Quarterly Update July 2020 - Cool Earth
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Quarterly Update July 2020
Introduction 3
Coronavirus is a threat to life as we know it, whether you live in a village, a city or the
rainforest. We all want to feel safe and to have the ability to protect our families, but in
remote rainforest the effects of a pandemic could devastate whole communities.
It is now more important than ever to support the world’s most vulnerable from disease and
climate change. Protecting rainforest is most effective when local people are given the tools
to earn a sustainable living, build resilience and relieve pressure on the environment.
Cool Earth supports families living in rainforest around the world experiencing the effects
of climate change on a daily basis. Now, with the added pressures of a health crisis,
we’re working even harder to help communities.
This quarter we launched the Rainforest Resilience Fund in response to urgent requests for
aid from our local partners to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to you, money
raised is already having a positive impact on families living in rainforest.
As ever, our indigenous partners’ resilience and respect for nature is something we can all
learn from and embrace, throughout this crisis and well into the future.
Thank you,
Matthew Owen, Director
Sololo village,
Papua New Guinea.
Partner organisation Yakum 5
have been distributing emergency
supplies in Ecuador.
Rainforest
Resilience Fund
The coronavirus pandemic is adversely Cool Earth is providing immediate food
affecting rainforest communities. Supply chains aid and supplying protective health kits to
are damaged, fresh food prices have tripled, prevent outbreaks of coronavirus in rainforest
incomes have disappeared and misinformation communities. We are also helping people
is spreading fast. to safeguard their future by providing seeds
and tools, and supporting the economic
In Ecuador, food supplies and seeds to grow recovery of sustainable businesses by
basic, fast - growing vegetables are urgently continuing to fund training and education
needed. In Cameroon, a lack of protective needs wherever possible.
face masks and basic hygiene products are
threatening the health of local people. In Hand in hand with our partner organisations on
Papua New Guinea, market closures have the ground, Cool Earth has been getting food
left many with no income and very little cash and supplies where they are most needed, right
Seeds sorted ready for for essentials. now. Some of our project activities have been
distribution to the Shuar
put on hold while we respond to requests for
community, Ecuador.
When people are in crisis, their local emergency aid from almost every one of our
environment suffers too. Cool Earth was created partner communities.
to help local people protect their forest whilst
establishing sustainable incomes. But with We don’t know how long this crisis will last, but
businesses in freefall across the globe, many we will be here for rainforest people long after.
cannot currently earn a living. Without incomes
from livelihoods and the very real threat of food
insecurity, families could have no choice but to
sell their trees for survival.
Food supplies to 7
ease the crisis.
Ecuador
Cool Earth’s Ecuadorian partner Yakum works providing emergency supplies where they
alongside community groups to regenerate and are urgently needed during this crisis.
protect rainforest. Their priorities are reforesting
land using ancestral plants and trees, helping
to restore community knowledge and improve
Food for families:
food sovereignty. With Ecuador hit hard by the
Covid-19 pandemic, Yakum has reacted quickly 149 families received emergency aid packs
to calls for help with basic necessities. With containing rice, beans, cooking oil, salt and sugar.
supply chains collapsed, many families cannot
secure adequate food supplies.
Stop the spread:
The determined Shuar, Kichwa, Siekopai
and Cofan peoples have taken matters into
249 families received hygiene kits of soap,
their own hands, determined to combat food
gel, masks and other preventative equipment.
shortages by growing more crops. However
until their increased production of yuca,
plantain and banana can be harvested, Plan for the
people are facing alarming shortages of food. future:
The Yakum team hard at
work preparing the deliveries.
