Humpback whale mother and calf — Nature conservation

Nature conservation

Out of the danger zone

An article by: Ulrike Wronski, Mitarbeit: Johannes Scholl

Reading time: 3 min

What nature takes hundreds or thousands of years to create can often be destroyed by human beings in a fraction of this time. Countless species of animals and plants are at risk of extinction. To preserve the legacy of our planet, KfW finances 446 conservation areas in 38 countries on behalf of the German Federal Government. A total of 24 of these conservation areas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Sumatran tiger hiding — Hunted hunters - SUMATRA – In traditional East Asian medicine, the body parts of the Sumatran tiger are used as a remedy for issues such as rheumatism or impotence. As a result – and because logging of the Indonesian rain forest is destroying its habitat – the Sumatran tiger is classified as a critically endangered species. There are only around 300 tigers left. Together with WWF and Frankfurt Zoological Society, KfW is working to preserve one of the last lowland rain forests in central Sumatra to ensure that the big cats can live long lives and not die out.

Coral reef in Belize — A treasure trove on the ocean floor - BELIZE – The Mesoamerican coral reef is several thousand years old. It extends more than 1,000 km in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Climate change threatens species diversity as a result of rising water temperatures, which cause coral bleaching. However, tourism and fishing are also taking their toll on the ecosystem. KfW finances protected areas to stop the destruction of the reef.

Son-Doong cave in Vietnam — Constant dripping - VIETNAM – Son Doong Cave in Vietnam is so large that even a skyscraper could fit inside it. The top of the cave is 250 m high. The enormous cave is part of one of the oldest karst formations in Asia. It is believed to have formed 400 million years ago due to the erosive power of water. The formation is located in Phong Nha-ke Bang National Park, a centre of biodiversity in South-East Asia. The projects financed by KfW there include park infrastructure and afforestation projects.

Gorilla in Eastern Congo — Grey eminence - EASTERN CONGO – Among gorillas in eastern Congo, age brings rank and respect. Males can only assume a leading role once their backs turn grey when they are around 12 years of age. One silverback can be responsible for as many as 30 gorillas. The eastern lowland gorillas are under threat; their habitat is being destroyed. KfW supports Kahuzi Biega National Park, one of the last refuges for these gorillas.

Nice and slow - GALAPAGOS – The Galapagos turtle loves to take it easy. Moving, eating and reproducing – everything at a leisurely pace. The turtles can only reproduce after 20 to 30 years. But they can also reach a very old age: one turtle, that Charles Darwin brought from the Galapagos Islands died at the age of 176 in an Australian Zoo in 2006. And yet, many of their counterparts living in the wild don't live as long. Species introduced by humans like rats eat their eggs and young turtles. KfW supports a fund to protect turtles from intrusive species.

Baobab in Madagascar — Ancient giants - MADAGSCAR – They are the symbol of Madagascar: monkey bread trees with their bottle-shaped trunks, also called baobabs. The island is home to eight species, six don't exist anywhere else in the world. Some trees grow as old as 1,000 years. Baobabs are considered endangered – their biggest enemies are unregulated logging and shifting cultivation. KfW participates in a foundation that supports nature conservation areas in Madagascar and thus also protects the baobab.

Hunted hunters

SUMATRA – In traditional East Asian medicine, the body parts of the Sumatran tiger are used as a remedy for issues such as rheumatism or impotence. As a result – and because logging of the Indonesian rain forest is destroying its habitat – the Sumatran tiger is classified as a critically endangered species. There are only around 300 tigers left. Together with WWF and Frankfurt Zoological Society, KfW is working to preserve one of the last lowland rain forests in central Sumatra to ensure that the big cats can live long lives and not die out.

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Further information on the Federal Government's activities in international species protection:
www.bmub.bund.de/en/

Published on KfW Stories on 28 June 2017

The described project contributes to the following United Nationsʼ Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Protecting biodiversity, using it sustainably and fairly sharing its benefits are important factors in sustainable development. About 30 per cent of the worldʼs fish stocks are overfished. In the European part of the Atlantic, this figure is 63 per cent; in the Mediterranean, it is already 82 per cent. Global warming and the acidification of the oceans also threaten peoplesʼ livelihoods. Each year around ten million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans. This does not degrade biologically, instead it disintegrates into smaller and smaller particles. Since marine animals mistake the plastic particles for food, these particles also end up in the human food chain.

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(4 Pictures)

All United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015. At its heart is a list of 17 goals for sustainable development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our world should become a place where people are able to live in peace with each other in ways that are ecologically compatible, socially just, and economically effective.

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On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

environmentnature conservationclimate actionprotection of specieswater pollution controlCHANCENSDG14SDG15

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