Thousands of years ago, the apocalypse took place in La Payunia. The ground shivered and broke when the red lava hit the roof. 800 volcanic cones remain today as a scar from these eruptions. Yet, biodiversity is now thriving. Indeed, La Payunia Reserve is home to one of the largest populations of remaining guanacos (lama guanicoe) of Argentina.

But guanacos and other species are unfortunately under threat because of irresponsible crude oil exploitation and cattle farmers. More than 400 oils wells and many cattle fields are stopping their vital migration. The rangers have a solution: to protect biological corridors.

Along the Andean Cordillera, the community of Andalgalá is left with a scarcity of drinkable water. Clean air is becoming limited. While living above mountains of gold and silver, residents are severely disadvantaged.

Since more than a decade, Andalgalá is home to one of the largest open pit mines in the world. While the mining rush attracts more multinational companies, resistance is becoming stronger. The destiny of Andalgalá and glaciers are indeed intertwined.

Among the most used materials in the world, concrete ranks 2nd, just after water. In Vietnam, as the economy is booming, cement companies have been quarrying limestone and clay even more incessantly. The impacts on both local communities and biodiversity are brutal.

As one of the major producers of cement in the World, The Holcim Group is leading the way to sustainable development by offsetting its impact on biodiversity. Working hand in hand with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and local authorities, its subsidiary Holcim Vietnam helps establish new standards of biodiversity mitigation for the mining industry. Stopping entire ecocide is a competitive advantage.

In South Thailand, Phuket Island is a natural masterpiece.  For over four centuries, the Island has witnessed ongoing “Gold Rushes”.  Previously, the gold was tin. Now that tin reserves are over, the gold has turned green. It took the visionary of one of the top 100 resort companies in the world, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, to turn a polluted, toxic landscape into a hugely successful tourism model thriving with biodiversity.

Discover how the Banyan Tree Hotel of Phuket brings tourists on an unforgettable journey inside a former polluted tin mining site while greening communities, empowering local people and sustaining the future of its destination.

A three decade-long civil war finally ended in 2009 with a vital need for reconciliation. In fact, modern civil wars don’t stop with a peace treaty. The effects of trauma on people and on biodiversity are long lasting and tensions remain very strong.

With the vision to plant the seeds of peace among Sinhalese and Tamil youth, professor Kotagama, the most famous Sri Lankan ornithologist, is leading a program called “Reconciliation through the Power of Nature.” Inspired by the harmony within biodiversity, he uses a bird education platform to break down communication barriers and negative attitudes between the different ethnic communities to create a common Sri Lankan identity.

The power of biodiversity is limitless to create a better tomorrow.

Phosphates, oil spills, garbage, irresponsible diving, and now a possible nuclear reactor to pump water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea of Jordan! The coral reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba are no exception to coral reef deterioration occurring around the world.

To prevent the loss of this marine ecosystem, the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) is pioneering education and advocacy activities. Thanks to their devotion, the next generation of Jordan seems well prepared to defend their marine biodiversity patrimony.