The Amazon Rainforest has been recognized as a key ecosystem for the regulation of the planet as a system, and we have come to identify its vulnerability, and resilience. In times when humanity is in search for convincing strategies to tackle climate change and to maintain the conditions of the planet that enable our diverse ways of living, this region of the planet becomes key for the threats the planet is facing as a whole. The Amazon, because of its exuberance, its diversity, its vulnerability and its life-renewing cycles, is a perfect scenario for the understanding of our planet’s thresholds, tipping points, resilience, generosity and thriving for life, and the role of the human species in its maintenance. In that sense, the connectivity of the Amazon with its neighboring ecosystems and regions is what will guarantee the continuance of the functioning and offering of the environmental services they provide.

The creation of this ecological-cultural corridor is then an opportunity to do so. In a few words, if we lose the Amazon, we lose the fight against global Climate Change.

The Path of the Anacondas Initiative aims to re-establish ecosystem connectivity, to guarantee environmental services of the Amazon basin and seek innovative solutions to Climate Change, creating the world’s largest eco-cultural corridor: Andes-Amazon-Atlantic. This connectivity is fundamental for climate stability, the water cycle, biodiversity, planetary resilience, and human wellbeing. The initiative promotes the articulation between indigenous people, local populations, productive sectors, organizations and governments, enabling a re-thinking of our participation in the natural system that sustains us. The corridor aims to energize an integral vision, articulating all political, social, economic and cultural dimensions, in a participatory and inclusive way.

The region comprises a central column of some 135 million hectares, of which 80% is Protected Areas and Indigenous Territories. This mosaic of Protected Areas and Indigenous Territories covers 134 million hectares, and forms the core potential area for inclusion in the Andes-Amazonia-Atlantic Corridor. Beyond the existing mosaic of Protected Areas and Indigenous Territories, the three countries have suggested policies for conservation and sustainable management for the region of the North of the Amazon River. For instance, Colombia is seeking to protect buffer zones around its Protected Areas using a flexible figure of special management corridors. In Brazil the north of the Amazon River is seen as an area of conservation and sustainable development. In Venezuela, 75% of the state of Amazonas has been declared as protected areas, and 85% of the population is indigenous.

Nevertheless, if it is considered more attractive as a laboratory for new and innovative environmental, social, and economical proposals, many adjacent territories could be included. In this way, the corridor could include the entire region located north of the Amazon River, approximately 200 million hectares. It could also include other countries such as Guyana, Surinam, French Guyana and Peru, which have informally expressed their interest in participating.

The countries within the region share national and international legal frameworks and commitments for conservation, sustainable development and human rights. Such are the shared ratification of international conventions relating to the environment and indigenous communities, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the ILO Convention 169, and the Río Agreements, among others. These countries have also signed a series of multinational and bi-national cooperation agreements for the environmental, social and economic management of the Amazon basin, many of them within the framework of the OTCA (Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization). There exists multiple social and environmental initiatives promoted by governments, civil society and international cooperation. Faced by the need to take action on climate change, the Colombian government has committed to implement the initiative in its territory, and is calling on other countries in the region to do the same. Further, there is a growing critical mass of civil society in favor.

The call is on the youths. What's being done to limit the impact of human activities upon the earth? Is there going to be left a habitable place for posterity and generations to come? Will they have a better quality of life or do our activities threaten this idea?

Turn Down the Heat, a report by the World Bank examined some of these issues. It emphasized how human activities and the resultant global warming and climate change could impact adversely on nations. Beaming its spotlight on sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South East Asia, the bank examined varying scenarios of what could become of these regions should world temperatures increase by 2 – 4 degrees. A synopsis; extreme flood, heat, and drought. These have enormous ripple effects such as population displacement and increased conflicts to name a few.

According to IEA, carbon emissions globally hit record highs in 2012, rising by 1.4 percent to 31.6 billion tons. In addition, developing countries are said to account for 60 percent of global emissions from energy as against 45 percent in the year 2000.

Is history going to repeat the same heated cycle? What is being done to stem the tide of a warming planet? There have been calls for an end to the use of fossil fuels, excessive deforestation, un-checked industrialization and much more.

