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Biodiversity Stewardship in a Social-Economical Challenged Environment: A Look into Niger and Desertification

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Biodiversity Stewardship in a Social-Economical Challenged Environment : A Look into Niger and Desertification David A. Cleveland Area Study: Niger ( Focused area Niamey, Niger ) Focus: Desertification in Niger The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) stated in 2006 that over 250 million people from the regions of Mongolia to Africa faced concerns directly related to desertification (The New Humanitarian, 2006). Niger strives to curve this issue by preserving natural vegetation and planting trees. Researchers in the W National Park (Park W) indicated 10 to 20 times more trees than 30 years earlier. Additional efforts to manage 1,500 hectares of dunes reached 1.5 billion CFA, equivalent to 2.8 million US dollars. The project targeted threatened roads, communities, and croplands. Although Nigeriens made significant gains toward curving the growth of desertification, the growing popula

Let's use it all now, let the kids figure out the rest...

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     So as young professionals in the sustainability field (young being the key takeaway in full transparency), we are asked to define wicked problems and explain why a new type of leadership, rather than simply technical solutions are needed to solve the sustainable development challenges of the Anthropocene. So first, you might be asking what the Anthropocene is and why do I care. The Anthropocene is the proposed geological timeline marked from notable human events to have an impact on the earth and it is important because we may be seen as the biggest contributing factor to climate change. I can only speak from my humble perspective as I am a current sustainability student working my way through graduate school. Therefore, I look to define wicked problems and outline why a new type of leadership is required to address our current issues.           The definition of a wicked problem may seem easy enough if everyone was on the same page. The principles of what consists of a wicked p