View allAll Photos Tagged SDG14
Michelle Martin is Executive Director of Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), an NGO working on sustainable living, conservation, research and education in Seychelles. In addition to a number of projects, S4S, with a grant from UNDP’s Small Grants Programme, recently worked to help set up community-based organizations to address the increasing amount of solid waste going to landfill in Seychelles.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
This picture was taken in October at Lake Artemesia. In this picture, you can see several plastic water bottles floating on the lake’s surface in the midst of lily pads. This photo is a great representation of sustainable development goal number 14: Life Below Water and Why It Matters. This sustainable development goal focuses on how protecting our marine ecosystems is critical in the fight against climate change as well as reducing poverty.
Although this picture was taken on a lake and it does not eventually flow into any larger rivers or the ocean, I believe this is a good representation as to how society treats our planet’s waterways, including oceans. About 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into oceans every year thereby threatening marine animals, food quality, human health, and contributing to climate change (Marine plastics, 2018). Marine animals can easily mistake floating plastic waste as prey and accidentally consume these items. Food quality may also be compromised as it was found that plastics can accumulate chemicals on them from sitting on the seawater for too long. These chemicals can then bioaccumulate in the food chain leading to large concentrations in fish that humans eat. It is also important to recognize how oftentimes, the plastic pollution problem can disproportionately impact lower income nations and threaten their food sources. Finally, when considering the impact of Covid-19 on this issue, it has increased the number of non-reusable materials for sanitary reasons and is most likely worsening the amount of trash in our oceans.
I also want to look a step further into human influences on marine ecosystems. We can visibly see the impacts of trash pollutants in oceans, however there are many human influences that go unnoticed as they are not visible to the naked eye. Climate change, as a result of human activity, is directly impacting oceans. Oceans are a large consumer of atmospheric carbon and they are absorbing more and more as atmospheric carbon increases. This contributes to ocean acidification- the oceans are becoming more acidic. This is extremely detrimental for calcifying organisms and coral as they are unable to form a shell (Mambra, 2020). Although it only affects seemingly a small number of organisms, ecosystems are a system and changing the behavior of one organism has an effect on the entire system. These negative effects are not exclusive to the water, humans will soon start feeling these effects. As the ocean health deteriorates, there will not be as many shellfish for consumption impacting the income of these fishermen. The destruction of coral reefs will change the biodiversity on the coastlines which will change what food is available, and the list goes on (Climate Interpreter 2018). Protecting our marine ecosystems is not only essential for the health of the planet but also for human survival. We will not survive without healthy marine life. Pollution and climate change are man made problems and therefore need to be met with made made solutions.
Climate Interpreter. (2018, December 20). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from
climateinterpreter.org/content/ocean-acidification-effect...
Mambra, S. (2020, January 03). How Is Plastic Totally Ruining The Oceans In The Worst Way
Possible? Retrieved October 20, 2020, from
www.marineinsight.com/environment/how-is-plastic-ruining-...
Marine plastics. (2018, December 05). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from
This is a picture I took on a sandbar between Lake Ontario and a pond connected to it by a small channel. The sandbar separates these two bodies of water; however, in recent years, a Canadian dam has been opened, raising the water level of the lake and pond significantly. This has caused erosion to the surfaces at the water's edge, like this one.
