The MAP News
454th Edition October 27, 2018 |
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FEATURE Mangrove no longer for shrimp farming
MALAYSIA - No more mangrove land will be approved for shrimp farming in Sabah. Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Junz Wong said mangrove destruction must be stopped for the sake of the environment. “The destruction of valuable natural environment assets are irreversible. Instead, we should encourage agricultural development, Wong said during a visit to a privately-owned shrimp farm at Sungai Telaga in Pitas to learn more about how farming is done. “We need to make sure that there is enough for the local market before exporting.” Meanwhile, Wong said he rejected an application to start prawn farming on mangrove land. A representative from six villages which were initially going to be affected by shrimp farming on the land, welcomed the minister’s decision. “We have been pleading for the government to stop mangrove destruction and prevent businesses from coming in,” said Mastupang Somoi. READ MORE AFRICA A fifth of Abu Dhabi's mangroves in moderate or poor health, study shows ABU – DHABI - An estimated 20 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s mangroves are in deteriorating or moderate health, a new assessment by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi revealed. More than 150 square kilometres of Abu Dhabi’s coastline are covered in mangrove forests, whose dense thickets are a breeding ground for fish, birds, insects and marine invertebrates, and a carbon sink. Satellite mapping found that 80 per cent of the emirate’s mangroves are healthy, while 15 per cent are in moderate condition and 5 per cent are in deteriorating health. “This gives a snapshot of the condition right now and can help identify areas under stress,” said Amna Al Mansoori, an assistant scientist in marine habitats at the agency’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity section. “This project can give us a bird’s-eye view.” Mangrove health was determined by measuring the spectral reflectance of the forests. The greener the mangroves, the healthier the site. Patches of the Eastern Mangroves on Abu Dhabi island were found to be under stress. READ MORE Satellite-derived Mangrove Health Assessment to Abu Dhabi ABU DHABI - TCarta, a global provider of geospatial products and services, has been commissioned by Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) to carry out a landmark mangrove health assessment covering the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The assessment contains mangrove condition information derived from high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery. “The satellite-derived vegetation analysis process we developed for this project can be applied to large-area crop and forestry health mapping anywhere in the world,” said Chris Burnett, TCarta project manager. For EAD, the TCarta report delivered some promising results. With 80 percent of the Emirate’s mangrove forests found to be healthy, this was encouraging news. The innovative project also enabled EAD to designate conservation areas for immediate protection. The data helped EAD to assess the relative success of existing schemes with the view to applying the lessons learnt into practice for future endeavours. “As part of the assessment, we created a Disturbance Index showing precisely where the most mangrove stress is occurring,” said Burnett. “EAD will use this to determine – and potentially mitigate – the external factors causing the mangrove conditions to decline.” READ MORE ASIA MMM5 Mangroves & People – A call for submissions SINGAPORE - The 5th international Mangrove Macrobenthos and Management (MMM5) conference will be held in 'downtown Singapore' from the 1st to the 5th of July 2019. The MMM series, first started in 2000, represents the largest single gathering of researchers, practitioners and policy makers interested in the science and conservation of mangrove forests. MMM is a global conference series, and MMM5 is the first MMM conference to be held in Southeast Asia - a region home to the highest biodiversity and largest extent of mangroves. However, it is also a region that has seen some of the highest rates of mangrove loss over the last 50 years. Thus, MMM5 is a great opportunity to share research on linkages between mangroves and people, and how we can better conserve threatened mangrove forests. READ MORE Come clean on mangrove forest clearing in Juru, authorities told MALAYSIA - A swathe of the last remaining mangrove forest here is allegedly being cleared indiscriminately, believed to be for the development of aquaculture ponds. The location is accessible via a bund road that starts at the Sungai Belanak Fisherman Jetty towards the Permanent Food Production Park (TKPM). Machineries were spotted at the site recently to clear the 0.9ha mangrove forest and level the muddy soil. Checks by NSTP at the area today showed the entrance had been cordoned off with a black trawler net. Next to it was a shrimp pond, which has been in operations for the past five years Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president S.M. Mohamed Idris urged the Penang government, the Seberang Prai Municipal Council, the Drainage and Irrigation Department, state Forestry Department and the Seberang Prai Tengah Land and District Office to investigate the destruction of mangrove forest in the area. “In a survey along the bund road in Juru, Bukit Tengah recently, we were shocked to see machinery used to clear the mangrove forest and the muddy soil being leveled while being observed by several individuals there. READ MORE New Oil Spill Devastates Borneo Coastline BORNEO - A state of emergency has been declared after a huge oil spill occurred near the port city of Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, Borneo. Five people have died and an 80km oil slick now covers much of Balikpapan Bay as the cleanup operation begins to reduce the massive environmental damage