46 different types of seeds delivered to 173
“There is nowhere for us
families, 10,000 fish fry delivered to Shuar fish
to obtain money to buy
farms, 960 banana plants and 3,100 peach
food for our children, there palm seeds delivered.
are no handcraft sales
now, and we do not have The first stage of the project involved speaking
salt, sugar, rice or cooking with communities to address their urgent needs,
supplying aid packs of food and hygiene
oil. In the evening we go
supplies. The second stage aimed to develop
to sleep only having
long - term health resilience by providing quick-
plantain juice for dinner.” producing crop seeds such as watermelon,
tomato, native tubers and bananas, and
- President of the Cofan women’s medicinal plants such as ginger. This support
handcraft association helped cover food gaps, improve overall
nutrition and diversify diets, enabling people
Cool Earth’s Rainforest Resilience Fund is to control how they become food secure and
helping to support these communities, resilient to future threats.
8 9
Cool Earth’s
BBC Radio 4 Appeal
At the end of May, we took our mission to the The BBC Radio 4 Appeal was a huge success,
airwaves. When shortlisted for a BBC Radio raising over £24,000 towards the Rainforest
4 Appeal we didn’t expect to be in a global Resilience Fund. That’s money going directly to
pandemic when it went to broadcast, but this communities just like Maria’s; feeding families,
didn’t stop amazing supporters, old and new, providing access to medical supplies and
rallying to make a difference. helping plan for the future.
Cool Earth ambassador and BBC Springwatch Thank you for sharing far and wide on your
"By supporting indigenous communities presenter Gillian Burke shared an inspirational platforms, we couldn’t have done it without you.
story from our long standing partnership with the
that live in rainforest, we can help them
Peruvian Asháninka. With support from Cool If you missed María’s story, you can listen back
continue to be the guardians and custodians Earth, Asháninka Chief María overcame great on BBC Sounds.
of the rainforest that we all need." challenges to protect her rainforest and inspire
Listen to the appeal here
the next generation of her community.
- Gillian Burke, BBC Springwatch Presenter and Cool Earth Ambassador
A woman washes her clothes 11
in a river that runs through Coveja
in the Peruvian Amazon.
Peru
Four years ago when devastating floods extraction of natural resources risk spreading
hit Coveja, Cool Earth provided tents and the pandemic to our partners.
emergency food supplies to families in need.
Without forest along the river bank acting as a “The communities that we
natural flood defence, the impact of this crisis have here in Asháninka
would have been far greater.
are more vulnerable.
Sometimes even a
Forest is a lifeline for local people providing
food, income, medicine and shelter. It is an common cold to us can get
essential buffer against challenges that come complicated [for them].”
people’s way. - Josue Morales Agüero,
Asháninka Local Coordinator.
Keeping forest standing is more important
than ever. The Peruvian Amazon provides a Local communities know better than anyone Asháninka village,
physical barrier from the outside world, what they need, and we are listening. For Peruvian Amazon.
keeping communities protected from rising some, the urgent need is access to medical
cases of coronavirus. supplies and healthcare. For others, it’s fast
access to food supplies and finding ways to
With little or no access to healthcare, develop food security for the future.
indigenous peoples are especially vulnerable.
For remote communities, an outbreak would With your support, Cool Earth has been able to
be catastrophic. Unfortunately, cases of react quickly to help people through this crisis.
Covid -19 in the Peruvian Amazon have now
been confirmed. By providing emergency aid, we’re reducing
the spread of the disease, improving food
As the pandemic spreads throughout South security and helping people plan for their
America, the self - imposed lockdown by futures. If local people can no longer protect
indigenous peoples is under threat. With fewer their forest, there will be a greater crisis long
patrols of the forest now, illegal logging and the after this pandemic ends.
Urakuza, an Awajún village 13
in the Peruvian Amazon.
Awajún and the Nugkui
Renowned for their independence, the Awajún them with all they needed in abundance.
indigenous people have called the Peruvian When the Nugkui took their child back,
Amazon home for generations. Over the they left a parting gift of knowledge and
years, Awajún history and storytelling has songs to help the Awajún grow all the food
shaped a way of working with the forest that they could need.
is one of respect.
