Global Forest Watch
Dynamic New Platform to Protect Forests Worldwide

 

More than 40 partners launch near-real time forest monitoring system

 

WASHINGTON (February 20, 2014)?Today the World Resources Institute (WRI), Google, and a group of more than 40 partners launched Global Forest Watch (GFW), a dynamic online forest monitoring and alert system that empowers people everywhere to better manage forests. For the first time, Global Forest Watch unites the latest satellite technology, open data, and crowdsourcing to guarantee access to timely and reliable information about forests.

?Businesses, governments and communities desperately want better information about forests. Now, they have it,? said Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO, WRI. ?Global Forest Watch is a near-real time monitoring platform that will fundamentally change the way people and businesses manage forests. From now on, the bad guys cannot hide and the good guys will be recognized for their stewardship.?

According to data from the University of Maryland and Google, the world lost 2.3 million square kilometers (230 million hectares) of tree cover from 2000 to 2012?equivalent to 50 soccer fields of forest lost every minute of every day for 12 years. The countries with the highest tree cover loss are: Russia, Brazil, Canada, United States, and Indonesia. 

?We are honored to partner with WRI and power the Global Forest Watch platform with Google cloud technology, massive data and turbo-powered science,? said Rebecca Moore, Engineering Manager, Google Earth Outreach and Earth Engine. ?GFW is an ambitious vision, and yet it?s both timely and achievable given WRI's knowledge of environmental science and policy, strong partnerships, and the high-performance Google cloud technology that we?re donating to this initiative.?

 

What?s new about Global Forest Watch:

High-resolution: Annual tree cover loss and gain data for the entire globe at a resolution of 30 meters, available for analysis and download.

• Near-real time: Monthly tree cover loss data for the humid tropics at a resolution of 500 meters.
• Speed: Cloud computing, provided by Google, multiplying the speed at which data can be analyzed.
• The crowd: GFW unites high resolution information from satellites with the power of crowdsourcing.
• Free and easy to use: GFW is free to all and no technical expertise is needed.
• Alerts: When forest loss alerts are detected, a network of partners and citizens around the world can mobilize to take action.
• Analytical Tools: Layers showing boundaries of protected areas worldwide; logging, mining, palm oil and other concessions; daily forest fire alerts from NASA; agricultural commodities; and intact forest landscapes and biodiversity hotspots.

 

Today, a group of leaders in government, business, and civil society launched Global Forest Watch at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

?Partnerships like Global Forest Watch that bring together governments, businesses and civil society and technological innovation are the kinds of solutions we need to reduce forest loss, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable economic growth,? said Administrator Rajiv Shah, U.S. Agency for International Development. 

"The way forests are managed needs to be transformed. Our forest strategy for the next four years will address drivers of deforestation more frontally. We have to take deforestation out of the supply chain of global commodities. We will be supporting more sustainable development paths for the Amazon that prevent deforestation tipping points that could result in forest die back. GFW is the kind of approach to support the new strategic goals of the GEF. It connects the newest technology with all stakeholders, providing real time information on which governments, the private sector, CSOs and communities can act on the ground" said Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility.

Global Forest Watch will have far-reaching implications across industries. Financial institutions can better evaluate if the companies they invest in adequately assess forest-related risks. Buyers of major commodities such as palm oil, soy, timber, and beef can better monitor compliance with laws, sustainability commitments, and standards. And suppliers can credibly demonstrate that their products are ?deforestation free? and legally produced.

?Deforestation poses a material risk to businesses that rely on forest-linked crops. Exposure to that risk has the potential to undermine the future of businesses,? said Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever. ?That is why Unilever?s Sustainable Living Plan has set targets to source 100 percent of agricultural raw materials sustainably. As we strive to increase the visibility of where the ingredients for our products come from, the launch of Global Forest Watch ? a fantastic, innovative tool ? will provide the information we urgently need to make the right decisions, fostering transparency, enforcing accountability, and facilitating partnerships.?