that this has caused. But just how did something like this happen? Although originally denying it for five days, the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina finally came forward accepting responsibility. It’s believed that a pipeline in Balikpapan Bay owned by Pertamina was hit as a coal ship dropped its anchor on the pipeline and subsequently dragged it approximately 100m, tearing the pipeline apart. As oil spilt out of the pipeline, Pertamina continued to deny any responsibility for the spill instead insisting that it was marine oil released from ships visiting the port. However, as the slick grew in size, Pertamina was pressured to take responsibility and begin cleaning up the oil that had poured out of its pipeline. READ MORE Sri Lanka project wins climate award SRI LANKA - Seacology’s program to protect all of the mangrove forests in Sri Lanka continues to receive international accolades. The project just won a United Nations-sponsored 2018 Momentum For Change award for its innovative solution to a changing climate. It is one of 15 winners worldwide, dubbed “Lighthouse Activities” spearheaded by NGOs, governments, public utilities, and business leaders from around the world. It was one of four winners in the “planetary health” category. “These activities shine a light on scalable climate action around the world,” said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, who presented Seacology’s Duane Silverstein with the award last month as part of Climate Week in New York City. “They are proof that climate action isn’t only possible, it’s innovative, it’s exciting and it makes a difference.” We’re honored to have our largest and most ambitious project recognized by the international community at such a high level. READ MORE AMERICAS Mangrove Restoration Potential: Mapping Ocean Wealth USA - The Nature Conservancy has partnered with IUCN to develop a global model and map of mangrove restoration potential to help practitioners prioritize areas, and as a way to support and encourage mangrove restoration projects globally. The model incorporates information on both current and historic distribution of mangrove forests, as well as local drivers of mangrove loss and degradation (e.g., urbanization and industrial development, conversion to agriculture and aquaculture ponds, deforestation for fuelwood or timber, altered freshwater regimes, pollution and coastal erosion), which can vary in extent and severity depending on the region. Environmental (e.g., wave energy, tides) and social factors (e.g., population density, demographics), as well as future projections of sea level rise, urbanization, and weather events are other factors that can influence restoration suitability and will also be incorporated into the model where possible. READ MORE Rising Temperatures Are Causing Soil to Dump More Carbon Dioxide Into the Air USA - Nature is breathing. Trees inhale carbon dioxide and store that carbon in their leaves and branches. After they die, microbes in the soil gobble up their carbon-rich leftovers and exhale carbon dioxide back into the air, a process known as respiration. Rising temperatures are causing both processes to go faster. But — in an unexpected new finding — the two aren’t speeding up at the same rate. The microbes are working harder than the plants. The Earth, essentially, is panting. “Soils around the globe are responding to a warming climate, which in turn converts more carbon into carbon dioxide, which enters the atmosphere,” said Ben Bond-Lamberty, a researcher with the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a partnership between the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland. “Climate change is nudging up the temperature under which soils and ecosystems operate, with effects that are both predictable — such as faster activity — and uncertain — that is, microbial and plant communities might change.” READ MORE Yucatan to coordinate efforts to take care of the mangrove MEXICO - Having as main objective the care and preservation of the mangrove in the municipal head and police stations, the H. Ayuntamiento that presides over the Mayor Julián Zacarías Curi, through the Direction of Ecology, seeks to establish contact with the Federal Procurator for Environmental Protection in Yucatan to begin to perform actions. “There is a lot of work to be done, especially in Chicxulub, where residents are willing to create a voluntary surveillance group in order to sue those who invade these natural areas,” said Andrei Narváez Denis, Deputy Director of the Progreso Ayuntamiento. Also, the official said that the rapprochement between the federal agency and the municipal government has already been sought, however, the state authorities in charge have not been able to undertake the actions proposed by the City Council of Progreso. READ MORE LAST WORD Really sorry to hear the passing away news of Robin Lewis. We all together in Vijayawada in 2005 during the EMR training workshop and later to the field trip. His contributions to the coastal ecosystems, particularly cost effective restoration will be remembered for many more years. As you said correctly conserving the fragile ecosystem by our group is a great tribute to the departed soul. Heartfelt condolences to the near and dear to Lewis R. Ramasubramanian R.Ramasubramanian Principal Co-ordinator- Coastal Systems Research, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation 21-244-1, Noble Colony, Machilipatnam 521 001 Andhra Pradesh Ph: +91-8672-226604 (off) Mobile +91-9440314604 Email: rramasubramani@rediffmail.com |
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Thursday, October 25, 2018
MAP News Issues 454 - Oct. 27, 2018
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Noted environmentalist Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III dies at home in Salt Springs
Ocala Star Banner Ocala.com
John R. Thomas, a public interest environmental lawyer based in St. Petersburg, was a friend and colleague of Robin Lewis.