Today, the Awajún often still sing whilst they
The Awajún believe that over-harvesting of forage and cultivate their gardens, paying
resources results in repercussions from the spirits respects to the Nugkui. Traditions like this show
of the forest. Local practices of farming, fishing, why Cool Earth doesn’t have a one - size fits all
and hunting are all based on respecting nature approach to conservation.
and its spiritual guardians.
Cool Earth worked with Larissa Longano de
Barcellos, a masters student from the University
Rainforest near Urakuza. “We live in a relationship of Freiburg, as she researched Awajún
between the rivers, the traditions. This provided incredible insights into
animals and the trees, the Awajún way of life, and is how we learned
we are all related.” about the Nugkui.
- Roberto Weepiu Orrego, Huaracayo
These cautionary tales are essential in
understanding the Awajún relationship with
The story of the Nugkui gives insight into this the forest. Working with anthropologists like
relationship. Before they met the Nugkui forest Larissa is crucial for Cool Earth to understand
people, the Awajún tell of how they often went the complexities of life in the forest, and local
hungry. The Nugkui felt sorry for the Awajún, practices. By working alongside local people
and so gave them one of their magical and responding to their needs, we are able
children. Through singing and chanting, the to enhance and promote local conservation
child made their gardens grow and provided practices that may otherwise be overlooked.15
Mozambique Lessons from the State of
the World’s Forests report.
Deforestation rapidly changes landscapes identify opportunities for more sustainable
and it’s easy to believe that putting up a livelihoods. From honey production to growing
fence, or reserve, is the best way to protect lower impact crops like tomato and beans,
trees. Cool Earth’s local partner Legado in local people can work with the land to earn a
Mozambique understands that this is far from living, not against it.
49% “Ultimately, we
the best approach. Today, only 49% of Earth’s forests need to foster a new
Farmers and beekeepers as community remain intact. relationship with
Our strongest chance of halting deforestation is leaders and adopters of conservation practices nature, and we can
by empowering local people to earn a living will help inspire communities in Namuli
73% achieve that together.”
whilst keeping trees standing. Local leadership towards more sustainable ways of working
and sustainable incomes are the most effective with the forest.
Farming expansion accounts for 73% - Qu Dongyu FAO Director General &
fence around the forest that there is.
of deforestation. Inger Andersen UNEP Executive Director
Watch as Adelina, the queen of Namuli,
In Namuli, the main driver of degradation and explains how the forest has changed over time. 1/3 Reports like the newly released
wildlife loss is slash and burn agriculture for FAO State of the World’s Forests sound
Watch the video
Around 1/3 of all humanity has a close
intensive potato farming. By working alongside a vital alarm on behalf of Earth’s vital
dependence on forests.
local farmers, the team has been able to ecosystems, stressing an urgent need
for effective climate action.
Understanding and keeping track of
the state of Earth’s forests has never been
Read more
so important. While global attention
may be focused elsewhere, we’re
determined to keep the conversation
about conservation going.Education programmes in 17
Papua New Guinea help
provide essential literacy skills.
Papua New Guinea
For many of us this pandemic has been Cool Earth has funded a wash block at
dominated by a daily bombardment of the local hospital, alongside the local
notifications, video calls and news bulletins. health authority.
Imagine having little, if any, information on the Not only will this help people access basic
global pandemic at all. And the information hygiene, it will also build long - term economic
that you have received has been so limited that resilience. Local labourers were employed to
you’re not sure there even is a crisis. build the wash block after accessing training
by local organisation ATProjects last year.
This is the case for most people living in rural These skilled labourers can now help other
Papua New Guinea. Whilst reporting of the communities build toilets and showers, able
pandemic has been slow, the economic impact to withstand extreme weather when the
has been rapid, with people struggling to earn seasons change.
a living. With misinformation rife, the role of
dedicated local teams in getting unbiased, Storms, floods, sea-level rise and drought
reliable information to those who need it has make life a challenge in coastal Papua New
never been more vital. Guinea. Understandably, selling forest can
be seen as a fast way to get cash. But
Cool Earth’s team on the ground in Papua New without trees providing a natural flood defence,
Guinea have built strong relationships with life gets more difficult when the next storm
local people over the years. These established comes around.
relationships mean that in a crisis, we can work
with local people and organisations to help, Learning and skills development is vital. It
and fast. reduces pressure on the forest, providing
livelihoods that improve economic, social and
With many people still without access to water health wellbeing, ensuring people can support
storage facilities or adequate sanitation, themselves in the years to come.