Global Forest Watch can support other users like indigenous communities, who can upload alerts and photos when encroachment occurs on their lands; and NGOs that can identify deforestation hotspots, mobilize action, and collect evidence to hold governments and companies accountable. At the same time, many governments like Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, welcome Global Forest Watch because it can help them design smarter policies, enforce forest laws, detect illegal forest clearing, manage forests more sustainably, and achieve conservation and climate goals.

?Indonesia is committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent, or 41 percent with international support, which reflect national and international commitments to combat climate change.  How Indonesia meets that commitment is largely defined by how we manage our forests,? said Heru Prasetyo, Head of the REDD+ Agency, Indonesia. ?The ability to better monitor our forests and have up-to-date information to make decisions are critical. I commend the Global Forest Watch initiative, will continue to support it, and expect that it will be an effective tool for the world and each nation as we leave neglect and ignorance in the past.?

Global Forest Watch was created by the World Resources Institute with over 40 partners, including Google, Esri, University of Maryland, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Imazon, Center for Global Development, Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (OSFAC), Global Forest Watch Canada, ScanEx, Transparent World, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Vizzuality. Major companies have also provided early input, including Unilever and Nestle, and the wider Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 Partnership. Core funders include the Norwegian Climate and Forests Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Environment Facility (GEF), U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), and the Tilia Fund.

For more information visit: www.globalforestwatch.org.

 

Press Release translations:

French | Spanish | Chinese | German | Bahasa

  

Screenshot of the Global Forest Watch website (globalforestwatch.org) 

 

About World Resources Institute
WRI is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in the United States, China, India, Brazil, and more. Our more than 300 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action to sustain our natural resources?the foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being. (www.wri.org)

About Global Forest Watch

Global Forest Watch (GFW) is a dynamic online forest monitoring and alert system empowering people everywhere to better manage forests. For the first time, GFW unites satellite technology, open data, and crowdsourcing to guarantee access to timely and reliable information about forests. Armed with the latest information from GFW, governments, businesses, and communities can halt forest loss. (www.globalforestwatch.org)

About the Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $11.5 billion in grants and leveraging $57 billion in co-financing for over 3,215 projects in over 165 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has also made more than 16,030 small grants directly to civil society and community based organizations, totaling $653.2 million. (www.thegef.org) 

 

Media Contact:

Christian Hofer, Sr. Communication Officer, Global Environment Facility, chofer@thegef.org, Tel +1 (202) 413-4185

 

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Pesticides-l Digest, Vol 149, Issue 17

Title: New tools and farmer training could revolutionize pesticide management in West Africa
Date: 16 February 2014
Source: United Nation Food and Agricultural Organisation, via Reuters
http://www.trust.org/item/20140217082828-nufyv/?source=hppartner
Scholarly article: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1639/20120277