"His work improved the quality of life for millions of people who’ve probably never heard of him, as well as helped save thousands of fresh and salt-water species," said Lynda Lewis of her brother, Roy R. "Robin" Lewis.
Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, a certified environmental professional and senior ecologist whose work was well known locally and internationally, died Sept. 24 at his home in Salt Springs. He was 74.
Lewis was a member of the National Association of Environmental Professionals, Society of Wetland Scientists and Ecological Society of America, and president of Lewis Environmental Services, Inc. Coastal Resources Group, Inc., among many other affiliations.
According to his sister, Lynda Lewis, he was born May 19, 1944, in Daytona Beach. He spent his early life in Jacksonville, where he graduated from Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in 1962. He earned a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Florida in 1966, master's degree from the University of South Florida in 1968 and pursued postgraduate work there at the Marine Science Institute until 1973. He was a professor of biology at Hillsborough Community College and chairman of the department from 1974 to 1977.
"He dreamed of eventually retiring on Lake Delancy. His dream came true. He loved living in the Ocala National Forest in Marion County. He had spent many years as a young man exploring the Ocala National Forest and surrounding springs with his family," Lynda Lewis wrote in an email message.
"His work has touched many special places in Florida and around the world, improved the quality of life for millions of people who've probably never heard of him, as well as helped save thousands of fresh and salt-water species," she noted.
According to Lynda Lewis, even while running several corporations her brother taught wetland restoration courses for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin and Louisiana State University. He taught an annual course in mangrove forest ecology, management and restoration. He was instrumental in creating the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.
She said his work included the ecology, management, restoration and creation of fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove forests, forested freshwater forests, and sea grass meadows. He studied the effects of oil spills on coastal ecosystems, plant and animal colonization of dredged material islands, marine and estuarine fish use of restored tidal wetlands, and experimental re-vegetation of wetlands using both marine and freshwater species.
He worked in Florida, California, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, Hong Kong, Cuba and Jamaica, and more recently, in Barbados and on other Caribbean projects.
"Many of his restoration projects received awards, including several national awards from the Audubon Society, the Ecological Society of America and the State of California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award. He recently received the 2018 National Wetlands Award given by the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C.," Lynda Lewis wrote.
She said he worked with St. Johns Riverkeepers, Putnam County Environmental Council, Florida Defenders of the Environment, Friends of Rookery Bay Reserve, Society of Wetland Scientists, Association of State and Wetland Managers, 1000 Friends of Florida, Mount Dora Friends of the Environment, Inc., and with educational organizations including the Mockernut Hill Botanical Gardens in Shiloh in northwest Marion County.
"Robin was a dear friend and a member of our board and School of Groundcover Conservation faculty here at Mockernut Hill Botanical Garden," wrote Linda Duever, also a professional ecologist, on the garden's Facebook page.
"He was a key player at our first board meeting and very enthusiastic about helping us develop the Florida Ecological Heritage Archive we are establishing in our library building. His ecological records will be housed here, where they will be permanently secure and available to researchers," she noted.
"Robin was the most effective environmental advocate I have ever known, always prepared to take on the hard work of environmental protection and restoration. I met Robin around 1999 when we stepped up to defend the grandfather oaks of South Tampa against developers. He retained me shortly thereafter when his relentless efforts to protect and restore sea grasses in Tampa Bay got him in trouble with the Manatee County Port Authority. When the authority proposed to expand and dredge through healthy and important sea grass beds, Robin objected. He had worked hard to establish the National Estuary and he was paternalistic toward these essential habitats," Thomas wrote in an email statement.
"In a bow to his knowledge and tenacity, the authority hired Robin and put him in charge of their proposed up-front sea grass restoration mitigation project - no use of new facilities until impacts successfully mitigated. But Robin was an honest scientist and advocate and he would not lie to FDEP when the authority made several bad decisions that destroyed acres of sea grass and undermined the mitigation project. So they fired him/he quit. He and I opposed the authority's attempts to renege on promises to fully mitigate the dredging impacts up front. At great expense and under huge stress, Robin beat the authority," Thomas wrote.
