Ecological Consequences Of Dam Destruction: A Focus On The Nova Kakhovka Dam

The Nova Kakhova Dam destruction in June 2023 was one of the largest environmental disasters of our time. Significant downstream impacts were nitrogen, phosphorus and metal pollution, loss of protected habitats, water logging, loss of biodiversity and marine pollution. Upstream impacts were loss of irrigation and drinking water supply, reduction in hydropower capacity and habitat destruction.

The Power of Participative Preparation – Investigating the Effect on International Organizations’ Policy Ambition and Comprehensiveness in Biodiversity Governance

by Lara Breitmoser Provenance of the research: 1. Abstract/Summary: The international community has so far failed to halt the loss of biodiversity including falling short of all Aichi targets the UN had set for 2020. Drawing the lessons from the previous defeat, the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity decided to change to a...

Kanuk, et al. v. State of Alaska 

by Anna Bortolussi Six Alaskan children brought a complaint against the State of Alaska, alleging that the state was in violation of the Alaska Constitution and in breach of their public trust duty by failing to, among other things, reduce and limit GHGs emissions. They claimed that this breach was affecting their present and future...

Agroforestry For Biodiversity And Climate Resilience

In addition to food production, modern agriculture must provide ecosystem services such as water quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling. Agroforestry provides ecosystem services by managing trees together with annual crops or pasture lands. A paradigm shift toward agroforestry comes with opportunities for technology, diversification, and employment in agriculture.

Oceans And Their Threats

Marine ecosystems and habitats are at the precipice of severe loss of life as we know it. Human intervention has enabled irreversible damage, which comes back to our standards of living. Indigenous communities are at the forefront of the consequences, and need safeguarding now more than ever.

The Other Environmental Front: What To Expect From The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is the first set of biodiversity targets in over a decade, setting ambitious goals for the 2020s. Particular milestones are the commitment to protecting 30% of all land areas and ocean territories as well as focusing on consulting, valuing, and protecting indigenous stewards. Criticism includes its non-binding legal nature, previous failures to commit, and a Western approach to conservation which might threaten indigenous autonomy.

The Importance Of COP15 And The 30×30 Target

CBD COP15 was highly anticipated by those within the conservation sector and the emerging nature-based solutions industry. On the agenda were several discussions on pollinator protection, agricultural practices, forestry, and marine spaces — but the biggest item was an ambitious plan to protect 30% of the world’s natural areas by 2030.

Boreal Forests and the Climate Crisis (Part 1)

The boreal forests (also known as the Taiga) experience some of the harshest conditions of any forest, and yet support robust ecosystems capable of significant biological activity.The boreal forests are excellent “carbon sinks”, not because of the extensive forests but because of the frozen and waterlogged soils that cover the biome.Unfortunately, rising temperatures due to climate change is weakening the boreal forests’ ability to store carbon.

COP15: UN Biodiversity summit ends with global agreement on biodiversity protection, yet questions remain as to its implementation

Right on the heels of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD COP15) took place in Montreal, Canada between December 7th and 19th.