[ CONSERVING NATURE TOGETHER AND NOW ]
Biodiversity is in crisis.
As many as one million plant and animal species are currently threatened with extinction.
[ WORLDWIDE ANIMAL SPECIES HAVE DECLINED NEARLY 70% IN JUST 50 YEARS ]
And the cause of this loss is us.
Human populations are increasing exponentially.
And we are producing – and transporting – more food, energy and materials than ever before.
But, nature’s resources are limited.
This overexploitation of precious natural resources must stop.
Biodiversity loss is also intensifying the effects of climate change.
As climate change accelerates,
fires,
storms,
and floods become more severe,
threatening infrastructure, livelihoods and economies.
[ THE SOLUTION: A SOCIETAL SHIFT ]
The biodiversity and climate crisis has endangered our way of life.
The world must fundamentally change the way we operate
- to one that values and cares for nature
– so we can begin to sustainably manage our use of it.
Global leadership - governments and companies - are key to this transformation.
We need to change the way we produce our food.
We must make global trade more sustainable.
We have to protect ecosystems, such as tropical forests, so they can reduce the impacts of flooding and provide vital habitats for wildlife.
Changes of this scale require global leaders, from governments to businesses, along with citizens to unite and create a new future.
[ GEDEPAHALA LANDSCAPE ]
High above Jakarta lies Gedepahala.
This tropical forest captures freshwater which flows downstream to urban populations and businesses that rely on it.
[ GEDEPAHALA PROVIDES FRESH WATER TO 30 MILLION PEOPLE DOWNSTREAM ]
Conservation International has worked in Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park and Gunung Halimun Salak National Park since 1998.
[ GREEN WALL PROJECT ]
[ GREEN WALL PROJECT ] Within Gedepahala, lies the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park.
In 2003, this National Park was expanded to include over 3,800 hectares of forest, which had been degraded by small-scale agricultural activities.
Following this, in 2008 Conservation International and the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park Authority, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry
– with significant investment from the private sector –
began their partnership to create a ‘Green Wall’ of trees on an area of 300 hectares of degraded land as the buffer of the core forest.
Together, they implemented a comprehensive approach to restore the forest, from planting trees, to monitoring their health,
as well as providing environmental education, installing freshwater solutions and creating alternative livelihoods to benefit the local communities.
New livelihood opportunities were created and village co-ops set-up to improve returns on commodities.
[ 13,000 FRUIT TREES PLANTED PROVIDING LOCALS WITH FOOD AND INCOME ]
This ecosystem is home to endangered species found nowhere else,
such as the Javan gibbon,
Grizzled leaf monkey,
Javan slow loris,
and Javan leopard, which have benefitted from ecosystem restoration of the Green Wall.
The success of Green Wall is in many ways a result of a strong collaborative partnership, involving all stakeholders, from the local community, to NGOs,
and government, and with key support from the corporate sector.
[ IN 10 YEARS, 300 HECTARES OF TROPICAL FOREST HAS BEEN RESTORED ]
[ WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR NATURE ]
Everyone has the power to help conserve nature and join the fight against climate change.
Businesses must make systematic changes towards a sustainable future,
and invest in nature-based solutions to climate change that support human well-being.
Individual actions matter too.
[ REDUCE RED MEAT CONSUMPTION ] Consider meals based around vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses.
[ BUY LOCAL ] Opting for local or regional products reduces the carbon footprint on your purchase.
It also supports your local economy.
[ BUY LESS ] If we buy and consume what we need, rather than what we want, we place less pressure on nature and create less waste.
[ REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT ON NATURE ] Overall, in your daily life, consider what adjustments can be made to reduce your footprint on nature.
You could…
Embrace more efficient electronics,
choose renewable energy
recycle or re-use
go paperless
or best of all, refuse.
Lower the carbon footprint of your travel by walking, biking, carpooling or taking public transit to the office.
[ TALK ABOUT IT ] And tell others.
Talk to your friends, family and employer about the change you would like to see.
We can all be ambassadors for nature!
It's time to unite and conserve nature for our own sake.
Without combined commitment, biodiversity conservation will not succeed.
Successful conservation requires all stakeholders, from citizens to governments and businesses
to understand the value of healthy ecosystems, and to be engaged, to invest, and to act for nature.
With shared effort, we can bring about the systematic change needed to make sustainable lifestyles more affordable and commonplace.
Join us to discover the value and wonders of biodiversity.