The time has come for us to heed the call of knowledgeable diplomats and world leaders; United States President Barack Obama has called for reevaluations of current operating standards in order to safe guard the future from climate change.

The youths are a part of this conversation. As the leaders of tomorrow and the voters of today, they can catalyze positive action in their homes, schools and communities on habits that result in warming climates. Armed with appropriate facts on this issue, they can help make a world of difference. The World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that, "To deliver bold solutions on climate change, we need to listen to and engage broader and more diverse audiences. We need to hear the voices of young people."

The Connect4Climate global coalition, led by Lucia Grenna, threw its weight behind this idea, building global awareness and conversations on climate change. C4C took numerous steps to focus on encouraging youths to make their message heard. The youths have been a large part of coalition efforts, illuminating how climate change impacts their future in the recently concluded iChange competition.

In the United States, a poll conducted for the League of Conservation Voters revealed that young voters want there to be more action in slowing climate change. According to Tree Hugger.com, "young voters will not tolerate denying science or opposing action to slow climate change."

In addition, AllAfrica.com presents how the youths currently focus on grassroots action in a bid to help their communities adapt to climate change. They believe that there's an urgency to develop resilience measures and coping strategies since adaptation funds were not trickling down to those in desperate need.

What more needs to be said? Let these steps taken so far be transformed into leaps and bounds of progress, through positive and profound actions and policies that will reverse the heat.
The World Bank in its fight to end poverty attempts to balance varying activities that alleviate poverty with those that protect the environment. According to Reuters, the World Bank in is endeavoring to limit the financing of coal-fired power plants.

Other countries and cities around the world are snapping on to the efforts of limiting climate change. For instance, London has put together a city adaptation plan that includes surface water flood management, increasing vegetation about the city, and improving water and energy efficiency in homes. In Quito, Ecuador, official policies support mitigation and adaptation strategies that focus on five areas: ecosystems and biodiversity, drinking water supplies, public health, infrastructure and power production, and climate risk management.

New York City has developed a 19.5 billion dollar plan that will help the city adapt to climate change. A sort of reinforcement after the extensive damage wrought on the city by superstorm Sandy.
In Jamaica, collaboration by the University of West Indies, the Global Environment Facility, and United Nations Environment Program will see the construction of zero – energy buildings in the region in the next two to three years. These zero-energy / energy – plus buildings (ZEB / EB) work by combining energy-efficient designs with efficient sources of energy so that they produce their own energy, and then some.

Nigeria collaborates with ECOWAS member states to develop a West African Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (WACCAS), in addition to afforestation initiatives, the Green Wall Sahara Initiative, the construction of solar farms, and public awareness campaigns.

In Durban, South Africa climate adaptation strategies started as early as 2004 and have been rolling out in stages. The program began by assessing local impacts of climate change as presented by hotter temperatures, rainfall intensity and coastal erosion. Specific adaptation plans were developed with hopes of harnessing these effects.

Rwanda is planting trees, preserving forests, and reforming agricultural practices to make them more environmentally friendly.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that 20 percent of cities around the globe have developed adaptation strategies. We all need to adopt activities that will help harness climate change and decrease escalating global temperatures.

A lot more needs to be done to decelerate the warming of the earth. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon added his voice to the call on the youths' increased involvement.

As President Obama said in his recent remarks on climate change, when "our children and our children's children …look us in the eye and ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safer, more stable world?" Let us be able to respond, "Yes, we did!"

It might seem tautological to say that the story of man and forest is as old as, well, man and forest. But considering that we spend so much time and energy cutting down trees and generally disregarding their importance to our survival, it seems like we have forgotten that our existence is largely sustained by forests.

From the World Bank’s Forests and Forestry Page

Forests contain twice as much carbon as exists in the Earth’s atmosphere, and absorb about 15 percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, destruction of forests through deforestation and forest degradation now contribute about 18% of the planet's greenhouse gases, a principal cause of climate change. 

