At a UN desertification conference in Mongolia, experts discussed how renewable energy expansion can co-exist with land protection and restoration, showcasing examples such as repurposing degraded mining land in South Africa and combining solar panels with vegetation in China. Renewable energy projects like solar irrigation in India are proving to generate electricity while benefiting agriculture and restoring land. The UN is calling for case studies on successful projects that integrate renewable energy with land, water, biodiversity, and communities to break dependence on fossil fuels while protecting and restoring nature globally. Planning for impactful renewables should consider wider landscape context, biodiversity, and input from local communities to minimize environmental impacts. Discussions are ongoing on how to pursue these goals simultaneously on the same land.
Tag: Mongolia
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Scientific & traditional knowledge are key for effective & community-centered conservation (commentary)
Women from the Indigenous community of Kibber in Spiti Valley, India, and a village in the Himalayas have played key roles in monitoring and protecting snow leopards, combining traditional knowledge with scientific skills. These community-led conservation efforts have led to the end of retaliatory killings of snow leopards and wolves, and the establishment of livestock-free reserves to increase prey populations. Scientific research has influenced conservation policy, placing communities at the center of national strategies and leading to the establishment of community-managed reserves like the Tost Nature Reserve in Mongolia. The success of these efforts highlights the importance of integrating scientific and traditional knowledge, community engagement, and collaboration between communities, scientists, and conservation practitioners in effective and sustainable nature conservation.