2016 was a big year for those standing up for the environment and human rights. Major victories were achieved, providing cause for celebration. There were also devastating failures, giving even more urgency to our efforts to protect the environment and the rights of local people who depend on it.
Many of the stories below have held the attention and focus of our grantees for a number of years – in some cases – over a decade. This year we’re proud to celebrate the victories that have resulted from time, effort and dedication. Read on for four outstanding success stories from the past year, and one failure that begs us to continue our work together.
ECUADOR: The First Solar-Powered Boat Launches in the Amazon
Oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon has led to ongoing degradation and contamination of water, soil and air. As a result, the indigenous Achuar people have made an effort to develop modes of transportation without harming their forest home, avoiding a dependency on fossil fuels. The Achuar people received $5,000 from Global Greengrants Fund to develop a solar-powered river transportation system, the first ever in the Amazon Basin. The boat is now fully constructed and will soon be launching on its maiden journey. Watch a video of the boat in action here.
GUATEMALA: Scrapping the El Tambor Gold Mine
After four years of maintaining a road blockade night and day to prevent the construction of a gold mine that would contaminate water and impact the health of local people, villagers in La Puya celebrated a major win. In June, the Guatemalan Supreme Court unanimously suspended an American mining company’s license to build the open-pit gold mine. Villagers used money from Global Greengrants to maintain the blockade leading to the eventual suspension of the project, but not in the way you’d expect.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Suspension of Support for the Inga 3 Mega-Dam
On July 25, the World Bank suspended support for a mega-dam called Inga 3, which could have flooded more than 50,000 acres of farmland and displaced thousands of people along the Congo River. For over 12 years, our grantees have resisted the dam, using our funding to spread the word about negative impacts, organize community resistance, and train local people to defend their rights. Read more about the victory here.
CANADA: The Protection of 9.1 Million Acres of Forest
After over 15 years of effort by First Nation groups in the Great Bear Rainforest, a landmark conservation deal was passed February 1 that protects 9.1 million acres of irreplaceable forest in British Columbia from deforestation caused by mining and timber companies. The indigenous community organizations, supported by Global Greengrants Fund, led peaceful protests, and launched a massive boycott against timber companies to protect the land. First Nations communities, timber companies, and the Canadian government finally reached a deal. Learn about the historic agreement.
Of course, these successes do not mean that our work is over. In fact, far from it. That’s why we can’t give up our efforts to support those on the front lines.
BOLIVIA: The Disappearance of an Entire Lake
In July 2016, after almost a decade of action from local community groups and Global Greengrants grantees, Bolivia lost Lake Poopó, the country’s second largest lake, to climate change. The lake was the lifeblood for the Uru-Murato indigenous people, but years of rising temperatures and mining projects resulted in the lake drying up, and finally flat, dry earth. Learn how grantees continue to take action, despite the loss of the lake.
Events like the loss of Lake Poopó are the reason why our work is even more necessary now than ever. There is an urgency to our fight, driving our efforts and investments in those most impacted who are acting now. Together we can protect, restore, and transform the planet, but it takes us all working together – now.
Photos: KARA SOLAR, Jullen Harnels / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Megan Coughlin / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Lovisa Selander