Based on the comments on our Facebook wall, many of you understand the importance of protecting forests as an effective method of protecting the environment. Your comments remind us that this is a conversation that needs to be shared around the world.

As individuals we might not be able to sit at the negotiating table in Durban or Rio+20, but planting trees or educating our neighbors on the importance of forests, is well within our capability. Forests provide mankind a very rich existence. For some communities that have been living in harmony with forests, this is common knowledge. Asimenyekyala Nthakomwa noted this on our Facebook wall:

“communities harvest lots of non timber forest products... fruits, mushrooms, firewood, thatching grass, edible insects and a lot more therefore their protection ensures continued benefits to the communities, let me mention that the communities (especially those who dwell closer to the forests) should be involved in the protection of these forests so that they should feel that they own them and its for their benefit otherwise illegal harvesting cases will be the order of the day and they will be used unsustainably!”

Many of you made valid observations today about forests and their role in fighting climate change. You commented that forests are important to you because they house animals, provide oxygen, sequester carbon, prevent desertification, provide shade and beauty, protect biodiversity and water resources, balance micro-climates, and are part of our heritage and legacy.

A few weeks ago, forests featured heavily during our week of African Voices on Climate Change (AVCC). AVCC was our invitation to African and Diaspora bloggers to contribute their stories on climate change. Over the next few weeks we’ll feature those voices as part of our weekly discussions. One of those contributors, Professor Wolfgang H. Thome, from Rwanda wrote about Nyungwe National Forest Park in Rwanda and how the country is looking at sustainable methods of including forests as part of the national attraction. This is a great example of positive use of forests. We don’t necessarily need to destroy forests in order to create tourist attractions, forests ARE the attraction:

The establishment of the Nyungwe Forest National Park a few years ago widened Rwanda’s tourism attractions and the success of this park – including its unique treetop walk – has fueled rumours that another forest national park may be in the making to provide more choices of itineraries and fulfill the country’s tourism vision to attract quality tourists who are staying longer and spend more money, making the ‘industry’ succeed in the long run for generations to come.

Given all your input into the discussion on forests, one could conclude that nearly all of the 80,000 fans on our Facebook page joined because they understand the causes of climate change and are passionate about finding solutions. 80,000 of you understanding how critical a role forests play in the fight against climate change might not seem like much against a population of 7 billion. But 80,000 is a lot when you are started at zero. There’s a lot to say and to understand about our relationship with nature. Our journey to being more knowledgeable might perhaps answer critical questions about our dysfunctional relationship with our environment. Like for example,  what allows us to ignore the destructive nature of our behaviors, in full light of evidence?

From UNEP:
Forests cover one third of the earth's land mass, performing vital functions around the world. In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role in our battle against climate change. Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities, including New York, Jakarta and Caracas. They help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms and floods.

Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Forests also provide shelter, jobs and security for forest-dependent populations.

Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to survive. Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate -- 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually, equal to the size of Portugal.

One thing is clear, we are all responsible. But at the same time, we are fully capable of being the solution. So please continue to share your stories about the ways forests benefit you. If you don’t think forests impact your everyday life, please make it a point to join the discussion and hear the stories of others. Somewhere along the way, we hope you will come to understand that others’ stories about forests are reflections of all humankind’s interactions with forests. We are all connected, and we all rely on forests. Next week, we’ll look at how one person’s story of a forest is relevant to all of us.

Solomon W. Jagwe is a Ugandan animator with over 15 years experience in the digital arts. He has spent the last couple of years working on an animated film that tells the story of a Mountain Gorilla on a quest to survive. With production of the film still in progress, C4C caught up with Mr. Jagwe over Skype to gain a little more information on his very personal project of using film to engage youth in Uganda and on the continent about the importance of conservation.

[video:https://youtu.be/hY3DkqGWHX8]

 

Why did you choose to use film as a medium to get your message across?

