Can they deliver a new deal for nature?
Dubbed by some “the other COP”, UN negotiations over biodiversity targets and a new international framework for nature restoration and conservation have not had the same media or political profile as those on climate change.
January 30, 2020
Scientists warn that Earth’s sixth mass extinction may be underway, and man may only have 10 years to take drastic steps and protect planet’s vital plant and animal life.
January 28, 2020
Indigenous people, environmentalists and industries vie for control over lands that can offer economic benefits or climate protection — but not always both.
January 28, 2020
Ecosystems will continue to collapse around the world unless humanity listens to the expertise of indigenous communities on how to live alongside nature, a prominent Amazon leader has warned.
Tuntiak Katan of the Ecuadorian Shuar people, who is vice-president of the pan-Amazon organisation representing communities in the river basin, said governments were spending millions of dollars on environmental consultants while largely ignoring the land management skills of the planet’s indigenous people that could help combat the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
January 28, 2020
All plants and animals need suitable conditions to survive. That means a certain amount of light, a tolerable temperature range, and access to sources of food, water and shelter. Many of the existing efforts to protect plant and animal species across the United States rely on information about where these species currently live.
