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Under and above water photo of small island in Seychelles. Photo: BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock.

Innovation drives Seychelles blue economy approach

Our oceans provide everything from food for billions around the world, to protecting communities and economies from storms—bringing it at least $1.5 trillion to the global economy every year. But they also face a barrage of threats, from marine pollution and dwindling fish stocks, to the dramatic…
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Elephant in Gorongosa National Park. Photo: Sarah Wyatt/GEF.

Elephants hate kale and other lessons in bringing conservation and development together

When I try to explain the importance of the GEF when it comes to protecting the world’s biodiversity, I end up with two main arguments. First, biodiversity is not evenly distributed across the planet. And second, most of the places with the highest biodiversity are also the home of very poor people…
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An invasive lionfish

When life gives you lionfish: Innovation in fighting invasive species in the Caribbean

Seeing a lionfish while diving in the Caribbean is a cause for mixed emotions. On the one hand, one marvels at the exquisite beauty of the fishes’ flowery fins and its amazing adaptability to a range of habitats, from shallow estuaries with low salinity to deep reef environments. But then you…
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Students and teachers in a group photo with hands raised

The world's wildlife needs young naturalists

In 2010, 15 days after graduating from college, with nothing but a backpack and an old water bottle, I stood in front of a large gate with a rusted sign welcoming me to the “Pench Tiger Reserve.” The same reserve that inspired Rudyard Kipling’s, Jungle Book. None of the mock interviews  or…
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Elephant in Gorongosa National Park. Photo: Sarah Wyatt/GEF.

Como os elefantes detestam couves e outras lições para integrar conservação e desenvolvimento

Quando tento explicar a importância do Fundo para o Meio Ambiente Mundial (GEF) na protecção da biodiversidade, falo de dois dados fundamentais. O primeiro é a distribuição desigual da biodiversidade no nosso planeta e, o segundo, a maioria dos lugares com maior biodiversidade está situada onde a…
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Ethnic Tharu women on their way to go fishing in Bardia, Nepal. Photo: PACO COMO/Shutterstock.

Gender and biodiversity joint gains: myth or reality?

At the UN Biological diversity conference (COP13) in Cancun, Mexico, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) discussed progress and experiences in integrating gender and social inclusion dimensions into biodiversity-related projects.  Despite growing attention to these issues on…
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Vaquita half above water

Three ways to include biodiversity protection in your life, besides cutting back on totoaba bladders

The theme of this year’s International Day of Biodiversity is “Mainstreaming biodiversity; Sustaining people and their livelihoods” and if you’re like 99% of people you will then ask – what is mainstreaming biodiversity? Mainstreaming biodiversity is a broad term we use to describe a suite of…

Can conservation cut poverty?

A commentary in Nature last week redirects the spotlight to a central question for the environment and development agendas: can efforts to conserve biodiversity also benefit the poor? There is growing social and ecological evidence suggesting that a large number of opportunities exist globally for…

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