I chose to use film to deliver the story of Galiwango, because when I was growing up as a kid back in Uganda, the only way that I heard folk tales about wildlife, was through kerosene lamp-lit evenings in the village, with my grandmother. When my grandmother passed away, I realized that, those stories of Wango (leopard), Wakayima (Hare), and Waguludene (Elephant) had most certainly gone to the grave with her, except for what I had in my memory. I figured that the surest way to save that rich heritage of oral tradition, was to carry on the torch and use a medium that was rapidly being accessed all over the world through the web and in movie theaters.

And considering the fact that we the youth are the future consumers and leaders of tomorrow, I had to find a method that would appeal to that demographic. That's why I chose the 3D animated approach. I have been working in this industry since 1998. I have worked for the US defense industry for over 12 years as an animator, and 3D artist, created content for video games, military simulations, cinematics and scenario based training.

Having worked within military circles for that length of time, I developed a soft spot for men and women who lay down their lives to protect and preserve freedom. That experience shaped the way I look at Park Rangers. I see them as the front-line, unsung heroes in the global effort to protect endangered wildlife and the conservation of the habitats they live in. In the Galiwango film, I show the tremendous responsibility the rangers have in fending off Illegal charcoal traders and poachers. There is a war being waged against the forests in Africa (and in South America) where the forests in the Congo Basin and Amazon Basin are threatened by logging and deforestation that is feeding the illegal charcoal trade, especially in the Congo.

Without the forest cover, the endangered wildlife is stripped bare of its protective habitat and source of food and accommodation. This also opens up the habitats to squatters as communities build closer and closer to the habitat shared by the mountain gorillas and other endangered wildlife. [ Some photos of my mountain gorilla tracking trip to Bwindi to see the Nshongi mountain gorilla group, and to gather reference material for the Galiwango Film ] 

After the tracking, I sat down with 4 rangers and interviewed them about their experience of protecting the Bwindi forest and the mountain gorillas, plus all the other  endangered wildlife. It was an eye opening experience. I met a ranger called Sgt Major. Benjamin Bayenda, an old man who has been serving as a ranger for 24 years. His dedication to the conservation effort inspired me greatly. I promised him that I would share his story and do my best to let the world know about the challenges and triumphs of the rangers. 

Statistics show that 78% of Uganda's population is 30 years and below, and 51% are 15 and below, which means that future Rangers are going to have to come from that demographic. Rangers like Sgt. Major Benjamin are going to have to retire at some point, and its going to be us the youth to carry on that noble torch.  So the way I see it, is that the sooner we educate the youth to develop an endearment to the plight of the endangered wildlife and future of our environment, the better prepared they will be when that calling takes root in their hearts.  I have made it a personal crusade to educate the youth for as long as I have breath.

 

You have decided to make this a very personal project, it is very unusual given your background to switch to environmental education? What drives you?

My drive to this effort didn't start yesterday, I have been a wildlife advocate since I was a kid. The subject matter is drawn from my longstanding fascination with nature and wild life as a whole. I have always loved studying wild animals, birds and fish. I remember how I used to skip lunch, while in boarding school, and spend that time reading Encarta encyclopedias filled with beautiful images of creatures from all over the world.

Mountain gorillas captured my imagination not only because of their immense size and grace but also by the alarming rate at which they were disappearing from the face of the planet. It was quite sobering and rather saddening to think that these awesome creatures might not be around for future generations to appreciate.

Like my late grandmother, I wanted to tell stories about the struggles and triumphs of these endangered great apes, and shed a light on the struggles and triumphs of the men and women working had to protect them. I tell the story from a captured gorilla’s point of view. I weave into the tale a human element of  redemption, interaction with technology, war and humor.

Do you think Uganda's youth and Africa's youth in general are capable of rising to the occasion and putting the environment and the causes of climate change as central issues critical to their future?

I am an ardent optimistic and believer, that there are others like me out there. Young women and men who have a heart for the conservation and preservation of our environment. Through social media, I have been able to reach out and share this message, and I see the numbers rising on the Mountain Gorilla conservationCause Group and the Galiwango Film Facebook page I created with a combined total of 7,218 members/fans. That's why I can answer yes, I do believe the youth are capable of rising to the occasion.

