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Shoutout
#ProtectWater campaign by Living Rivers Europe
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Living Rivers Europe, a coalition of five environmental organizations - WWF's European network, the European Anglers Alliance, European Environmental Bureau, European Rivers Network and Wetlands International - started the #ProtectWater campaign. Its goal is to support the EU Water Law, by protecting Europe's rivers, lakes, groundwater and wetlands. These water ecosystems are vital in reducing disaster risks and climate change impacts. Find more about it here.
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News
Deforestation and watershed damage contributes to disasters in Indonesia
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The National Disaster Mitigation Agency of Indonesia estimated that 2,500 disasters will occur in Indonesia in 2019, a figure in the rise compared to precedent years.
Amongst the causes, the Forestry and Environment Ministry include deforestation, watershed degradation, and other lands designated as critical with ecologically reduced functions. Read more here.
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Bangkok invests in green infrastructure to combat floods
Bangkok has nearly 40% of the city at risk of flooding by 2030 due to the increase of extreme rainfall events. The Thai capital has also one of the lowest coverage of green space: just 3.3 square metres per person, compared to 23.1 sq m for New York and 66 for Singapore. Hence, the city is now investing in several re-vegetation projects to mitigate floods, such as a "metro forest" in the suburbs, or an 11-acre Chulalongkorn Centenary Park. Read the full article here.
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Water drainage might have worsened floods in Kerala, India
In the past century, backwaters have been drained in the State of Kerala, India, to create rice fields and make way for development.
According to B Sreekumar of the Kottayam Nature Society, the wetlands "used to hold flood waters, but they have all been reclaimed. To reduce flood risks, we should remove all the encroachments, by blocking the drains and reflooding the land". Read more here.
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Project insights
Yorkshire Water launches the planting of 50 million trees to prevent floods
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Over 14,000 trees were recently planted in Yorkhire, Northern England, as part of an ambitious pledge to plant 50 million trees over the next 25 years to reduce flood risk, offset carbon emissions, improve the air quality and support the creation of a Northern Forest. This region was devastated by floods in December 2015 and has a low forest coverage compared to the rest of the UK and Europe. Read the full document here.
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Scientists work to build climate change resilience in Caribbean coral reef
Marine and climate scientists from Columbia’s Earth Institute and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are exploring ways to protect the valuable Caribbean ecosystem, the second largest barrier reef in the world, from the potentially disastrous effects of climate change. The scientists intend to devise a mix of “green” and “gray” adaptation measures in order to protect against sea level rise and climate events, and promote ecotourism. Read the full publication here.
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Scientific corner
Seagrass saves beaches and money
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In a recent article from BioScience, biologists and engineers from the Netherlands and Mexico examined the role of seagrass beds for coastal defense. The study focused on Caribbean beaches, where almost a quarter of the GDP is earned in tourism. A sudden and strong increase in erosion was observed in beaches where seagrass beds were destroyed, often resulting in the need for expensive beach nourishments. Read the full article here.
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Blog
Why natured-based solutions to climate change must be grounded in sound biodiversity science
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A team of scientists from the University of Oxford and the Nature-based solutions Initiative has challenged certain applications of nature-based solutions to combat climate change. In particular, they argue that monoculture plantations of fast growing exotic species for reforestation will not prove beneficial for storing carbon in the long-term. Read the full publication here.
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Online courses
ThinkNature organizes a series of 4 webinars on Nature-Based Solutions from January to April 2019
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ThinkNature is organizing a series of four webinars on nature-based solutions.
Find more about the contents and register for the events here.
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Research Assistant - Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Organization: Bird Life International
Location: Cambridge, UK
Closing date: 16 January 2019
See here
Risk Assessment Specialist
Organization: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Closing date: 20 January 2019
See here
Multiple vacancies: Communication, Knowledge Management and Scientific Advisor
Organization: Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative
Location: any
Closing date: 20 January 2019
See here
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Communications Specialist
Organization: Acclimatise
Location: UK
Closing date: 1 February 2019
See here
Climate Change Consultant
Organization: Oxfam
Location: Home based
Closing date: 4 February 2019
See here
External Relations Officer, P3
Organization: UNISDR
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Closing date: 15 February 2019
See here
For more information please see PEDRR's LinkedIn.
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