I’m outraged almost every day by fresh examples of environmental harm. Whether it’s rivers being polluted, mountains plundered, land eroded, forests depleted, ecosystems destroyed, animals killed or whatever, there seems to be an endless onslaught of bad news and I’m prone to pontificating about it (sorry, not sorry).
Sometimes all this bad news prevents me from seeing all the good happening in the world. And, trust me, a lot of good is happening.
Countless people and organizations are rehabilitating ecosystems and setting the environment up for a healthy future.
Many of these groups are also structuring communities and economies around environmental sustainability so that the future will be full of good news.
These organizations need to be applauded, praised and supported.
Recently, 21 organizations were awarded the Equator Prize by the United Nations Development Programme for their outstanding environmental stewardship.
One in particular, the Rural Green Environment Organization, is entirely rewriting the environmental narrative for 90 villages and 40,000 people in Badakhshan, Afghanistan.
The region has endured “decades of conflict, insecurity and the overharvesting of natural resources.”
With community participation, the group has:
- Banned illegal fishing and hunting
- Created tree nurseries, forest guard patrols and reforesting projects with fruit and nut bearing trees. 200,000 trees have been planted to date, including 16 vine varieties to improve soil quality.
- 6,150 jobs and work-for-food programs have been created
- 5 kilometers of irrigation canals and 120,000 meters of farm terracing have been built
- Eco-education has been incorporated into mosques, schools and Koran studies
Here’s an inside look at the organization's work:
Rural Green Environment Organization
Rural Green Environment Organization
Rural Green Environment Organization
Rural Green Environment Organization
Rural Green Environment Organization
Rural Green Environment Organization
Rural Green Environment Organization
What was once a region battered by conflict and environmental degradation is now flourishing. The best part is, this is a peaceful and fruitful model that can be adopted all around the world.
Go to TAKE ACTION NOW to call on world leaders to support organizations like this through the Global Goals.
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