Ever since I shared the Galiwango film project with the public, I have received a number of inquiries from youth in Uganda and Congo on how they can get involved and how they contribute to groups like the Batwa tribe, a forest people that were displaced from Bwindi, a habitat they shared with the mountain gorillas. I am also reaching out to other young leaders like Rica Rwigambwa, who is the head of the tourism and wildlife in Rwanda. She is a young lady who is dedicated to the evironmental protection effort and the conservation of endangered wildlife.

How will you measure impact of the film when it is done? What's next for you after the film?

The impact of the film will be measured in the number of schools I will be able to visit, and the number of workshops I will do as a continued effort to spread the word. My goal is to take it to as many schools as possible to sow that same seed that was sown in my life. Investment in education is a priceless effort and the impact is often made manifest when those children grow up.

Tangible impact will be in the continued contribution to a Ranger Fund, which can already be seen by the donations people are making through the Galiwango Cause Group I set up and the Comic Book based on the film that I wrote and illustrated. That money goes to providing a rehabilitation center for gorillas rescued from poachers, through the Dr. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. They also fund ranger patrols that help disable traps in the forests, fend off poachers and illegal charcoal producers.  I donate $5 dollars from every comic book purchased to the conservation effort.

I also believe that there will be an increase in contribution of youth to the effort to help disadvantaged forest people like the Batwa, and raising awareness to the cultural heritage projects like the Batwa Experience Trailin Bwindi, where the natives share the value of protecting a Forest habitat they shared with the mountain gorillas.

To learn more about the film visit the website. http://www.galiwango.com/

South Africa-based Greenpop, a social enterprise that runs urban greening and reforestation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, is on a mission to plant 5000 trees in Zambia. According to their web site, Zambia has the 2nd largest rate of deforestation in the world. This is the second phase of an earlier initiative that saw over 1000 tree planted in one month in the city of Livingstone. The effort is being promoted on the Indiegogo crowd-funding platform where we found Kenya's enterprising wind energy initiative.

The project is seeking $7,500 in funding to make the initiative a reality. Every $15 donated pays for one tree and all associated costs. For those unable to donate financially, and are physically located near Livingstone, Zambia, sign up and donate your time to make this a reality.

Obviously, flying to Zambia is not advised as both the money spent and carbon footprint would far out outweigh any assistance you could give. Consider just donating your entire trip cost to the initiative. Better yet, plant a tree right where you are. After all, the WORLD needs more trees. A study by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concluded that “to make up for the world’s loss of trees in the past decade, we need to plant about 14 billion trees every year for 10 years in a row.”

Have you planted a tree today?

http://www.indiegogo.com/Trees-for-Zambia

Every year, 24 billion tons of fertile soils are lost to us from erosion while 12 million hectares of land are degraded through drought and the steady encroachment of desert. With every hectare of land we lose to drought or the desert, we also lose tons of potential grain which makes life even more of an ordeal for the 1.5 billion people worldwide who make their living off degraded land.

But as we celebrate World Desertification Day this year, there is also new hope as two billion hectares of degraded land have the potential to be restored. In the Maradi and Zinger regions of Niger, sustainable practices led to the spontaneous regeneration of 200 million trees that now secure the livelihoods of 4.5 million people. Regenerated trees such as Faidherbia albida, apple-ring acacia, used for food, fodder and nitrogen fixing have been protected and managed by farmers with no tree nurseries, no planting and nearly no cost – just dedication. On Mali’s Seno Plains, farmers have protected and managed trees on 450,000 hectares of their land.

Word Day to Combat Desertification Global Observance Event: “Land Belongs to the Future – Let’s Climate Proof It.”

To keep that hope alive, hundreds of thousands of people across the world recently celebrated World Day to Combat Desertification, along with many at the World Bank, to raise public awareness about desertification, and promote a global collective response, especially in Africa. 

The global observance organized by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and hosted by the World Bank in partnership with the Global Environment Facility, TerrAfrica and Connect4Climate, focused on the theme of ecosystem-based adaptation, with a rallying call“Land Belongs to the Future   – Let’s Climate Proof It.”

