Connecting Past and Present
June 22, 2025 By: Sunia Khan
Conservation pledges falling short, says UN biodiversity report
This article highlights a 2024 UN biodiversity report showing that most countries are not on track to meet their global pledge to protect 30% of Earth’s land and oceans by 2030. The article connects directly to our Unit 3 theme on conservation, where we learned that goals alone are not enough- historically, conservation success has required both political commitment and local involvement. What stood out to me is that despite increased attention to conservation, many governments lack the infrastructure or enforcement to follow through. This parallels past issues with conservation areas that looked good on paper but often excluded or displaced local communities. The article made me reflect on the importance of holding governments accountable while supporting grassroots stewardship.
The rise of Kigali: Is Rwanda’s capital a model for African urban development?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68208150
This article focuses on Kigali’s urban development and how Rwanda’s capital is being recognized as a model for sustainable city planning in Africa. It links to our Unit 3 discussions on urbanization and its environmental impacts. Kigali stands out for its emphasis on cleanliness, public green spaces, and reduced car dependency- all of which help address urban sprawl and pollution. What I found most surprising was how the city has integrated environmental protection into its development model, something often overlooked in rapidly growing urban areas. It made me think about how urbanization doesn’t always have to mean environmental damage- if done intentionally, it can support conservation and community health at the same time.
Hi Sunia, thanks for both of your posts!
On your first post regarding local displacement via conservation, it is certainly showing of the times. Obviously this would never take place in Canada today, or if it were attempted there would be incredible public outcry. This contrasts to the case of the Banff National Park creation where, in fact, it was the sport-hunting community that heavily influenced the government decision to ban all Indigenous from hunting. Let us hope that moving forward we can see governments relying more heavily on locals to lead the way in this regard.
I also enjoyed your second post. Have you seen what sustainable initiatives are taking place in Amsterdam in recent decades? I recommend you check it out! -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdsobgg9o3w
In fact, a friend of mine just came back from Amsterdam and was complaining about all of the bikes on the roads there. Apparently there are something like 3 cyclists for every 1 motorist! I cannot see this kind of thing happening in Canada anytime soon due to our current cultural and economic dependency on fossil fuels. It is unfortunate… because it is possible!