Global Nature Fund

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The Global Nature Fund (GNF) is an international foundation for the environment and nature with its headquarters in Radolfzell on Lake Constance . The GNF is particularly committed to the preservation of lakes and other water ecosystems worldwide in order to protect the available drinking water reserves.

The GNF coordinates the “Living Lakes” network, which has over 100 members and is responsible for protecting the most ecologically valuable bodies of water on earth.

history

The Global Nature Fund was established in spring 1998 as an international foundation for the environment and nature. The main office is in Radolfzell , there are further offices in Bonn (2003) and Berlin (2011). The GNF carries out nature and environmental protection projects for the preservation of the animal world and for the protection of migratory animal species, develops model projects to promote sustainable economic activity and promotes international conventions for the protection of animals and species. The foundation is a member of the German Nature Conservation Ring .

The central project of the foundation is the international lake network "Living Lakes", which was founded in 1998 and is committed to the worldwide protection of lakes and wetlands : The GNF coordinates this network. From the original four founding members ( Lake Constance , Mono Lake in the USA, Lake St. Lucia in South Africa and Lake Biwa in Japan ), the international network grew to over 100 members (and bodies of water) worldwide in 2017.

Focus of work

The Global Nature Fund realizes numerous projects in close cooperation with local partner organizations with the active involvement of local residents. The GNF pursues the following main areas of work:

Lakes and aquatic ecosystems

  • Living Lakes Networks
    The Living Lakes Network was launched in 1998 and grew to over 100 members by 2017. The goal of the network is to protect the world's drinking water reserves. National networks have been established within the global network, for example in Italy, Germany, Canada and China. Multinational networks exist in Latin America and East Africa. The network project was awarded five times in a row as an "Official UN Decade Project" from 2006 to 2014.
  • Threatened Lake of the Year
    In 2004, the GNF named a Threatened Lake of the Year for the first time on the occasion of the International Wetlands Day on February 2 , in order to draw attention to the acute situation at the respective body of water.
  • Living Lake of the Year
    On the occasion of World Water Day on March 22nd, the GNF awards a “Living Lake of the Year” in Germany every year, the first time in 2011. At this body of water environmental and nature conservationists are committed to preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity and thus sustainably counteract the sometimes serious interventions in nature and the environment. So far:

Sustainable development

The GNF projects aim to secure natural resources in developing countries and always actively involve local people. Examples include the sustainable fisheries in Indonesia, the construction of wetlands in Guatemala, the mangrove renaturation in India or the provision of clean drinking water in Kenya.

Conservation and biodiversity

With projects such as the rhino protection in South Africa or the protection of the Baikal seal in Russia , the GNF is committed to the conservation of biodiversity worldwide . In order to promote sustainable economic activity in Germany and Europe and to reduce the risks of economic activity on nature and the environment, the GNF works with small and large companies.

Environmental education

Another goal of the GNF is to inspire adults, children and young people in an exciting way for nature and the environment. The spectrum ranges from the establishment of nature conservation centers and environmental education events to intensive public relations work. Living Lakes has already received several awards as an official project of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development for these environmental education offers .

Energy and climate

Global commitment to climate protection includes not only forest protection and reforestation projects, for example in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia, but also the promotion of renewable energies. In the pilot project “ Solar lamps for Kenya”, kerosene lamps that are harmful to the environment and health were replaced by climate-friendly solar lamps. In remote regions of Africa people were supplied with electricity and clean drinking water via solar filling stations.

European campaign "Business and Biodiversity"

With the European “Business and Biodiversity” campaign from 2010, the GNF and its partners showed how companies can integrate sustainable biodiversity management into their strategies and contribute to the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems. The campaign was continuously developed, for example with the initiative “Biodiversity in the standards and labels of the food industry” from 2016, with which standards and labels of the food industry were to be further developed as instruments for the protection of biological diversity.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Profile Global Nature Fund. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ;
  2. ↑ Living Lakes is a UN Decade Project and an official measure of the World Decade. GNF;
  3. ↑ a b c Decade Project Living Lakes (4th award). UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development;
  4. ↑ Schaalsee awarded as «Lebendiger See 2019». Die Welt, March 22, 2019 .;
  5. ↑ Species conservationists are breaking new ground - rhino conservation in South Africa. Deutsche Umwelthilfe , March 2013, p. 30 .;
  6. ↑ Nerpa in focus at Lake Baikal, Russia. GNF, March 2013 .;
  7. ↑ Projects in the area of ​​business and biodiversity. GNF;
  8. ↑ Projects in the field of sustainable development and development cooperation. GNF;
  9. ↑ Homepage www.business-biodiversity.eu.