“Africa is already feeling the harsh bite of climate change, especially in the countries of The Sahel and others affected by prolonged drought and desertification. We are working closely with communities to build up their resilience to adverse weather conditions and invest in climate-smart agriculture,” said AFRVP Makhtar Diop in a special video address to the special Bank-sponsored event. “Our natural allies in this work are collaborative agencies such as TerrAfrica, and UNCCD, which champion existing local innovations that safeguard the environment and create ecosystems that keep the world’s lands alive and productive.”

Climate change is pushing our ecosystems to breaking point and the failure to act may result in food, water, income and security threats. The price to fix degraded land on a large scale and minimize these outcomes is only a fraction of the cost paid through social and political unrest, conflict, forced migration or internal displacement. Restoring a hectare of degraded and fragile soils, in The Sahel, costs as little as US$ 25 to 65.

“The international community must find ways to secure the long-term resilience not only for ecosystems, but also for people and for the poor who are the most affected by desertification,” said Mahmoud Mohieldin, Corporate Secretary and the President’s Special Envoy for the MDGs, in his opening remarks.  “To address the unique issues faced by the most vulnerable, we must invest in applicable solutions that are transformative, and can be scaled up.”

Panel discussion at World Day to Combat Desertification "A Conversation on Drylands: Perspectives from Africa, LAC and the Middle East"

Desertification-fighting champions include Ethiopia whose success was featured through the Bank-produced documentary Greening Ethiopia’s Highlands: A New Hope for Africa. The movie highlights how a landscape approach was used to manage land, water and forest resources to meet the goals of food security and inclusive green growth.

Niger’s effort in the restoration of degraded land and reforestation was also highlighted in the keynote address by its Prime Minister, Brigi Rafini. “Niger is one of hardest hit by desertification with the drying up of Lake Chad,” he said. “But, we have achieved incredible results on the sustainable management of ecosystems through local solutions and the Great Green Wall Initiative. The fight against desertification and climate change is within our reach.”

However, as Magda Lovei, ENRM Sector Manager, remarked, commitments from the top, mobilization at the grassroots and strong policies are necessary to find and deliver solutions. “If all these ingredients for success can be put in place and people do the right thing, nature can heal itself,” she said.
Juergen Voegele, Senior Director for the Agriculture Global Practice, reiterated the need for an approach that lets nature do the job. “Landscapes don’t need to be managed,” he said. “It is the people that need to be managed.”

This point was emphasized with the screening of the Why Poverty? documentary Solar Mamas, which depicts the encouraging training of illiterate mothers and grandmothers to become solar engineers through the Barefoot College in India. The film (embedded below) was screened following a presentation by Raffaelo Cervigni, World Bank Lead Environmental Economist, on the flagship drylands report to stimulate the panel discussion A Conversation on Drylands: Perspectives from Africa, LAC and the Middle East.

Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD

In her closing remarks, Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, reiterated that insufficient attention is paid to land in climate change adaptation. She emphasized that it is not a matter of inventing solutions - many proven and effective measures exist and should be brought to scale. She pointed out that, while climate change negotiations tend to center around the largest greenhouse gas emitters, when climate change is put in terms of land, the negotiation dynamics can change as 169 countries claimed to be affected by desertification.

There is hope that, as the global community is debating the post-2015 development agenda and the future of climate action, the path chosen would lead towards land-based resilience.

Original post can be accessed on the World Bank website.

[video:https://vimeo.com/96813617]

What if instead of a regular day at the office you could be outdoors, enjoying Spring?

That was the challenge proposed by Jill S. Wilkins, World Bank Group External Corporate Relations Global Engagement manager (she oversees Connect4Climate!) and we immediately agreed. The idea was to offer a time for the department members to get together and enjoy some quality time as a team. What better way to do while contributing to a worthy cause?

Shovels? Check. Gloves. Yes! The Global Engagement team from The World Bank Group gets ready for action. Photo Credit: ECRGE

We chose the Anacostia Watershed Society, an organization that has been doing amazing work making the Anacostia River that flows through Washington, D.C. a healthy, vibrant waterway. On a hot Thursday morning, around fifteen colleagues replaced their regular suits with practical clothes and hit Hyattsville, Maryland, a mere twenty minutes from World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where the outing would take place. We were going to build a garden.

