2012 was the warmest year on record for the United States and was one of the most damaging in terms of natural disasters. The year brought record storms and devastation, costing the economy over $100 billion in damages. Newly appointed Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz recently said that “The science is clear – certainly clear for the level that one needs for policymaking – in terms of the real and urgent threat of climate change”.
"How China manages its water resources over the next five to seven years has profound implications not only for the Chinese people but also for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Within China, water supplies—already scarce in many parts of the country—are diminishing and contributing to a range of serious economic, health, and social challenges. Spillover effects, such as damming and diverting transnational rivers, a push to acquire arable land abroad, and increasing conflict over regional fishery resources are also being felt well outside the country’s borders.
Chinese environmental law is a rapidly changing field as Chinese lawmakers strive to build a more effective governance institutions to address the country’s severe pollution and natural resource degradation. Since 2006, the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law has trained thousands of Chinese lawyers, government officials and educators, giving them the skills and academic infrastructure needed to solve environmental and energy challenges in China through the rule of law.
How can NGOs and civil society promote environmental protection and improve people’s health and livelihoods in remote tropical forests? Two NGOs with innovative programs in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea spoke at the Wilson Center on May 30 about their efforts to simultaneously tackle these issues and highlight their intricate relationship.
Located in the extreme Northeast of the Brazilian Amazon, the State of Amapá is home to one of the largest and most diverse tracts of pristine tropical rainforest of the world. Over three quarters of the state is protected, conserving 73% of its native forests in 12 protected areas and five Indigenous Lands. Working with Conservation International, the government of Amapá is developing projects that seek economic growth while maintaining its critical natural capital.
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