Field schools that train farmers in alternative methods of pest control have succeeded in nearly eliminating the use of toxic pesticides by a community of cotton growers in Mali, according to a new FAO study published today by the London-based Royal Society. The study was conducted in two areas - the Bla region of southern Mali, where FAO established a field school program in 2003, and a second area, Bougouni, where the program was not yet active. While only 34 percent of all cotton-farmers in the area participated in the program, pesticide use on all of Bla's cotton farms - more than 4,300 households - dropped a staggering 92 percent. FAO's study further found that the move away from pesticide use had no negative impact on yields. The Bougouni area, where training has not yet taken place, saw no change in pesticide use over the same eight-year period. This suggests that knowledge of alternative methods in pest control was further disseminated by program participants to other farmers in the area, underscoring the potential of farmer field schools to act as catalysts for widespread practice change. Slashing their use of chemicals and shifting to alternative "biopesticides" like neem tree extract, growers in the Bla study group reduced their average individual production costs. (See box below for more on integrated pest management). By refraining from applying more than 47,000 liters of toxic pesticides, the farmers saved nearly half a million dollars over the study period. Training farmers in alternative methods of pest control proved to be three times more cost-effective than purchasing and using synthetic pesticides, according to FAO's analysis. More than 20,000 cotton farmers have been through field schools in Mali. "We must learn from farmers' experience. Pragmatic, field-based and farmer-centric education can and must play a key role in making agriculture stronger and more sustainable," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. "At the end of the day, sustainable intensification will be the result of the collective action of millions of small farmers, who through their daily decisions determine the trajectory of agricultural ecosystems across the world." An important crop Cotton is the principal engine of economic development in Mali, where an estimated 4 million farmers grow the high-value crop, accounting for 8-9 percent of Mali's GDP and providing as much as 75 percent of the country's export earnings. Usage of pesticides in Malian cotton doubled between 1995 and 2001, but yields nonetheless fell due to increasing resistance among pests. New tools for monitoring risks Two related studies from the same FAO project also published today by the Royal Society - authored by Oregon State University (OSU) scientists  together with researchers in West Africa and at various institutions, including FAO - reveal the extent to which pesticide use in West Africa poses risks to human health and environment. One of these studies, conducted in 19 different communities in five West African countries, used state-of-the-art risk assessment models to provide the first detailed analysis of pesticide risks for this region. The results highlight a number of specific pesticides that pose widespread and significant threats to human health and terrestrial and aquatic wildlife throughout the region. The study also found that farmer workers and family members, including children are routinely exposed to high concentrations of toxic pesticides such as methamidophos and dimethoate, in the crops where they work. Protective clothing that reduces pesticide exposure is largely unknown in West Africa, and reports of ill health, hospitalization and death due to chemical exposure by farm workers are not uncommon. Lead author Paul Jepson of the Integrated Plant Protection Center at OSU states "we were shocked to find such widespread use of highly toxic organophosphate pesticides, but by carefully studying and quantifying their use, we provide a basis for much needed action by policy makers, researchers and educators." The authors suggest that a three-pronged approach to pesticide risk management, including monitoring systems to enable science-based decision-making, functional regulatory systems and effective farmer education programs. The third study from the FAO project reports on the first use in the region of passive sampling devices (PSDs), developed by  Oregon State University, which are technologically simple tools that sequester and concentrate a wide variety of pesticides and other chemicals found in the environment.  The tool is a major advancement for monitoring pollution in remote areas of less developed regions. PSD samples were deployed and then simultaneously analyzed in African and U.S. laboratories, as a proof of this concept. This opens the possibility for widespread analysis of pesticides in West African surface waters. All three papers appearing today in the Royal Society journal were co-financed by a six-country regional project, financed by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by FAO, Reducing Dependence on Persistent Organic Pollutants and other Agro-Chemicals in the Senegal and Niger River Basins through Integrated Production, Pest and Pollution Management. According to William Settle, who coordinates the FAO project in Mali: "This effort has facilitated a partnership between scientists around the globe and West African counterparts - the results are striking, and have the potential to transform the conversation about pesticide risks and sustainable crop management in this ecologically fragile region." FAO undertakes its work on pesticide management in West Africa through close working partnerships with governments in the region as well as organizations such as the CERES Locustox Laboratory and ENDA-Pronat group in Senegal and Oregon State University's Integrated Plant Protection Center. Financing for the FAO programme been provided by the European Union, the Government of the Netherlands, and a GEF/UNEP grant.

Farmer Field Schools and integrated pest managementFAO's West African Regional Integrated Production and Pest Management Programme (IPPM), established in 2001, is currently active in seven countries in West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Approximately 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have employed a field-school approach and 90 countries world-wide. Using a "farmer field school" (FSS) approach, the program engages with farming communities to introduce discovery-based methods for field testing, adapting, and then adopting improved farming practices. IPPM consists of environmental-friendly approaches to tackling pest problems, such as introducing beneficial predator insects, using natural biopesticides, or adopting cropping practices that ensure that plants are healthy and resistant when pest attacks are mostly likely to occur.In most places, the approach is relatively simple to adopt using locally available materials. It relies heavily on prevention, and on farmers prioritizing early detection of problems and knowing their response options. To date the FAO-IPPM program has trained approximately 180,000 farmers in West Africa and more than 2,000 trainers from government extension, cotton companies, farmer organizations and NGOs. The programme is expanding to new countries in the region.