"When the U.S. Forest Service neglected to provide for scrub jays, Robin created Save Our Big Scrub. This not-for-profit fights to preserve and create the unique habitat needed by the scrub jay population in the Ocala National Forest," Thomas stated.
"Robin knew disappointment too. I am sure a dying regret was that his beloved Ocklawaha River still has not been restored. Robin worked tirelessly to persuade everyone that the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam needed to be removed. While progress has been made, politics still holds the incredible Ocklawaha hostage to this day," Thomas wrote.
"There was so so much more. These are just anecdotes of a heroic life full of outstanding science, advocacy and environmental action. Robin was a force," Thomas added.
Lynda Lewis said during a telephone conversation that someone had referred to her brother as a "real hero" for the environment.
"That's him. That's the way people thought of him," she said.
Lewis also is survived by his fiancee, Cynthia Sapp of Salt Springs, and longtime business partner and friend, Laura Flynn.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given in memory of Lewis to any of the organizations with which he was affiliated or any environmentally friendly organization. A memorial ceremony is being planned for late fall.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
MAP New Issue 453 - Oct 13, 2018
The MAP News
453rd Edition October 13, 2018 |
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IN MEMORY OF Roy R. “Robin” Lewis III We at MAP were saddened to hear of the passing of Roy R. “Robin” Lewis III. He made a substantial contribution to the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) over the years as a Board Member then as our technical advisor sharing his knowledge & understanding of mangroves and restoration for the benefit of the planet. Robin was one of MAP's first board members, and helped shape our efforts. We at MAP owe much to him for his dedicated work and wise counsel over those many years. We thank you! Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, Professional Wetland Scientist, Ecological Society of America Certified Senior Ecologist, Board Certified Environmental Professional READ MORE FEATURE STORY Harvesting honey saves forests and lives THAILAND - The coastal villages of SW Thailand were once home to thriving mangrove forest ecosystems that preserved the shoreline, sequestered carbon, sheltered fish, and sustained communities that relied on small-scale inshore fishing. Today, these communities are among the poorest in the region as mangroves are lost to aquaculture, logging, and urban expansion. MAP will help 4 communities develop sustainable sources of mangrove-based income through harvesting high-quality honey from mangrove flowers. Since 2014, MAP has been collaborating with Ban Nai Nang to generate new income while restoring their mangrove forests. Today 45 beekeeping families, who would normally depend on small-scale fishing, are empowered, producing +300kg of honey per year and value-added products such as hand soaps, shampoos and balms. They want to pass on their expertise to 4 other communities, creating a sustainable network to share skills and knowledge. READ MORE SPECIAL FEATURE - Mangrovian Rhapsody Queen Parody - GCSE Geography WATCH VIDEO AFRICA Tanzania plans to set new conservation program for mangroves TANZANIA - An official said Tanzania planned to come up with a new management plan for mangrove conservation. Zawadi Mbwambo, Director of Resources Management with state-owned Tanzania Forest Services Agency, said adoption of the new plan will replace the existing one, which has been in place for nearly three decades. Tanzania is one of few countries which have been blessed with mangrove forests, with an estimated 115,000 hectares of the trees. Opening a four-day National Mangroves Stakeholders Workshop , Mbwambo said the government through the agency and other local and international institutions were collecting data on mangroves that will be used to formulate the plan. "The existing mangrove management plan was established 27 years ago. However, it has posed a challenge that we are currently not certain of the status of mangrove production and destruction," he said in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. The government is currently prohibiting people from harvesting mangroves which are facing extinction, said the official. READ MORE Mida creek conservation groups want incentives to promote marine ecosystem KENYA - Mida creek conservation groups in Kilifi want to be provided with incentives to set up blue economy projects. The locals who largely engage in mangrove conservation have ideas of setting up projects of ecotourism, eco-agriculture among others to help them uplift their standards of living and promote conservation of the marine ecosystem. Currently, community members engage in conserving the mangroves by setting up nurseries and planting seedlings in degraded areas but the majority are living in poverty. Arafa Salim Baya a conservationist and a member of women conservation groups within the Mida Creek said the incoming Blue economy conference should come up with proper ideas of funding groups that are keen in conserving the marine ecosystem. Speaking after mangrove planting exercise done in partnership with Seacology Foundation, a non-governmental organization that funds conservation projects in East Africa, Baya said there is need to set up projects that can transform life for the locals. READ MORE ASIA Mangroves destruction violates fundamental rights of citizens INDIA - The Bombay High Court, in an 