Environmental Justice - Article

The reclamation of seed as a common good has begun. Following the concept of open source, new approaches evolve that result in the cultivation of a large number of species and varieties.

Dear Friends, The Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin and Schleswig Holstein has published, together with the monthly newspaper Le Monde Diplomatique, the Ocean Atlas 2017. With 18 contributions and 50 graphics it delivers the facts and figures on our impact on the oceans, the most valuable ecosystems our planet has to offer. It explains why we are seeing a rapid increase in acidity levels, how 90 percent of globally exploited fish populations are fully utilized, and 20% of them even overfished...

At the UN’s COP 22 climate conference in Marrakech, the international community closed ranks despite (or perhaps because of?) the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

The UN climate summit in Marrakech from 7 to 18 November, is the crucial next step for operationalizing the Paris Agreement. Many controversial issues such as damages caused by climate change and financing for the poorest countries are on the agenda.

Women in Palestine are disproportionately affected by the lack of access to sanitation and adequate quantities of safe water. The research aimed to improve the empowerment of communities and individuals (mainly women) in the Palestinian urban areas on the acceptance of the reuse of treated wastewater. Research was carried out at Ein Qinyia village in Ramallah about whether or not training women can increase their awareness and accept the reuse of treated wastewater from the Al-Tireh Wastewater Treatment Plant.

On October 13th a large coalition of environment, climate and indigenous peoples organizations has posted a letter to the board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The group demands that the EITI’s principles, standards and procedures have to take into account climate change impacts, and the consequences of necessary legal and policy reforms and associated risks to the fossil fuel industry.

On 7 September 2015, Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Palestine & Jordan office invited the main Palestinian actors and experts in the environmental field to a policy dialogue titled “Food Sovereignty in Palestine”. The aim of the policy dialogue was to discuss the challenges before local agriculture in Palestine and the influence of the agricultural policies and projects on the Palestinian market. The experts and representatives of Palestinian civil society organizations and ministries came up with recommendations at the end of the dialogue to improve the situation of the Palestinian agriculture and market

If the EU is serious about an ambitious agreement at the UN talks in Paris, it must prioritise adaptation and resilience to climate risk in the negotiations, write Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's President Barbara Unmüßig and Ralf Fücks and E3G's Chief Executive Nick Mabey.

Author: Svenja Oberender Traditional agriculture, with its strong connection to the land and understanding of its character, is an often cited part of Palestinian national identity. Unfortunately, the grave reality is that the profession is slowly but surely disappearing. In this interview, agronomist and environmentalist Saad Dagher explains the reasons for the decline that can be found not only in the political situation but also in social and economic developments. In addition, he talks about how abandoning peasant farming has in turn changed Palestinian society.

Healthy soils are crucial to human nutrition and the fight against hunger. But worldwide 24 billion tons of fertile soil is lost annually. Barbara Unmüßig calls attention to the growing threat to one of Earth’s most important resources.