Anwar, the author, Anwar’s daughter, and Eithar (Access to Finance Specialist) at the event

The Jordan Valley Links (JVL) project aims to improve the entrepreneurial and business acumen of women and youth and reduce both market and socio-cultural barriers to their entry for enterprise development. The project works in access to finance, food processing; community-based tourism, and clean technologies, ensuring all these sectors strive for environmentally sustainability and gender-responsive practices.

Forests are vulnerable and can easily be taken for granted in countries like Canada that are rich in this natural resource. In Jordan, a country experiencing the impact of climate change and deforestation through desertification, only 0.1% of its land is covered by forests. Forests are considered a novelty in Jordan; every year, thousands of tourists visit the country’s forests.

However, Jordan’s forests are under threat. As temperatures soar, drought and desertification are encroaching on the country’s forest reserves. This is in addition to the urban pressures brought on by population growth, urban sprawl and lack of awareness about environmental challenges.

This blog was originally posted in English. Read the original here.

La finance verte, c'est important! Les températures battent des records de chaleur dans le monde entier. En fait, les températures de surface de la Terre en 2017 se classaient au deuxième rang des températures les plus chaudes depuis 1880, selon une analyse de la NASA. Lorsque les températures augmentent, la glace fond et l'eau des glaciers et des calottes glaciaires s'écoule vers les mers. Lorsque l'eau de mer se réchauffe, elle augmente en volume et, par conséquent, le niveau de la mer augmente. Les mers plus chaudes amènent également plus de précipitations, et l'élévation du niveau de la mer est plus susceptible de rendre les tempêtes côtières, y compris les ouragans, plus dommageables. [1] Ce n'est pas une coïncidence que les ouragans qui se produisent dans certaines régions, y compris dans l’océan Atlantique nord, se soient intensifiés au cours des deux ou trois dernières décennies.

In Myanmar’s Kayin State, much of the fresh produce comes from neighbouring Thailand where it is grown on large farms and chemicals are applied without restraint. Until recently, people in Myanmar knew little about the potential health risks from ingesting harmful pesticides and herbicides, but times are changing and vegetable customers in Myanmar are increasingly connected and informed. As they become aware, there is more demand for locally-grown, chemical-less (or when it’s available, chemical-free) produce.

As the global population continues to recognize the negative implications humans have inflicted on our environment, organizations such as MEDA remain committed to environmental sustainability. The YouLead (Youth Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Access and Development) project is just one of MEDA’s many projects with crucial environmental objectives. MEDA and Cuso International are partners for better financial inclusion for youth on this project. YouLead has a mandate to promote economic growth by increasing the number of green income opportunities for youth in Cross River State, Nigeria.