In 2015 the UN created 17 goals for worldwide sustainable development. Sustainable Development Goal #14, Life Below Water, outlines several principles of sustainable use of marine resources. One of these is the management of coastal ecosystems to restore and strengthen their resilience to avoid adverse impacts. It's clear that when alterations to the dam were made, the impacts on coastal ecosystems around Lake Ontario were not adequately considered. Much of the plant life on sandbars like this one has been severely damaged or destroyed, which creates a feedback loop as less plant life leads to even more soil erosion, which destroys more plants. The effect on the trees can be understood through Grime's Scheme for plants, which outlines that plants evolve their life history strategies to the stress and disturbance factors common to their environment that limit their success. Historically, in this environment, the trees probably need to tolerate frequent stress, and therefore have a stress tolerator life history strategy, in which they grow and reproduce slowly. Under the man-made pressure of an unnaturally high water level, the plants are facing disturbances that they did not evolve to cope with. They don't grow, mature, or reproduce quickly enough to replenish their population level in the face of this disturbance as ruderals (plants that evolve to cope with high disturbance levels) do, so the environment is seeing drastic reductions in coastal plant populations. Great care should be taken in altering plant ecosystems, as they are uniquely adapted to maximize their potential for success in their specific environment. This highlights the need for sustainable development - attention to the health of coastal ecosystems helps prevent coastline erosion and protect marine plant populations.
Sources: un.org ; sdgcompass.org
New York, 6 June 2017 - Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Seahorse made of plastic stand by the main entrance at the UNHQ. Today in the morning, Monday 5 June the UNDP had organized with partners the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
Daily life in Seychelles - An Aldabran Giant Tortoise at the Seychelles National Botanical Garden, Port Victoria, Mahe Island. January, 2017.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
During expo Dubai 2020 FAO subregional office for the GCC states and Yemen in the UAE hosted in the United Nation Hub expert from the GCC states an Yemen to review the progress towards the achieving the targets of SDG14 at the National level.
International Conference on Blue Growth and Economy in S. Vicente Island, Cabo Verde. ©FAO/Antonio Palazuelos
Pictured above is six months worth of plastic products that could not be placed in our single-stream recycling bin because of the type of plastic it is. Many people are under the impression that if something is made of plastic then it can be placed in the recycling bin and it will be recycled. The truth is not all plastic can be recycled, and some must be taken to a special facility because single-stream facilities will throw it away because it can damage machinery. One of the problems with plastic in general is the breaking down of its contents that make its way into bodies of water that can harm marine life. Particles of plastic may get smaller and smaller, but it never breaks small enough to disappear. These small particles are called microsplastics and they are a growing concern for our waterways as they are so small they cannot be seen by the naked eye, and small enough to get taken up by organisms that breath underwater.
SDG14 targets underwater life and the threat microplastics have on it. Water is absolutely essential to life and the organisms that inhabit it too, making up a large part of the the human diet. If fish are taking up these microplastics, so are we. One of the best things we do to help stop this issue is first reduce the amount of single-use plastic we use as consumers. The next is educating people on how to properly recycle so that it hopefully gets a new life and not in the landfill. Most plastic products include a recycling code somewhere on the product that inform the consumer what type of plastic it is and whether or not it can be tossed in the single-stream bin, or if it must be taken to a special facility. Check your city's recycling guidelines for more information.
11 December 2018, Rome, Italy - Side Event: Implementation of the ecosystem approach at the regional level for the coordinated achievement of the SDG14 targets. Fish Forum 2018, FAO headquarters (Sheikh Zayed Centre).
Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.
12 December 2018, Rome, Italy - Fish Forum 2018. Side Event - Ocean noise impacts on fisheries in the context of SDG14. FAO Headquarters (Iran Room).
Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.
New York, 6 June 2017 - Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Ms. Sylvia Earle, is a National Geographic Explorer in Residence. Sylvia Earle has been deeper undersea than any other woman. Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author, lecturer, field scientist, and an inspiration to women around the world. Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
Divers hired by the project in a study mission inside Karaburun Sazan National Marine Park.
GOAL 14: LIFE BELOW WATER
Advancing the sustainable use and conservation of the oceans continues to require effective strategies and management to combat the adverse effects of overfishing, growing ocean acidification, and worsening coastal eutrophication. The expansion of protected areas for marine biodiversity, intensification of research capacity, and increases in ocean science funding remain critically important to preserve marine resources.
With support from UNDP and with GEF funding, Albania opened its first and only national marine park along over 1.9 km of the coastlines of Karaburun Peninsula and Sazan Island on the southwestern side of the country. A collaborative process of citizen engagement and the participation of fishermen in park activities has helped improve awareness and understanding of the values of marine and coastal protected areas among local communities, tourists, and the public.
