2020 Desertification and Drought Day

2020 Desertification and Drought Day

Project Resources build understanding of local Protected Areas

As the GEF-funded "Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago" project draws to a close, several resources produced in the latter part of the project are being shared, to build local awareness of our forest and protected areas (PAs).

In the second half of 2019, a socio-economic study related to PAs was undertaken with the assistance of the Central Statistical Office of the Ministry of Planning and Development.  Preliminary findings were shared at a media event, and the final report is now being shared at this link.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices surveys, which were undertaken in the early phases of the project (2016-2017) to inform the project's communication activities, were repeated in late 2019.  A summary comparative report is provided, which offers recommendations for areas of continued public education.

Additionally, five video features were produced to highlight the assets, people and challenges associated with management of PAs.  The features had a local debut on the International Day for Biodiversity on 22 May 2020, and are all available for viewing on this You Tube link.

The National Forest and Protected Areas website was launched in 2017 and continues to be a repository of information about activities and for resources developed during the project, and the public is encouraged to enjoy visiting and accessing the information which is shared.

Consultancy Notice- Regional Information System and Database for POPs

Consultancy Notice for the design, development and implementation of a Caribbean Regional Information System for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

Deadline- June 5 2020, 11:59pm (GMT -4).

For futher details visit the website of the BCRC-Caribbean at  www.bcrc-caribbean.org.

This consultancy forms part of the GEF #5558 Regional Project, "Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Caribbean".

World Oceans Day 2020

The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation.

Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future. However, at the current time, there is a continuous deterioration of coastal waters owing to pollution and ocean acidification, which has an adversarial effect on the functioning of ecosystems and biodiversity. This is also negatively impacting small scale fisheries.

For all these reasons, it was necessary to create awareness through an Observance. That is why, on the 5th December 2008, the UN General Assembly designated 8 June as World Oceans Day.

The theme of UN World Oceans Day 2020 is “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.” Innovation—relating to the introduction of new methods, ideas, or products—is a dynamic term, and one that is fundamentally filled with hope. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans. In the end, it is a day to celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean.

Oceans edition!

Oceans are:

1. The lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe.  
2. A major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. 
3. The world’s largest source of protein, with more than 3 billion people depending on the oceans as their primary source of protein. 
4. A source of livelihood for over three billion people that depend on marine and coastal biodiversity. 
5. Absorbers of about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans thus buffering the impacts of global warming.
6. About 70% of the earths surface. 
7. Largely unexplored; only about 5% of oceans have been explored by humans. 
8. Home to more historic artefacts than all the museums in the world! 

Take our World Oceans Day 2020 Quiz! Click on the link below:

https://www.quiz-maker.com/QU7839XR

World Environment Day 2020

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2020

#TimeForNature

World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June; engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) annually organizes events for World Environment Day, which encourages worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the environment. 

The theme for World Environment Day 2020 is, 'Time for Nature', with a focus on its role in providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on Earth and human development. This focus is expected to provide an opportunity for driving the momentum and public awareness of nature as a key aspect in the lead up to the 15th meeting of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). COP 15 was expected to take place in October 2020, but will be rescheduled for 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Environment Day 2020 calls for urgent action to protect biodiversity. 

Biodiversity describes the variety of life on Earth. It encompasses the 8 million species on the planet–from plants and animals to fungi and bacteria; the ecosystems that house them; and the genetic diversity among them.

Biodiversity may be seen as an intricate web, in which each part is interdependent. When one component is changed–or removed–the entire system is affected, and this can produce positive–or negative–consequences.

NATURE’S SERVICE

Nature responds to some of the most pressing challenges faced by humans today. It provides us with oxygen, purifies the water we drink, ensures fertile soil, and produces the variety of foods we require to stay healthy and resist disease. It enables medical researchers to understand human physiology; and offers substance for developing medicines. It is the foundation of most industries and livelihoods. It even helps mitigate the impact of climate change by storing carbon and regulating local rainfall. Life on earth would not be possible without nature’s services. It is our greatest common good.

HUMAN DEMANDS

With our increasing demands, humans have pushed nature beyond its limit. In the last 50 years, the human population has doubled; the global economy has almost quadrupled and global trade has increased by about ten times. It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make of nature each year. 

The emergence of COVID-19 has underscored the fact that, when we destroy biodiversity, we destroy the system that supports human life. By upsetting the delicate balance of nature, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens–including coronaviruses–to spread. 

We are intimately interconnected with nature. If we don’t take care of nature, we can’t take care of ourselves.

IT’S TIME FOR NATURE

Following the decisions taken by UN Member States in the Convention on Biological Biodiversity, UNEP and its partners are launching the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), a global initiative to restore the relationship between humans and nature. UNEP is also working with world leaders to develop a new and ambitious Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to realize a 2050 Vision of Living in Harmony with Nature.

Living in harmony with nature can only be achieved if we reverse negative impact of biodiversity loss and pursue full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. World Environment Day celebrations will help build momentum and unite the global community in actions for positive change.

Take our WED 2020 QUIZ! Click the link below.

https://quiz-maker.com/QJR4X5VN





Thanks for reading! Be sure to 'Like' our Facebook page and 'Follow' us on Instagram- @eppdtt!