Before getting down to business, Jo-Elle Burgard, the project coordinator, explained to the volunteers the purpose of the garden we were about to build. The parking lot of the First United Methodist Church, located in the lower part of the property, often floods with polluted water during a rainstorm. Creating a garden on one of the hills on the church’s property would helpstop the water, which would eventually end up in the sewer storm drain located underneath the parking lot.

This drain channels the water— now warmer from the asphalt and the pollution involved—to the river causing an increase on the water temperature, which consequently provokes changes in the ecosystem.  

Native plants set out for the future garden will help absorb water from rainstorms that had been plaguing the local eco-system. Photo Credit: ECRGE

Ferns, native pachysandra, and tiarella, plants native to the Chesapeake region, would make up the garden. They were chosen for their adaptability; they can bare various climate change differences as also tolerate a wide range of soils.

Everything was ready. The leaders had previously divided and set the plants in places where they were to be planted. Half of the job was done, we just needed to dig in and place them in the ground.

Creating a garden in a watershed area. Photo Credit: ECRGE

It was time at last. We started out with an immense enthusiasm. But as we dug, people started losing a bit of their energy. Great team work was what keep us going. Less than three hours later, the last shovel hit the ground. Our sense of accomplishment was clearly visible.

Working at a computer or shoveling? Guess what we chose? Photo Credit: ECRGE

What a great experience! Tiring but rewarding.

When asked if I would be interested in participating in another volunteering activity, I simply answer: Just tell me where and when!!

Bárbara Gomes Simões is currently an intern for Connect4Climate. Originally from Cascais, Portugal, she’s has worked on numerous international projects and is particularly committed to youth empowerment.

Spain not only has to combat the economic crisis, but also the effects of climate change. The climate is increasingly volatile and extremely dry and hot over a number of consecutive months, which especially puts the Spanish agriculture and forestry sectors under pressure. The Spanish Government has therefore committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For example, early this year it approved 37 projects under the Clima 2013 plan, backed by 10 million budget. These projects should help to reduce emissions by 800 Tn CO2 equivalent and support the overall goal of reaching 10% lower emissions by 2020 (compared to emissions in 2005).

Apart from reducing emissions, much is being done to mitigate climate change effects. Several consequences of climate change are already happening, such as soil degradation with subsequent loss of agricultural capacity and the loss of biodiversity in affected eco-systems. Many agricultural areas are degraded and have been abandoned due to lack of profitability. One way to combat these developments is the reforestation of rural areas where trees can help improve soil quality, slow erosion, retain water and provide sheltering space and forage for wild animals. Reforestation is often difficult and expensive as the areas often lack water and are remote.

The Life+ Green Deserts project is exploring a potential solution to make reforestation affordable through the use of the Groasis Waterboxx, a device that helps young trees survive their first critical years. The partners in this ambitious reforestation project have planted 55,000 trees, most of them with the Groasis Waterboxx, and are monitoring the results. The immediate aim is to convert 63 hectares of bare and deserted land into forest without the use of traditional irrigation, in order to increase the resilience of each area. Midterm, the project intends to demonstrate the viability of the used technology and find a solution to the problems of reforestation in Mediterranean and other areas that suffer from desertification.

The Green Deserts project started in 2010 in five different Spanish provinces, namely Valladolid, Len, Zamora, Zaragoza and Barcelona. These fives zones have different climatic characteristics, different altitudes, and different usage and soil composition. However, a common element is that they are extremely dry to arid and no tree, plant or crop can grow without artificial irrigation, if at all.

 

The participants of the project are aware that no change can be realized without raising awareness of the problem. Therefore, one of the objectives is to disseminate the results and raise awareness in local communities. Individuals, families and schools have reacted with great interest and are happy to learn more and participate in planting trees. 

Learn more about LIFE+ The Green Deserts at www.thegreendeserts.com or become a fan of their Facebook Page.