The biodiversity, landscape and heritage of this area are unusual for the Mediterranean. But despite its riches, the area was severely threatened by fishing and development activities.
Illegal fishing activities - the use of explosives and fishing with banned methods - massively damaged the area and the fish stock, as well as putting fishermen’s lives in danger.
Read more: undpeurasia.exposure.co/albanias-stunning-coastal-beauty
Photo: Claudia Amico / UNDP in Albania
This is a photograph I took while on a field trip with my ENST 333 class to Oyster Point Hatchery in Cambridge, Maryland on October 14, 2022. I was blown away by how many of these huge tanks the hatchery had, with so many filled with growing oysters. I will be relating this photograph to SDG 14, the goal whose aim is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (“Conserve and Sustainably Use”). The related ecological concept is the efforts to repopulate declining and ecologically important aquatic populations in the Chesapeake Bay.
One of the interesting facts provided on the UN's page regarding SDG14 is the fact that the increasing acidification is threatening marine life and limiting the ocean's capacity to moderate climate change (“Conserve and Sustainably Use”). The Horn Point Oyster Hatchery is interesting to me in this regard, as they describe themselves as a focal point for Maryland's oyster restoration and research efforts, with numerous partnerships as well (“Oyster Restoration Partners”). Oysters themselves play an important and significant role in the Bay, being that they filter the water, remove suspended particles, and form a hard surface at the bottom of the bay that acts as a habitat for other species (“Oyster Importance”). In other words, they are majorly important in battles against climate change and specifically ocean acidification.
What the hatchery does, aside from spawning the oysters, is study them. They conduct research on the oyster spawning practices and survival rates throughout, to name a couple things. This photo in particular depicts the stage where eyed larvae are attached to shells of other oysters in water-filled outside setting tanks (depicted in the photo) in order to mature into spat. After this stage, they eat algae grown by the hatchery, grow and strengthen their shells (“Follow the Path”). With one of the hatchery's goals being to increase healthy oyster populations throughout the Bay, largely done through finding the best spawning techniques, they really positively contribute to those concepts of both sustainably utilizing marine resources sustainably, as well as repopulating those important organisms within the Bay (“Oyster Importance”). But the most basic yet effective technique that the recite is removing diseased oysters from healthy oysters, which delays chances at infection and disease, while increasing chances at survival (“Oyster Restoration Strategy”).
Since the mid-1900s, virtually all oysters in the Bay have been battling prevalence of disease within their populations. One of the diseases occurs quickly in the beginning of an oyster's life cycle, while the other incubates in the oyster to kill it a year or two later. Monitoring growing of oysters in controlled and disease-free environments greatly assists in monitoring when these diseases onset and taking corrective/ preventative actions accordingly. This is all a part of the efforts to learn more and repopulate this important species in the Bay, in a sustainable and ecologically productive way (“Oyster History”).
Works Cited
“Follow the Path of an Oyster.” Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, 11 May 2021, hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/facilities/follow-the-path-of-an-o....
“Goal 14 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs.” United Nations, United Nations, 2022, sdgs.un.org/goals/goal14.
“Oyster History in the Chesapeake Bay.” Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, 8 July 2020, hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/oyster-history-in-the-chesapeake-bay/.
“Oyster Importance.” Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, 8 July 2020, hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/oyster-importance/.
“Oyster Restoration Partners.” Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, 3 Mar. 2021, hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/oyster-restoration-partners/.
“Oyster Restoration Strategy.” Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, 11 May 2021, hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/oyster-restoration-strategy/.
New York 5 June 2017 - A huge interest in this meeting had attendees standing in the doorway. Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
This is a video taken on August 17, 2018 while snorkeling at a coral reef in Kauai, the oldest Hawaiian island. You can see what I believe is a whitemouth moray eel peeking out from its coral hideout. It has its mouth open and my best guess is that it's trying to scare me away from its territory.