Community members from
Wabumari had training from
ATProjects to build long-drop toilets
and flooding-resistant waste systems.Cool Earth team Banana plants grow in 19
a Wabumari garden.
Cash is the
backbone of a crisis
- Ali Skeats, Programme Manger
We all face worry and uncertainty about the
coming months. In Papua New Guinea, that’s
no different. The risk of hunger and collapse
of small businesses is as high as the UK, but
without access to food banks and furlough
schemes that provide some comfort.
When Papua New Guinea entered a state of Wabumari, like many places in Papua New
emergency from Covid -19 in mid May, there Guinea, is a cash-dependent society. Much
was an immediate impact on the informal of the household spend is on food. Gardens
economy which brings our partners the are not big enough to feed the whole family
majority of their income. The supermarkets and people have always eaten more rice and
and oil palm companies continued to work, tinned goods from the store than produce
but the market traders in nearby towns had from their own garden.
to stop trading.
The local committee in Wabumari soon But for families, access to money is an trading within the village at affordable
This hit many hard. Alongside loss of realised that hunger and cash poverty was essential life- line. For a family of four, this prices. As a result, people living in
earnings, the closure of small markets, an immediate risk, even greater than that cash means food for six weeks and the Wabumari can buy what they need at normal
particularly those selling fresh garden of Covid-19. Plans for water tanks and ability to follow prevention measures such as prices, without travelling and helping to keep
produce, led to prices of these goods rising social spaces had to be put on hold when washing with soap. local businesses running.
by up to five times in the supermarkets. The they decided that the best use of funding
price of essential cleaning products like soap would be to distribute it between all the With financial support from Cool Earth, the If cash is in your pocket, no matter where you
also increased, and queues to get cash from households. It was a hard choice to make committee was able to help local informal live the months ahead seem less daunting.
ATMs were long, with banks closing early. between long- term community development, sellers to stop their businesses collapsing. We’re helping families take control of their
It was impossible for people to earn money, livelihood improvement and immediate relief Bulk goods like rice, tinned fish, oil and future through this turbulent time.
access their cash, or afford to buy food. for families. soap were delivered, allowing them to keepNews from Papua New Guinea News from Papua New Guinea 21
Graduation day Forest monitoring
Access to eduction in Sololo benefits the of the adult literacy programme funded by Providing training in data collection is a tried GeoODK technology, an app that helps
whole community. Opportunities in skill Cool Earth and delivered by our local partner and tested approach in conservation that to collect survey data. Monitoring local
development helps people earn reliable organisation Community Service Consultancy. increases local skills and ensures that people biodiversity is an essential participatory
incomes, protect their forest and form are engaged with forest - protection projects activity which helps Cool Earth track forest
links locally. Fourteen students passed the examination in in their area. health and form links with researchers, that
basic numeracy and literacy skills including allows local people to earn a living in
This year, students’ hard work paid off, life skills training. Qualifications like these Three members of community staff from data collection.
as the community came together to are essential for people to go onto further each partnership have recently learnt to use
celebrate their first graduation ceremony training, education and earn a living.
Staying social in lockdown
The power of information cannot be Not only are local groups expressing their
underestimated. That’s why Project interest in learning more about the work
Coordinator Ricky Imanakuan has set that Cool Earth does, it also aims to engage
up an in-country Facebook page as a researchers that may want to conduct
way of increasing visibility locally, and biodiversity surveys and research alongside
communicating important Covid-19 the local community.
messages to villages.UK Registered Charity, no. 1117978 | US 501(c)(3) (+44) 01326 567200 contact@coolearth.org
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