The regions of the planet undergoing the most severe environmental degradation are the same as those experiencing the most rapid human population growth. Ninety-eight percent of the increase in population is taking place in developing countries, many of which are the same countries where we
focus our work.
CI's mission recognizes that human welfare is critical to ensuring that conservation initiatives and actions worldwide are sustainable and effective. Addressing the issue of human population growth in and around the national parks and biosphere reserves, for example, is essential for our ultimate success in protecting global biodiversity.
Within our Conservation Strategies department, the Population, Health and Environment (PHE) program seeks to reduce human impact and pressure on the limited natural resources in rural, biologically rich important areas and improve local conservation activities by providing communities with basic health services, such as family planning and reproductive health services, and information and training in improved agricultural or agroforestry techniques.
PRESS RELEASE: The BALANCED Project Launches New Initiative in Population, Health, and Environment
Learn more about some of our specific strategies and initiatives:
Through this integrated health and conservation project, CI worked in the most remote, biologically diverse areas of the world: Cambodia, the Philippines and Madagascar.
One way in which CI is trying to reduce the human footprint on biodiversity is to implement community based programs in key biodiversity areas to improve human and ecosystem health at the same time.