Today (November 6) marks nature day at COP26. Here are the stories, facts and insights to get you inspired and up to speed
Meet the innovators
On Thursday, two amazing grassroots organisations picked up Ashden Awards for their work in natural climate solutions and regenerative agriculture. Supporting these champions – and others delivering proven and practical frontline solutions – should be a priority for funders and policymakers.
Mbou Mon Tour helps rainforest communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo make a sustainable living through agriculture and tourism. By supporting local people to manage their own land, the organisation creates better lives and protection for a precious natural resource.
Now community-led conservation efforts are protecting 50,000 hectares of forest – and the future of the endangered bonobo great ape, an animal of huge cultural importance to local people. Mbou Mon Tour has also worked with communities to develop new, sustainable ways of earning a living – alternatives to slash and burn agriculture and other destructive practices. Mbou Mon Tour are winners of the 2021 Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions, supported by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
YICE Uganda is the winner of the 2021 Ashden Award for Regenerative Agriculture, supported by DOEN Foundation. YICE trains subsistence farmers – particularly women, young people and refugees – in sustainable cultivation methods that boost their incomes and diets. In communities where at least one child in five is malnourished, this work with marginalised farmers protects lives and land.
For millions of people in Uganda, farming offers the prospect of a decent diet and steady income. Permaculture techniques – approaches that work with, not against, nature – produce bigger harvests, and also reduce deforestation and keep soil and water healthy. Protecting these precious natural resources limits the impact of climate change.
Get the insights
From the beekeepers of Cameroon to the seed gatherers of Brazil, indigenous rainforest communities play a unique and important role protecting our planet. Read more about why their work matters – and the many dangers they face – in this blog. Or see what happened when a global panel, including grassroots voices, discussed the issue earlier this year.
Natural climate solutions are not just for rural areas. See how the cooling power of plants and water has aided regeneration and climate resilience in the Colombian city of Medellin, a model that is now spreading to other cities.