Being territorial is one strategy some organisms may use to compete for resources. Competition is an ecological concept that can be described as 2 or more organisms struggling to obtain the same resources. The resource could be food, light, water, or something else. In the case of this eel, it may be exhibiting territorial behavior to protect its shelter/living space, another type of resource.
This video is also a good visual representation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #14: Life Below Water. This goal focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Coral reefs are currently in decline worldwide due to a variety of reasons, one being ocean acidification. Oceans naturally serve as a sink for carbon dioxide, however, with the severe increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to fossil fuel combustion, there is an unsustainable amount of carbon dioxide being deposited into the oceans. When CO2 becomes incorporated into the water, it becomes carbonic acid and can actually lower the pH of the oceans. This spells trouble for coral reefs which are sensitive to changes in water conditions. It is important to conserve coral reefs because they are biological hotspots with high biodiversity.
New York 5 June 2017 - Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
This photo was taken down the street from my house in Carroll County Maryland on Tuesday 9/11/2018. It shows a pond that has an increased amount of algae after how much rain we have received recently. This demonstrates the process of eutrophication from runoff of nearby lands. Excess nutrients on these lands (probably farms where I live) are carried by rainfall to bodies of water where they are used by algae for growth. This relates to the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water because although this is not an ocean it represents the same process causing dangerous effects in our Bay and on our Coasts. SDG 14 involved protecting marine wildlife and reducing pollution. Eutrophication is a form of land-use pollution that can cause apoxic zones when bacteria use up oxygen in the water breaking down the algae- this harms fish and wildlife because they cannot breathe.
This photo, which was taken on December 5, 2018, is of the concrete container for manure storage at UMD’s campus farm.
This photo demonstrates the ecological concept of eutrophication. When it rains, the water carries pollutants from the ground’s surface into waterways. Manure is a major pollutant because it is high in nitrogen and phosphorus. In freshwater systems, nitrogen and phosphorus are often limiting nutrients. So, increasing their presence causes a spike in the productivity of primary producers, most notably algae. Eutrophication is an increase in the productivity of aquatic systems (Ricklefs & Relyea, 2014). The algal blooms cover the water’s surface and block light from penetrating the water. These then create dead zones. Dead zones have hypoxic or anoxic conditions which do not favor species of fish that are desirable to humans. Instead of the fish that humans like to eat, species like worms and jellyfish are able to survive in these conditions.
This ecological concept supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #14, which is Life Below Water. This goals aims to protect water bodies like oceans due to the immense amount of people that depend on them for food and for their livelihood. They cite that eutrophication of coastal marine systems is expected to increase 20% by 2050 (“Sustainable Development Goal 14”). The installation of the manure storage container onto the farm drastically decreased the amount of pollutants that are carried to waterways by runoff. The dead zones created by eutrophication hurt the seafood industry because most of the fish consumed by humans need oxygen to survive. Efforts to stop the flow of these pollutants to the waterways will be beneficial in allowing forms of life below water, like crabs, to be better able to survive, and their survival is crucial to the fishing industry.
Ricklefs, R. E., & Relyea, R. (2014). Ecology: The economy of nature (7th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.
Sustainable Development Goal 14. (2018). Retrieved December 4, 2018, from sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg14.
New York 5 June 2017 - Ms. Meg Caldwell, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
At ISAP2019, ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Alisjahbana highlights the need for stronger Climate Action & environmental protection in Asia-Pacific. While the entire region is underperforming on SDG14 & SDG15, three out of five subregions need to reverse existing trends on SDG13.
New York, 6 June 2017 - Mr. Johannes Oljelund, Director General for International Development Cooperation, Sweden. Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Ms. Sylvia Earle, is a National Geographic Explorer in Residence. Sylvia Earle has been deeper undersea than any other woman. Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author, lecturer, field scientist, and an inspiration to women around the world. Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
This picture was taken on November 26th, 2021 at Point Reyes, California while I was on a trip in Northern California during Thanksgiving Break. Point Reyes National Seashore is a vast landscape of protected shoreline in Northern California’s Marin County.