83-page judgment, on Tuesday banned destruction and cutting of mangroves in Maharashtra. The bench,also prohibited any sort of commercial exploitation of the mangroves. All mangrove land, according to the court, will fall in Coastal Regulation Zone-I category as per both the CRZ notifications of 1991 and 2011. “The destruction of mangroves offends the fundamental rights of the citizens under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. In view of the provisions of Articles 21, 47, 48A and 51A (g) of the Constitution of India, it is a mandatory duty of the State and its agencies and instrumentalities to protect and preserve mangroves.” In its latest direction, the high court has asked Maharashtra government to identify all such private plots and declare them as protected or reserved forest area within 18 months in accordance with the Indian Forests Act, 1927. The jurisdiction of those lands will then be transferred to the Maharashtra Forest Department. READ MORE TMC to deploy drones to digitally map mangrove belt in Thane INDIA - The municipal corporation will now keep an aerial vigil over the mangrove belt along the Thane coastal belt to keep check on the mafia involved in its alleged destruction. The decision to deploy drones for mangrove surveillance and also digitally mapping the mangrove belt in Thane was taken by municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal at a review meeting on Monday. The meeting was held following the Bombay High Court recently ordering stern steps to be taken against those found tampering with the mangroves. Jaiswal said that a special committee will be formed to analyse the damage done to the green cover since 2005 and appropriate investigations and police case will be filed against the perpetrators. READ MORE Enabling Resilience for All: Avoiding the Worst Impacts PHILIPPINES - The Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, the flagship event of the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN), is the primary regional platform for adaptation practitioners to meet, share their learning and experiences, and work together towards the pertinent outcomes and practical solutions that are needed to address the challenges of climate change. Since the first event in 2010, the APAN Climate Change Forum has grown to become the venue for scientists, donors, youth, and representatives from over 50 countries to meet, converse, and work together for adaptation action partnerships. The 6th Forum will be built around four “streams” focusing on (i) resilience of social and human systems, (ii) resilience of natural systems, (iii) resilience of industry and the built environment, and (iv) resilience of island communities. The inclusion of islands recognizes that Asia and the Pacific’s numerous and diverse island communities face particular challenges associated with economic shocks and natural hazards, and building resilience is often an existential task. The hosts of this year’s Forum - the Philippines and Palau – embody the diverse experiences of island communities and have compelling resilience stories to share, which many other countries in Asia and the Pacific might identify with and learn from.READ MORE Come clean on mangrove forest clearing in Juru, authorities told MALAYSIA - A swathe of the last remaining mangrove forest here is allegedly being cleared indiscriminately, believed to be for the development of aquaculture ponds. The location is accessible via a bund road that starts at the Sungai Belanak Fisherman Jetty towards the Permanent Food Production Park (TKPM). Machineries were spotted at the site recently to clear the 0.9ha mangrove forest and level the muddy soil. Checks by NSTP at the area today showed the entrance had been cordoned off with a black trawler net. Next to it was a shrimp pond, which has been in operations for the past five years. “In a survey along the bund road in Juru, Bukit Tengah recently, we were shocked to see machinery used to clear the mangrove forest and the muddy soil being leveled while being observed by several individuals there,” Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president S.M. Mohamed Idris said. READ MORE 5 new complaints filed against Indonesia’s largest palm oil company INDONESIA - Indonesian, Liberian and International NGOs have just filed five new complaints (attached below) against Indonesia’s largest palm oil company, Golden Agri Resources (GAR). GAR which is part of the huge Sinar Mas (Golden Rays) conglomerate run by the Widjaja family with interests ranging from palm oil and pulpwood to real estate and banking, is failing to comply with the RSPO’s standards, claim the NGOs. Both GAR and its subsidiary in Liberia – Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) – angered NGOs when they recently withdrew GVL’s membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), thus dodging a demand from RSPO that it halt development of its palm oil mill on contested lands. According to Liberian NGOs, GVL was pushing ahead with its development despite the refusal of the Blogbo community to cede their lands to the company, despite their complaints to the RSPO, despite their complaints being upheld by the RSPO Complaints Panel and despite the Panel upholding the stop work order it had issued, after overruling an appeal by GVL against the Panel’s decision. READ MORE Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat will be conserved as a Nature Park SINGAPORE - In conjunction with the World Migratory Bird Day next weekend and the 25th anniversary of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the National Parks Board (NParks) today announced that Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat will be conserved as a Nature Park. Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat is situated about 3 km to the east of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is one of the richest wetlands in Singapore. Collectively, the Wetland Reserve, Kranji Marshes and the new Nature Park safeguard a variety of complementary wetland habitats, including mangroves, mudflats and freshwater marshes, strengthening the conservation of wetland biodiversity in the northwestern part of Singapore. (Refer to Annex for map of wetland habitats) Ecologically linked to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the 72.8-hectare Nature Park will enhance the Reserve’s ecological capacity in wetland and migratory shorebird conservation. NParks will sensitively provide opportunities for research and education in the Nature Park for visitors to learn more about Singapore’s wetland biodiversity and to play a part in its conservation. The Nature Park is slated to be opened in mid-2022.READ MORE AMERICAS Noted environmentalist dies at home in Salt Springs USA - "His work improved the quality of life for millions of people who’ve probably never heard of him, as well as helped save thousands of fresh and salt-water species," said Lynda Lewis of her brother, Roy R. "Robin" Lewis. Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, a certified environmental professional and senior ecologist whose work was well known locally and internationally, died Sept. 24 at his home in Salt Springs. He was 74. Lewis was a member of the National Association of Environmental Professionals, Society of Wetland Scientists and Ecological Society of America, and president of Lewis Environmental Services, Inc. Coastal Resources Group, Inc., among many other affiliations. "His work has touched many special places in Florida and around the world, improved the quality of life for millions of people who've probably never heard of him, as well as helped save thousands of fresh and salt-water species," she noted. READ MORE Climate Change in My Lifetime USA - Leaders in business, local government, and from across communities continue to step up around climate action. Under the umbrella of the 30x30 Forest, Food and Land Challenge, WWF and over 100 NGOs, businesses, state and local governments, indigenous groups and communities issued 17 commitments to advance the forest, food and land agenda. Land, and how we use it, is the second largest source of emissions, but can deliver up to 30% of the climate solutions needed to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement. Business and local leaders weren't the only ones making gains for climate action: An estimated 30,000 people took to the streets of San Francisco to speak out for strong climate action. Behind the WWF banner were 200+ WWF staff and supporters marching through San Francisco, with Panda Ambassadors mobilizing in more than 10 cities across the country. Thank you to everyone who marched alongside us. READ MORE GLOBAL New methodology for comparing and assessing risk reduction benefits of mangroves in countries GLOBAL - TNC scientists and partners at the Environmental Hydraulics Institute IH Cantabria, Spain have produced a ranking of countries that receive the greatest risk reduction benefits from mangroves, relative to their vulnerability. The Global Value of Mangroves for Risk Reduction– available in both a Summary Report and a Technical Report– uses rigorous hydrodynamic and economic models to value the coastal flood protection services of mangroves globally, and then identifies the places where mangroves provide the most benefits to people and property. This work applies an approach that is commonly used in engineering and insurance sectors, and quantifies protection benefits of mangroves as the amount of flood damages avoided because of the presence of mangroves. READ MORE Plastic Forests? GLOBAL - The contamination of marine and coastal environments with plastics and other manmade debris is becoming a worldwide problem. Many mangrove forests are becoming inundated by this pollution, threatening ecosystem health and the benefits they provide. This story map presents the results from a survey of 24 mangroves sites conducted in 12 countries across the world. Information gathered included the general status and overall trend of mangrove health, impacts of pollution as well as local usage and management. Mangroves are not equally distributed throughout their range. This map shows the high variation in the distribution of above-ground mangrove biomass. Highest values are typically associated with tropical areas with high annual rainfall, whereas lower values are typically found in colder and drier areas. READ MORE LAST WORD Dear Friend, GlobalGiving’s Accelerator ended recently, and we are happy to announce that we have earned a permanent spot on their website! We are sincerely grateful — none of this would be possible without your help. Thanks to your contributions during the past month, we will now be able to use GlobalGiving's platform to expand and grow other projects in the future. Thanks to the support of our MAP community during this Accelerator, we can now fund training for 2 villages to implement beekeeping, all as part of an integrated effort to maintain mangrove forests and provide livelihoods for those who live in them. We are still looking to fund at least 2 other villages in the same manner, helping to further spread the impact of this sustainable livelihood, and this is the last day to give during our GlobalGiving Accelerator Campaign! |
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