Title: Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides and Neurobehavioral Development of Neonates: A Birth Cohort Study in Shenyang, China
Authors: Y. Zhang, S. Han, D. Liang, X. Shi, F. Wang, W. Liu, L. Zhang, L. Chen, Y.Gu and Y. Tian
Source: PLOS One, published online, 2014
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088491#pone-0088491-g001

Background: A large amount of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are used in agriculture in China every year, contributing to exposure of OPs through dietary consumption among the general population. However, the level of exposure to OPs in China is still uncertain.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the exposure to OPs on the neonatal neurodevelopment during pregnancy in Shenyang, China.

Methods: 249 pregnant women enrolled in the Central Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College from February 2011 to August 2012. A cohort of the mothers and their neonates participated in the study and information on each subject was obtained by questionnaire. Dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites were detected in the urine of mothers during pregnancy to evaluate the exposure level to OPs. Neonate neurobehavioral developmental levels were assessed according to the standards of the Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment (NBNA). Multiple linear regressions were utilized to analyze the association between pregnancy exposure to OPs and neonatal neurobehavioral development.

Results: The geometric means (GM) of urinary metabolites for dimethyl phosphate (DMP), dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), diethyl phosphate (DEP), and diethyl thiophosphate (DETP) in pregnant women were 18.03, 8.53, 7.14, and 5.64 µg/L, respectively. Results from multiple linear regressions showed that prenatal OP exposure was one of the most important factors affecting NBNA scores. Prenatal total DAP concentrations were inversely associated with scores on the NBNA scales.?Additionally, a 10-fold increase in DAP concentrations was associated with a decrease of 1.78 regarding the Summary NBNA (95% CI, −2.12 to −1.45). And there was an estimated 2.11-point difference in summary NBNA scores between neonates in the highest quintile of prenatal OP exposure and the lowest quintile group.

Conclusion: The high exposure of pregnant women to OPs in Shenyang, China was the predominant risk factor for neonatal neurobehavioral development.

Title: The ChimERA project: coupling mechanistic exposure and effect models into an integrated platform for ecological risk assessment
Authors: F. De Laender, P.J. van den Brink, C.R. Janssen and A. Di Guardo
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, published online, 2014
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-014-2605-5/fulltext.html

Current techniques for the ecological risk assessment of chemical substances are often criticised for their lack of environmental realism, ecological relevance and methodological accuracy. ChimERA is a 3-year project (2013–2016), funded by Cefic’s Long Range Initiative (LRI) that aims to address some of these concerns by developing and testing mechanistic fate and effect models, and coupling of these models into one integrated platform for risk assessment. This paper discusses the backdrop against which this project was initiated and lists its objectives and planned methodology.

Title: An exposure-based framework for grouping pollutants for a cumulative risk assessment approach: Case study of indoor semi-volatile organic compounds
Authors: K. Fournier, P. Glorennec and N. Bonvallot
Source: Environmental Research, Vol. 140, 2014
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935114000115

Humans are exposed to a large number of contaminants, many of which may have similar health effects. This paper presents a framework for identifying pollutants to be included in a cumulative risk assessment approach. To account for the possibility of simultaneous exposure to chemicals with common toxic modes of action, the first step of the traditional risk assessment process, i.e. hazard identification, is structured in three sub-steps: (1a) Identification of pollutants people are exposed to, (1b) identification of effects and mechanisms of action of these pollutants, (1c) grouping of pollutants according to similarity of their mechanism of action and health effects. Based on this exposure-based grouping we can derive “multi-pollutant” toxicity reference values, in the “dose–response assessment” step. The approach proposed in this work is original in that it is based on real exposures instead of a limited number of pollutants from a unique chemical family, as traditionally performed. This framework is illustrated by the case study of semi-volatile organic compounds in French dwellings, providing insights into practical considerations regarding the accuracy of the available toxicological information. This case study illustrates the value of the exposure-based approach as opposed to the traditional cumulative framework, in which chemicals with similar health effects were not always included in the same chemical class.

To Stop Climate Change We Must Stop Methane Leaks

Methane (natural gas) is released by fracking. And it’s a very potent global warming gas.
Some drillers seeking oil think methane is more trouble than it’s worth -- so they vent it or flare it. Even those drillers looking to sell methane have problems with venting and leaking.