The National Park Service has many informative signs and facilities educating the public about the environmental effects impacting the ecology of the park, such as ocean acidification. Hundreds of thousands of marine species created their bodies using calcium carbonate (CaCO3) including snails, oysters, sea stars, coral, and plenty of planktonic animals. Since the industrial revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide has increased tremendously, and approximately 30% of the world’s human-cause carbon is absorbed by oceans (U.S. Department of Interior). The extra dissolved CO2 reacts with ocean water (H2O) to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) which is a weak acid that dissociates into bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). Consequently, the hydrogen ions lowers the pH of the water so that it is more acidic. This has occurred in several surface ocean waters, as pH has decreased by 0.1 pH units which logarithmically represents a 30 percent increase in acidity (U.S. Department of Interior). For organisms that build their shells, acidic water is not ideal and high levels of hydrogen ions also bind carbonate, decreasing the supply organisms need. If pH falls too low, some shells and skeletons can break. Thus, the entire food web can be affected if organisms at the base are unable to survive.
This photo relates to SDG #14: Life Below Water, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” This park is protected under the Wilderness Act of 1964, which provides the highest level of protection for wilderness landscapes (U.S. Department of Interior). Under SDG #14, some key targets include reducing the impacts of ocean acidification and conserving marine areas through national law (United Nations).
References
U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Ocean Acidification. National Parks Service. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from www.nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/ocean_acidification.htm.
United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 14 | Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. United Nations. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from sdgs.un.org/goals/goal14.
New York, 6 June 2017 - Mr. Magdy Martinez-Soliman, Assistant Secretary-General, Director of Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDPOfficial Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
This photo was taken in the afternoon of 9/14/2022 at the Middle Patuxent River. This was taken during a field trip to collect aquatic insects for a biology course. This image relates to the UN SDG goal #14 "life below water" and the ecological concept of a habitat.
Often times, we can quickly observe how a terrestrial ecosystem is doing with our naked eye, but an aquatic ecosystem is more difficult to observe. Aquatic ecosystems provide essential diversity, food sources, bioindicators, water storage, water purification, and air quality control. It is in our planet's best interest these ecosystems are protecting, so the UN has designated this as one of their sustainable development goals. The above photo demonstrates a common habitat for life under water and is one of the targets for protection under SDG #14.
Upon first glance a river such as this one may not appear to have much life, but if you know where to look and how to look you can find a surprising amount of diversity. The river provides a variety of habitats: sandy pools, fast moving riffles, deep crevices, large stones, muddy banks, large pools, and fallen branches. These habitats are homes for reptiles, fish, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and even some mammals.
New York, 6 June 2017 - Ms. Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Mr. H.E Peter Thomson, President, United Nations General Assembly. Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
Montpellier, Bristol.
Lucy McLauchlan / @lucymclauchlan for Toward Bristol.
Together with @toward.2030 Vanguard have been coordinating a series of art activations around the city, channeling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Through SDG14 - Life Under Water this piece was champions the work of the Bristol and Avon Rivers Trust who tirelessly strive to preserve the quality of the region’s vital resource.
New York 5 June 2017 - Detail of the Oceans pin on the jacket of one of the attendees. at the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - No plastic bottles are used during the Oceans Conference, therefor attendees are bringing their own refillable bottles for water. Event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Master of Ceremony, Adriana Dinu, UNDP introduces the agenda and welcomes guests and keynote speakers. Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Mr. Magdy Martinez-Soliman, Assistant Secretary-General, Director of Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDPOfficial Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - From left to right: Dr. E. Angus Friday, Grenada's Ambassador to the USA and Mexico, Mr. Douglas Frantz, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Mr. Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank, during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales (freya.morales@undp.org)Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Dr. E. Angus Friday, Grenada's Ambassador to the USA and Mexico during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Dr. E. Angus Friday, Grenada's Ambassador to the USA and Mexico during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Mr. H.E Peter Thomson, President, United Nations General Assembly. Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Mr. Douglas Frantz, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
This photo is of a Natchez Crape Myrtle on University of Maryland, College Park, campus, which is an arboretum and botanical garden. It was taken October 20th around 5pm.
