Posts Tagged ‘fresh water’
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Support for Species
The most recent version of the IUCN Red List (published in November 2009) revealed that species extinction continues at a dangerous rate. More than 17,000 species—36 percent of the total of number of species assessed—are currently threatened with extinction, a startling number which underscores the need for immediate action. This week in Paris, the United Nations is holding one of several celebrations and conferences to launch the International Year of Biodiversity, drawing attention to the escalating plight of the world’s species as countries prepare for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s October meeting in Nagoya, Japan—a meeting which will set new ... -
Good to See Coverage of Fresh Water Issues in Mainstream Media
Always good to see coverage about the importance of fresh water. Check out "Where America Stands on Water", a 7-minute CBS video piece about water shortages in the U.S., and the accompanying article. It is part of the "Where America Stands" series, which looks at a broad spectrum of issues facing the U.S. in the new decade. Not only is the water crisis a worldwide problem, but it is vital for more than direct human health. Water also sustains freshwater ecosystems, which in turn provide food and livelihoods for millions. The ecosystem services provided by freshwater systems, including fisheries, drinking water, ... -
Ecosystems Know No Bounds
In a recent news report, the Nicaraguan government announced that it will soon begin a $1 million project to reroute the San Juan River near the Costa Rican border – a river which has long been a source of dispute between Nicaragua and its neighbor to the south. A Nicaraguan development committee claims that 1,700 cubic meters (more than 5,577 cubic feet) per second of water flow – enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every second – was lost from the San Juan after Costa Rica diverted it sixty years ago toward their own Colorado River. The rerouting project ... -
Freshwater, Forests, and Fishing Cats
CI’s Freshwater, Forests and Fishing Cats project in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake has been selected by The Walt Disney Company as a recipient of funding through Disney’s Friends for Change: Project Green. Nearly three million people living around the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia rely on it for fresh water and food. But as people cut down the flooded forests that keep the lake clean, the water gets dirtier and fish populations decrease, along with the otters and fishing cats who rely on them for food. CI has been researching hairy-nosed otters (Lutra sumatrana) in Cambodia since 2006, and supports a higher ... -
World Water Week 2009 Wrap-up
World Water Week is an annual meeting to discuss the planet’s most urgent water-related issues, held in Stockholm, Sweden. This year’s conference ended August 22. To learn more, visit http://www.conservation.org/water2009. Read a dispatch from Lina Barrera, policy manager at Conservation International, below. We were part of three sessions, the first described in Ian's post a few days ago on environmental flows, another on assessing vulnerability to climate change as an input to decision making around land uses, protected area siting, construction of dams, and lastly a presentation of the innovative Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) as useful for decisions with freshwater ... -
Dispatch From World Water Week 2009
World Water Week is an annual meeting to discuss the planet’s most urgent water-related issues, held in Stockholm, Sweden. This year's conference ended August 22. To learn more, visit http://www.conservation.org/water2009. Read a dispatch from Ian Harrison, CI scientist and conference attendee, below. On Saturday August 16, a seminar session on Environmental Flows for Sustainable Development, Poverty Alleviation, and Biodiversity Conservation was convened by the Global Environmental Flows Network (eflowNet), USAID Global Water for Sustainability Programs (GLOWS), Conservation International, Deltares, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Swedish Water House (SWH), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), UNEP-DHI Centre for Water ... -
Expansion of Protected Area Ensures Long-Term Water Security for at least 800,000 people
We are pleased to announce the expansion of the Três Picos State Park (Three Peaks State Park), located at the Serra do Mar Biodiversity Corridor, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil. The park, which protects headwaters of important river basins that are the major freshwater sources for the densely populated state, was expanded from 46,350 hectares (114,533 acres) to 58,790 hectares (145,273 acres), an increase of 21 percent. To put the region’s fresh water importance into perspective, a single portion of the park’s headwaters was estimated to provide water for more than 800,000 people. With support ... -
Fresh Water and Cultural Stability
As CI prepares for World Water Week later this month, the human connection to fresh water is evident everywhere I look. Although we may take it for granted in developed countries, access to fresh water underlies all of our other concerns; without it, we would cease to exist. Yet despite this reliance, climate change and other man-made forces continue to threaten water security around the world. No one is immune to the issues facing freshwater ecosystems. However, it is becoming clear that small indigenous communities in isolated areas are among the first to feel the impacts of these threats. Members ...