Flare in Bradford Co., PA

The oil and gas industry has the technologies to reduce and capture methane. Often, these upgrades pay for themselves: methane not vented, leaked or flared is methane that can be sold.
Last June, President Obama said, “curbing methane emissions is critical to our overall effort to address climate change.” While true, right now those are empty words because he hasn’t followed up with action.
TAKE ACTION: Tell the Obama Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Interior (DOI) to prevent wasteful methane leaks, and to protect clean air. Tell them to directly regulate methane.

Instructions:

• Send/amend the sample letter to the right.  Personalized letters have a much greater impact.
• Click "send your message" to send your letter.
• SHARE this alert with your friends and family via the subsequent page.  Share via email, Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+

For more information:

• Coalition letter
• Washington Post Groups Demand Regulation to Cut Methane Leaks

Infants and Children may be the most vulnerable to the effects of bisphenol A.

Five years ago, U.S. environmental officials launched what they called
an "unprecedented" research program examining the health effects of
bisphenol A, used in many consumer products for decades.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences pledged $30
million, and many researchers came up with additional funding - leading
to a stream of studies that are now reaching completion.

The studies have raised more suspicions, but "I don't think we have all
the answers yet," said NIEHS director Linda Birnbaum.

Other researchers and health advocates say we may be reaching a tipping
point, with enough evidence of BPA's harmful effects emerging to
persuade regulators to act.

Industry, meanwhile, points to other studies that it says prove
bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, is safe.

BPA is one of the most common chemicals produced worldwide. Among many
other products, it is used in many plastic food and beverage containers
and in the linings of metal food cans. It also is used in paper used for
some receipts.

What's troubling is that it is an "endocrine disruptor," meaning it can
interfere with human hormonal systems. Specifically, it mimics estrogen.

It has been associated with many health problems, including infertility,
weight gain, behavioral changes, early-onset puberty, cardiovascular
effects, and diabetes, according to NIEHS.

One recent study found a link between early exposure to BPA and later
prostate cancer. The study was considered especially important because
it used not animal cells, but stem cells from human prostate tissue,
obtained from organ donors.

Implanted into mice, the cells grew into prostatelike glands. The mice
were fed BPA, then were given estrogen in amounts to mimic the increased
levels men have as they age.

The BPA-exposed mice proved far more likely to get cancerous lesions
than others that were not exposed.

"We found that early life exposure to BPA . . . changed the memory of
the prostate cells, so that when they saw estrogen later, they were more
sensitive," said Gail S. Prins, a University of Illinois at Chicago
physiologist who led the study. "It reprogrammed the cells. It altered
their memory."

Evidence of BPA's harms "just keeps accumulating," Prins said, showing
"rather strongly that previous concerns are, in fact, real, and they're
applicable to humans."

Another recent study, by Leonardo Trasande, an environmental medicine
expert at the New York University School of Medicine, quantified the
social costs of childhood obesity and adult coronary heart disease
attributable to BPA exposure in the U.S. He concluded that limiting its
use could provide economic benefits of $1.74 billion a year.

The American Chemistry Council's Steve Hentges, who leads its BPA group,
disputed the study's validity, saying no cause and effect between BPA
and obesity or heart disease has been proven.

"And the author completely disregards the significant economic and
public health benefits BPA delivers for a range of things from the
safety and integrity of packaged foods to high-performance sports
equipment and auto parts," he said.

He also noted that in its most recent update on BPA, in 2013, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration "answers the question 'Is BPA safe?' with
one word: 'Yes.' "

The FDA also says it will continue its review of BPA. Last March, the
agency ruled that BPA could no longer be used in baby bottles and sippy
cups - largely a formality, since most manufacturers had already stopped
doing so.

Meanwhile, legislation to limit the use of BPA has been introduced in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Many companies have begun to substitute a different chemical, bisphenol
S, for BPA.

But Sarah Vogel, director of the health program at the nonprofit
Environmental Defense Fund and author of Is It Safe?, a new book about
BPA, said the structure of the new chemical is "pretty darn close" to
that of BPA, and that it may even be more estrogenic.

