Environmental Sustainability
Global environmental sustainability depends on intact and healthy ecosystems. However, many of the Earth’s ecosystems have been stressed or degraded, some to the point where they cannot recover.
A little boy uses tools
provided by CIDA to help out
in an organic horticulture plot
in Membrillo, Panama.
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The poor, who depend most directly on their natural environment for food, shelter and income, are the first to feel the impacts of environmental deterioration. Forced to live on marginal lands, the poor are at greatest risk from external factors such as climate change. Without financial resources or the knowledge to manage vulnerable resources in a sustainable way, they are often forced to degrade their lands in order to survive, thus contributing to the problem and perpetuating their poverty.
The global community has been collaborating to preserve the environment for more than 30 years, reaching agreements and achieving some progress in key areas such as carbon emissions, desertification, organic pollutants, and biodiversity. As a party to the related conventions, Canada is obligated to help its developing country partners implement them.
Environmental sustainability is a programming priority: CIDA will not only systematically integrate environment in all its decision-making processes, but will focus its efforts on climate change, land degradation, freshwater supply and sanitation, and addressing the environmental impacts of urbanization.
Related CIDA Sites
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