Latin America and the Caribbean

Written by: Oliver Wilson For hundreds of thousands of years, the distinctive candelabra shapes of Araucaria trees (Araucaria angustifolia) have defined landscapes at the southern edge of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Humans have never known a world without these majestic evergreens. But my new research, conducted with...

Written by: Emily Kelly and Paula Cristina Sierra-Correa Mangrove ecosystems bridge the line between land and sea. They are precious biodiversity hotspots, home to hundreds of threatened and endangered species. They also protect more than 15 million people globally and reduce property damage by $65 billion. Yet, since 1996,...

Written by: Kimberly White Best known for its beaches and annual Carnival, the city of Rio de Janeiro has taken a step in its battle against air pollution stemming from the millions of vehicles on the city’s streets. In an effort to work towards a more...

Written by: Kimberly White The Amazonian Siekopai Nation are fighting to reclaim their ancestral lands in an ongoing legal battle with the Ecuadorian government.  Throughout the years, the Ecuadorian government has failed to recognize the Siekopai's rights to their ancestral home and deliver a land title,...

Written by: Amy White and Shannon Engstrom Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and heat waves, are increasing in intensity, frequency and duration due to climate change. Recently, there has been a spate of devastating storms across the Caribbean and North America, with the...

Written by: Victoria Masterson The bioeconomy is becoming big business in Colombia. By protecting and restoring the Amazon rainforest – and cultivating some of its 80,000 plant species – communities are replacing work that once relied on deforestation. Here, we detail three businesses in Colombia that are...

Written by Kimberly White  The future of one of the world’s most biodiverse countries may become a little greener following a surprising electoral victory. Gustavo Petro and his running mate, Goldman Environmental Prize-winning environmental activist Francia Márquez, won Colombia’s 2022 presidential election, marking a significant...

Written by: Kimberly White  Ecuador has moved to bar mining activity in the Los Cedros Protected Forest in a landmark case. The Constitutional Court of Ecuador has ruled that plans to mine copper and gold in the protected cloud forest violate the rights of nature.  Spanning...

Written by: Alex Kirby If the climate crisis keeps you awake at night, the impact of what we casually throw away is sure to have you worried: it makes global heating a lot worse. But Chile’s waste bus is managing to change behaviour in a...

Written by: Natasha Ferrari and Klara Nilsson Decisions made by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will determine the future health, wellbeing and resilience of people and planet. New policy recommendations offer governments around the world the chance to maximise the economic opportunities that lie in nature,...