The new chemical troubles Birnbaum, too. "This is a big issue we have
with many chemical substitutions," she said. "We move from one chemical
where we might have concern, to another chemical where we have very
little data."
 http://www.philly.com/philly/news/science/20140202_More_evidence_that_BPA_is_harmful.html

GEF CEO Naoko Ishii addresses 2014 Delhi Sustainable Development Summit

Emphasizes the importance of integrated approaches to tackle global energy, water and food security challenges.

 

NEW DELHI, India?Demand for energy, water and food stand to increase sharply in the coming decades in step with broader socioeconomic trends such as population growth, expanding cities, and a rapidly growing global middle class.  These trends will put increasing pressure on our natural capital. For example, energy demand in the developing world is growing fast, but 47 percent of all of global water-reliant energy production takes place in areas of significant water stress. A country like India produces close to 66 percent of its water-reliant energy in areas of medium to extremely high water stress. These trends, coupled with ongoing climate change and reduction in the flow of services that ecosystems provide, can seriously compromise national and regional food and water security. Interventions must be built on the existing nexus between energy, water and food production. 

GEF CEO Naoko Ishii said it is appropriate that this years? Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), organized by the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, India, is focusing on ?Attaining Energy, Water and Food Security for All.?

?Sectoral development needs are often blind to one another and sometimes neglect local and national contexts in favor of cookie-cutter approaches,? Ishii, who addressed the summit said. ?Hence bringing to the forefront of the sustainable development agenda the energy-water-food nexus and putting natural capital at the center of the discussion can open a window to foster integrated approaches that will enhance the sustainability and resilience of ecosystems on which all life depend.?  

The GEF, through its role as financial mechanism for multiple global environmental conventions, can play a key role in breaking the silos that often dictate energy, water and food policies. The energy-water-food nexus has multiple impacts across GEF programs: from promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency, to biodiversity conservation, sustainable land and water management, including conjunctive management of groundwater resources, sustainable fisheries, and climate change adaptation. Many examples from the GEF-funded portfolio have shown results and outcomes that clearly illustrate how integration of environment and development priorities across landscapes and sectors and a focus on the value of natural capital, can lead to more sustainability in the energy-water-food nexus.

Through a partnership with the Government of India, the GEF, and the World Bank, the Uttarakhand State Government is implementing an innovative program that restores sustainable ecosystem functions in the fragile watersheds, thereby laying the foundation for improving income, food, and livelihood security. The program has helped create a water surplus, which has allowed the introduction of high-value vegetable crops in the watersheds, including twenty different varieties of off-season vegetables, leading to higher income levels.  Simultaneously, the program has introduced briquetting techniques which provided an alternative source of energy for cooking and heating, reducing a households? dependency on firewood by 22 percent, and reducing the time spent on fuel wood collection.

The DSDS is an annual event that engages global partners to exchange knowledge and strategize on bold visions for development plans that are deeply rooted in sustainability for the benefit of current and future generations. The summit brings together a significant congregation of world political, economic, business, and academic leaders to deliberate on issues related to sustainable development. This year over 300 delegates, including heads of state, executives of multilateral and bilateral organizations, and senior government representatives, corporate CEOs, and representatives of Civil Society Organizations came together in Delhi to discuss corporate actions to attain energy, water and food security for all. To learn more about the Summit, go to: http://vx.worldbank.org/t/3768532/26281320/70916/0/.

 

About the Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

Since 1991, the GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $11.5 billion in grants and leveraging $57 billion in co-financing for over 3,215 projects in over 165 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has also made more than 16,030 small grants directly to civil society and community based organizations, totaling $653.2 million.

Contact: Christian Hofer, Senior Communications Officer, GEF. chofer@thegef.org

 

About the GEFThe GEF unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

Since 1991, the GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $10.5 billion in grants and leveraging $51 billion in co-financing for over 2,700 projects in over 165 countries. Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has also made more than 14,000 small grants directly to civil society and community based organizations, totaling $634 million. For more information, visit