Central America, indigenous peoples are essential for conservation

Central America, indigenous peoples are essential for conservation

Indigenous peoples usually depend on natural resources to survive. Society, in turn, depends on its role in safeguarding those resources for our wellbeing.     The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a map that highlights how governments and environmental organisations would benefit from an increased cooperation with Central America’s indigenous peoples. The

How many plants there are in the world and how they’re doing

How many plants there are in the world and how they’re doing

There are about 391,000 plant species known to science. They’re vascular plants, which have a vascular system to conduct water and minerals throughout the plant and include all plants except for algae, moss and hepatics. A recent study has assessed for the first time ever the conservation status of the world’s plants. The report on the state of the world’s plant

Tibetan monks plant trees to fight deforestation

Tibetan monks plant trees to fight deforestation

Tibetans describe the hills around their place of prayer as a once pristine area, an earthly paradise. But with occupation everything changed. Trees and timber have been exploited for years, wiping out entire forests. As of 18 April, though, the monks of the Dzogchen monastery, in the Sichuan region, along with the local Tibetan community, began

A Google Earth for monitoring climate change. Free and accessible to all

A Google Earth for monitoring climate change. Free and accessible to all

The connection between digital technology and satellite imagery is revolutionising the way natural resources can be used, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. As countries strive to reduce their carbon footprint by limiting deforestation, it is important they have the right tools. These must be transparent, consistent over time and suitable. To help these countries, the Food

Kenya will plant 20 million trees

Kenya will plant 20 million trees

Deforestation in Kenya – which reached its peak between 1970 and 1990 – represents a serious threat to five highland forests, dubbed “the Water Towers” beacuse of their importance as they’re crossed by the country’s main rivers. Between 2001 and 2014, Kenya lost 8 per cent of its forest cover, an area the size of the US state