Celebrating Earth Day and biodiversity

Happy Earth Day!

In advance of the Spring Meetings and just in time for Earth Day, the Bank kicked off its support for International Year of Biodiversity on Wednesday with a new edition of its flagship magazine, Environment Matters.

The magazine, "Banking on Biodiversity," was launched Wednesday by President Zoellick at a special event at the Bank's headquarters in Washingont DC to draw attention to the plight of the wild tiger, a potent symbol of the threat to biodiversity worldwide.

"We are using the appeal of these charismatic big cats as a clarion call," said President Zoellick, "to draw attention to the need to protect biodiversity and to remind people of the wildlife and wilderness we stand to lose if we do not balance conservation and economic development."

The Bank and partner organizations like the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, the Global Environment Facility, and the International Tiger Coalition met in Washington as members of the Global Tiger Initiative to inaugurate the “Vanishing Icons” photo exhibit at the World Bank.

Over the past 20 years, the Bank has been one of the main international funders of biodiversity initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to the environment by providing support to 624 projects in more than 122 countries representing more than $6.5 billion in biodiversity investments.

For more information:

• Earth Day 2010
• Earth Day 2010: Europe and Central Asia 
• Environment Matters
• World Bank: Biodiversity
• International Year of Biodiversity
• Global Tiger Initiative
• Vanishing Icons Photo Exhibit
• Global Environment Facility

 
(Photos in the post from the World Bank Flickr photostream.)