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        UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins 5 June with a new peatland conservation guideline issued

        UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins 5 June more →

      • Ecosystem Restoration
        Restoring peatlands, sequestering carbon

        Restoring peatlands, sequestering carbon more →

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        Green diversification of Ethiopia’s garden coffee value chain

        Ethiopia’s garden coffee value chain more →

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        Indonesia: Restoring forests for future needs

        Indonesia: Restoring forests for future needs more →

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        Developing forest landscapes for livelihoods and climate adaptation in Southwest Ethiopia

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         Wild, beautiful and endangered

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        How do we finance nature and climate protection?

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        The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy needs a drastic reform

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        Nature conservation and regional development really have an impact – NABU knows this and acts on it.

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  2. Regional Development
  • Regional Development
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Sustainable Regional Development

Economies in harmony with nature

NABU includes Sustainable Regional Development into all its international projects: activities which actively support the conservation of ecosystems and create additional benefits for local people are fostered.

Wild coffee harvest.

Wild coffee harvest - photo: Angelika Berndt

Poor people are often highly dependent on functioning ecosystems and ecosystem services for food, construction materials and energy, but might unwillingly overexploit these limited resources. As water levels drop, microclimates change and resources become scarcer poverty and food insecurity are in turn enforced. Economic development is often promoted as an answer to these problems – but it rarely is.

Stable household incomes, high export ratios and increased productivity are considered good indicators for societal development and quality of living. But this is only one side of the coin: with economic development ecosystems are often affected or even destroyed. Industrial sewage waters pollute rivers and lakes and lead to eutrophication and the spread of invasive weeds, such as the water hyacinth. Large scale infrastructure projects divert water, cut through wildlife corridors or increase access to remote sites also for illegal activities. Even projects aiming at strengthening small-scale farmers, e.g. through planting of fast growing trees, might result in adverse effects, decline in water levels or increase in erosion.

Therefore, economic growth should not come alone as solution for the challenges of poverty. Instead a comprehensive approach is needed, taking into account all three dimensions of sustainability, as do the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This framework of 17 goals for a better future was ratified by all 193 countries of the UN and calls for proper change and integrated approaches to the current challenges to be achieved until the year 2030.


The need for Sustainable Regional Development

Hands gently touching crops

Processing of coffee beans: Garden coffee that is grown in home gardens of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve represents an essential source of income - photo: Matthias Putze

NABU and its partners worldwide acknowledge the need for economic development to poverty. Alternative sustainable income schemes e.g. through income-generating activities (IGAs) for small-scale farmers, landless youth and people being dependent on natural resources are a promising option.
NABU therefore promotes Sustainable Regional Development which benefits the people of today, without endangering their and future generations’ survival. It is the fundamental belief of NABU that economical development can only be successful in the long run wherever this sustainable blueprint is applied, and especially when it is regionally integrated.

Therefore, NABU includes Sustainable Regional Development into all its international projects: activities which actively support the conservation of ecosystems and create additional benefits for local people are fostered.

Implemented activities enable a high level of self-organisation within the community in order to create ownership and lasting impact for the whole region, such as ecological and/or soil conserving agriculture, introduction of climate-resilient crops, development of regional product brands and value additions as well as eco-tourism solutions.


Examples for NABU activities linked to Sustainable Regional Development

➣ Securing user rights and introducing communal conservation and use methods, such as participatory forest or wetland management
➣ Initiating certification schemes as value addition, for example, for organic produce or regional products
➣ Developing and promoting sustainable tourism, for example, by developing community-based nature-friendly tourism, training (bird) guides, and increasing international awareness
➣ Establishment and support of cooperatives and unions, to combine purchasing and negotiation power and to create a platform for information exchange and training opportunities
➣ Introducing sustainable resource usage, for example, by developing fishing/hunting quotas, citizen science based monitoring and awareness creation measures
➣ Capacity building and administrative support for local initiatives, cooperatives and CBOs to strengthen grassroot initiatives for sustainable development
➣ Initiate regional product development, for example, local natural oils, herbs, coffee, and promotion though the development of a regional product brand and market access options
➣ Introduction of innovative, sustainable agricultural practices, for example, conservation or climate smart agriculture, re-introduction of climate resistant old (crop/vegetable) varieties and climate-smart agriculture
➣ Introducing byproduct-usage, for example, coffee-husk briquettes, bio-char from invasive species
➣ International cooperation with international companies, such as NABU-tea by Tee Gschwendner

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Hippos! The Lake Tana Watershed has a diverse wildlife - photo: Bruno D/'Amicis
Water for Life

The largest lake in Ethiopia, Lake Tana, is a source of life for 4 million people in the region. Over the course of the last decade, however, the consequences of increased industrialization and development have been posing a threat to this vital water supply. more →

Wild coffee beans.
Coffee-novation

Kafa Biosphere Reserve is challenged by the lack of sustainable employment and innovation for green development and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The consortium aims at structuring the up to now non-commercialised garden coffee value chain. more →

Mangroves in Madagascar - Photo: Adobe Stock / Punchthanun
Green coasts for Madagascar

The protected area Mahavavy-Kinkony in Madagascar suffers from degradation of its coastal ecosystems. NABU and ASITY Madagascar joined forces supporting communities for restoring ecosystems, improving livelihoods and responding to the impacts of climate change. more →

Endangered beauty: the Banggai cardinalfish is endemic to the Banggai Archipelago and threatened by overfishing and habitat loss. - photo: mirecca/ adobe.stock.com
Sustainable fisheries management

The marine biodiversity of the Coral Triangle is threatened by overfishing and habitat degradation. We support coastal communities of the Banggai Islands to secure their livelihoods through sustainable fishing practices in line with the Marine Protected Area. more →

Yaks in Kyrgyzstan
Sustainable Yak husbandry

NABU realises its project „Sustainable Yak husbandry in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan Mountains” as part of the Federal Environment Ministry's Advisory Assistance Programme in Middle and Eastern Europe states, Caucasus and Central Asia. more →

Attaeus atlas - Foto: U. Schuster
Kenya

Kenya is famous for its fascinating nature and extensive national parks that draw in visitors from all around the world every year. NABU is supporting the long-term conservation of nature with innovative ideas in co-operation with local partners.
more →

The pristine and unexploited forests of the Sheka Biosphere Reserve. Its rivers and waterfalls are potential destinations for ecotourist - Photo: NABU/Mathias Putze
Sheka and Yayu – NABU’s expertise

Biosphere reserves are natural or cultural landscapes recognised by UNESCO as model regions for sustainable development. They balance conservation and land-use interests, as humans depend on intact ecosystems and their services. more →

Baumwollernte - Foto: Cotton made in Africa
West Africa

Cotton made in Africa is a project that helps African small-scale farmers and their families to improve their standard of living and in doing so, reducing the harmful im-pact that cotton cultivation has on the environment. more →

Butterflies - Foto: Bruno D´Amicis
Biodiversity Project (2014-2017)

Ethiopia is a globally significant biodiversity hotspot and is considered to be one of the world's most species-rich countries. The last remaining highland forests have been identified as particularly valuable key ecosystems. However, they have declined dramatically in size. more →

Marandravy Island on Lake Kinkony - Photo: Bernhard Walter
People and nature in Madagascar

In 2015, NABU launched the project “Sustainable Forest and Wetland Management at Mahavavy-Kinkony” to save the protected area in Western Madagascar, together with its BirdLife partner ASITY Madagascar. more →

The official UN SDG logo - graphic: United Nations

The 2030 agenda of the UN

By active voluntary work on the ground, national and international projects and lobbying, NABU contributes to the achievement of the SDGs.

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