Environmental and social action plan for Nakai Nam Theun catchment area and corridor area newsletter
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1997
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Twenty-Year Collaborative Construction Journey of Cycad Yam
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Empowering Children as Community Conservation and Climate Action Champions in Cameroon
Cameroon’s ecosystems face threats from deforestation, species loss, habitat degradation and climate change. Children and youth, among the most affected, are rarely included in conservation and climate initiatives. Voice of Nature (VoNat) empowers children aged 10–18 across four regions to become community conservation and climate action champions. The program integrates environmental education, storytelling, citizen science, and traditional knowledge, enabling children to conduct ecological studies, monitor biodiversity, document climate impacts, and lead awareness campaigns using arts, media, and community outreach. Over 10,000 children have been trained, fostering community-wide behavioral change, reviving traditional storytelling, strengthening partnerships with schools, families, and local leaders, and reducing destructive practices such as bush burning, hunting, deforestation, and waste dumping. This participatory approach transforms youth into active conservationists and climate leaders while promoting sustainability.
Promoting hygiene and quality for fishery and aquaculture value chains
The Global Programme “Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture,” implemented by GIZ, aims to enhance sustainable fisheries in multiple countries. Key challenges addressed include food spoilage, overfishing, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate quality assurance. The program provides targeted training on hygiene practices, thorough value chain analysis, and develops guidelines to ensure knowledge application. Partnerships with local authorities enhance compliance, introducing first sale certificates for improved traceability. Hygiene and quality control plans guide systematic checks across the value chain, from production to distribution, reducing post-harvest losses and increasing value chain actors’ incomes. The program promotes sustainable fisheries management, ensuring fish products meet hygiene standards and increasing consumer trust.
Biocultural Diversity in Action: The Paiwan Kuskus Tribe’s Forest-Based Industries in Pingtung, Taiwan
The Indigenous Paiwan Kuskus Tribe, located in Mudan Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan, has an estimated 600-year history based on archaeological evidence. The Pingtung Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has long supported the tribe through forest and resource surveys, tribal mapping, and documentation of traditional practices in farming, fishing, hunting, and settlement. In 2021, the Branch co-organized Resilience Assessment Workshops (RAWs) with the Kuskus community, engaging elders, the village head, the community development association, and the youth association. The workshops identified key challenges—such as the need to strengthen ecological stewardship by weaving Indigenous knowledge with modern technologies, water scarcity, illegal logging and poaching, and natural disasters affecting farming and livestock—and helped shape solutions focused on conserving and using local resources, promoting traditional knowledge, improving governance, and enhancing family livelihoods and welfare.
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The Hakbong-ri pottery kiln site in Gyeryongsan is a culturally significant heritage location, showcasing Korea’s ceramic tradition from the 14th to 16th centuries. As a large-scale excavation site of Buncheong ware with iron-brown underglaze, it reflects a remarkable revival of the style during its mid-16th century decline.
This program was designed to foster responsible stewardship of national parks and local heritage sites. It encourages citizens—including local residents—to recognize the site’s value through systems thinking that connects individuals, the park, and the broader community, while fostering active regional partnerships.
Nature United’s Emerging Leaders Initiative
Nature United, The Nature Conservancy’s Canadian affiliate, supports community-led, land-based programs that connect Indigenous youth to their cultures and territories. Through the Emerging Leaders initiative, Nature United works with Indigenous partners to strengthen youth programs by supporting planning and evaluation, building learning exchanges, and developing long-term funding strategies. These efforts aim to ensure that youth have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to be future leaders in their communities and on the land. By focusing on Indigenous values and priorities, the initiative helps nurture the next generation of leaders who are grounded in culture, community, and a deep connection to their territories.
From Dependency to Co-creation: Advances Geo-heritage Protection through Characteristic Industries and Community Participation
Nestled in Heilongjiang Province, Wudalianchi Geological Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve famed for its 14 volcanoes, expansive lava fields, five interconnected lakes, and numerous mineral springs. This “natural volcano museum” showcases world-class volcanic geo-heritage, premium therapeutic mineral water, and a unique health rehabilitation ecosystem. To address challenges like high population density and local dependence on natural resources, the park adopted a people-centered approach. It promotes sustainable development by creating specialty industries and engaging communities in conservation. This strategy has raised local incomes, turning residents into active conservation partners, and successfully balancing ecological protection with economic growth, proving that “green mountains are gold mountains.”