The purpose of the campus arboretum is for “scientific and educational study” according to their website. They host outreach events, volunteer events, self-guided tours, internships, and more. All of these teach about the arboretum, green roofs, or stormwater management. They partner with many groups and classes on campus with the goal of teaching people and getting them involved with nature (“About us”). This relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 4; Quality Education. Quality education can increase the quality of a person’s life and, according to the UN, it’s an important step in achieving sustainability (U.N.). I believe that the educational opportunities that the arboretum provides are important for teaching sustainable concepts to the general public and to students entering that field. People learn about plants in the landscape and participate and become invested in the work. Through volunteer experiences or joint programs with classes and clubs, students can learn more about how to achieve sustainability, the importance of specific species, and the importance of diversity in the landscape. The campus arboretum also provides many students with relevant, hands-on experience and skills. Students who have internships dealing with green roofs and stormwater maintenance have a better understanding of these topics. They can take the learned skills from this experience and apply it to solving real world sustainability problems in a more effective way. A quality education can lead to more effective sustainability in the future.
As mentioned above, diversity in the landscape is very important. The arboretum hosts many different species on campus and ensures the diversity of plants on campus. This is very important from both a sustainability and economic perspective. One recent example of this in Maryland is the Emerald Ash Borer. Many places in Maryland, including near my house, had predominantly ash trees. When the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive pest, arrived in Maryland it killed many of the ash trees. This had serious impacts for the state. Many trees had to be taken down; these trees played an important role in providing shade, foot, habitat, and more. The economic costs are also larger since ash trees supply wood for many products, such as baseball bats, hardwood floors, and more (MD DoA). It is also expensive to remove all the trees and replant them with different species. MD Department of Agriculture estimates that if the Emerald Ash Borer managed to get to all of the continental US states “unchecked,” it could cost up to $60 billion.
About Us: UMD Arboretum & Botanical Garden. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2020, from arboretum.umd.edu/about-us
U.N. Goal 4: Quality education. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development...
MD DoA. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/eab.aspx
New York 5 June 2017 - General view of the panel at the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
Huge numbers of plastic bags end up in the ocean, causing massive pollution and endangering marine life, as well as jeopardizing the tourism industry. This hampers sustainable development in small island states like Seychelles. In recent efforts, women played a key role in in banning plastic bags across the country.
“Women are leading environmental sustainability in Seychelles, as are youth,” says Karine Rassool (pictured above), Senior Economist for the Seychelles Fishing Authority. Rasool is an Environmental Economist by training and was a leading voice of the successful youth-led efforts to ban plastic bags in Seychelles. The Seychelles government has banned the importation of plastic bags and Styrofoam containers to the island as of January 2017 and businesses are required to phase out the use of plastic bags by July 2017.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
New York 5 June 2017 - Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Johannes Oljelund (L), Director General for International Development stands with Magdy Martinez-Soliman (R), Assistant Secretary-General, Director of Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP Cooperation, SwedenOfficial Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York, 6 June 2017 - Official Opening of UNDP-GEF photo exhibition “Waves of Action: Save our Ocean” - Celebrating the Ocean and community efforts in the UNHQ hall. © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - Mr. Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales
New York 5 June 2017 - From left to right: Mr Charles Goddard, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and Dr. E. Angus Friday, Grenada's Ambassador to the USA and Mexico during the event: Financing for the ‘Blue Economy’ and sustainable development in Small Island Development States; and protecting coastal ecosystems". UNDP side event was represented by Magdy Martínez-Solimán is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, and UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The Oceans Conference (5-9 June at UNHQ). © UNDP / Freya Morales