ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Global Nature Fund (GNF) International Foundation for Environment and Nature Page Facts and Figures 02 3,000The number of pupils that participated in an educational programme implemented in the town of Sanchez near the Mangroves of the Lower Yuna National Park. The programme, supported by GNF, detailed the ecological value of mangroves 190The number of compa- 140The number of in the Dominican Republic. nies and organisations, households in the floa- including the GNF, that ting village of Phat San- in April 2020, composed day at Lake Tonle Sap an open letter to encou- in Cambodia that profited rage the German govern- from waste separation ment to provide support containers and the for the economy during collection by boat, which COVID-19 in the form the GNF established in of a climate recovery collaboration with our package which considers local partner organisation the ecological challenges FACT. in this pandemic. The number of bee species in Germany. With the 600help of a handbook provided by GNF, businesses in the food sector can make insect conservation a pri- ority in their business strategies. This is of particular importance as 80 percent of all the plant species that provide the basis of our nutrition are dependent on pollinating insects. 112The number of partner 522runners ran 7,717 km lakes and wetlands in the Comrades Charity that are part of the Living Run for the protection of endangered rhinoce- Lakes Network which is ros in the South African coordinated by the GNF. 15,418The number of people that received our Facebook Somkhanda Game As of 2019, this number message celebrating the ten-year anniversary of our Reserve. This is about includes the Sundarbans Living Lakes Partnership with the Fundación Monte- the distance between in the border region be- cito at the Laguna de Tota in Mexico. tween India and Bangla- Munich and Beijing. desh, which is the largest GNF employees and mangrove forest on Earth. volunteers with the “drin- king cups for drinking water” initiative also took part and donated their registration fee to the project coordinated by our partner organisation WILDTRUST. Annual Report 2020 Global Nature Fund Page 03 Imprint What will our Editor: Global Nature Fund future look like? Fritz-Reichle-Ring 4 78315 Radolfzell, Germany T: +49 7732 9995-80 Dear friends of the GNF, F: +49 7732 9995-88 E: [email protected] I recently read an article in the magazine “Natur” about an exhibition on the fossil www.globalnature.org fuel age. It transports us to everyday life in Sweden in the year 2053. Editor in chief: Global greenhouse gas emissions reached net zero in 2050. The exhibition Udo Gattenlöhner contains the “last fast food burger ever served” (2038) and frequent flyer tickets with a notice saying that frequent flying was a status symbol in the fossil fuel age. Editorial Office: Newspaper articles cite microplastics as the cause of lethal stress reactions in Viktor Konitzer Katja Weickmann our bodies and report on violent clashes between farmers and militant vegans. Lego blocks and nylon stockings are described as long since discontinued pro- Texts: ducts that were based on fossil fuel. Udo Gattenlöhner What will our future look like? Without the rich biodiversity we still see today? Thies Geertz Marion Hammerl Without the fertile soil and only a fraction of lakes and wetlands that survived Martin Haustermann pollution and overuse? Stefan Hörmann The optimists amongst conservationists and the general public are hoping Matthias Knüver that the Covid-19 crisis will cause the economy, politicians and society to revalu- Moritz Konz ate. I, too, would like to believe that the time has come to listen to those who are Tobias Ludes Dr Thomas Schaefer responsible and not those who pursue only their selfish goals at the expense of Bettina Schmidt future generations. Manuela Uhde In this annual report on our recent activities we detail how we can be more Ronja Volles sustainable. This includes practical approaches to protect biodiversity in the cul- Katja Weickmann tivation of food, preserving habitats and fertile soil, sustainable aquaculture and coastal protection in India and Bangladesh, solar powered water treatment plants Translation: in Jordan and measures mitigating the amount of microplastics in our lakes. As a Hanna Ewen whole, the report presents an overview of projects and activities which will hope- Credits/Photos: fully be recognised as success stories in 2053. Cover: WikimediaImages/Pixa- Politicians seem to genuinely be working to change the course. The EU bay, P. 5: Detlev Seyb, P. 6: Hanna Green Deal, the EU “Farm to Fork Strategy” and the EU Biodiversity Strategy Kirschnick-Schmidt, P. 7: min- ka2507/Pixabay, P. 8: Pexels/Pixa- 2030 are all ambitious goals and measures that build on each other and are to bay, P. 9: theresaharris10/Pixabay, be implemented in a targeted manner, strengthened by European directives and congerdesign/Pixabay, P.18: Peter national laws. Wey/Fotolia, P. 19: Marcel Gnauk/ We, as conservation organisations, are tasked with supporting these propo- Pixabay, P. 20: Freephotos/Pixa- sed political approaches, so that the lobbyists do not become generally accepted bay/OroVerde, P. 23: Hanna Witte, Jakub Kaliszewski, P. 25: Umwelt- again and everything remains the same. To this end, we contribute our passion, dachtverband Österreich, P. 29: TUI expertise, and energy. Thank you for supporting us! Please stay with us. Group, P. 32 / 33: Wildsight, P. 34 /35: Andrei Reinol, P. 38: frank2905215/ All the best and stay safe, AdobeStock, P. 41: Martin Steffen, all others: GNF Archive Conception and Design: RAYNA. Agentur für Markendesign, Berlin Marion Hammerl www.rayna-design.com President Printing: LASERLINE GmbH, Berlin Climate-neutral printing on 100 % recycled paper © Global Nature Fund Radolfzell, April 2021 Page Content 4 Sustainable Aquaculture and Coastal Protection 14 in India and Bangladesh Issues and projects that engaged us 2019 and 2020 Life Blue Lakes – Microplastics in 08 water bodies Dare to think novel. The GNF projects 24 on sustainability education Integrated community development 16 in South Africa and Cambodia Enhancing biodiversity 18 together with businesses Annual Report 2020 Global Nature Fund Page 05 Sustainable Aquaculture and Coastal Protection Wetland protection, national park in India and Bangladesh 26 management and tourism Living Lakes Nature Conser- & Water vation & Living Page 06 to 07 Landscapes A single lake is not enough: GNF distinguishes lakes in Page 24 to 25 Holstein Switzerland Dare to think novel. The GNF projects on sustainability Page 08 to 09 education Life Blue Lakes – Microplastics in water bodies Page 26 to 27 Wetland protection, national park Page 10 to 11 management and tourism Members of the Living Lakes Network Page 28 to 29 Interview with Mike Brauner Sustainable About the Interview with Development 22 Martin Schüller Global Nature Page 12 to 13 Local Sustainable Development Fund for Environment and People Page 30 to 35 Page 14 to 15 Photo series: Habitats Sustainable Aquaculture and Page 36 to 37 Coastal Protection in India and Bangladesh Our Team Page 16 to 17 Integrated community development in South Africa and Cambodia Collaborations Page 38 to 39 We thank our Interview with cooperation partners 41 Carsten Oberhagemann Business & Biodiversity Page 18 to 19 Finances & Enhancing biodiversity together with businesses Administration Page 41 Page 19 Interview with Tracking hidden costs Carsten Oberhagemann Page 20 to 21 Page 42 to 45 Assistance for companies Presentation of Annual Accounts in forest and climate protection Page 46 to 47 Page 21 Our partner organisations Actively towards more in projects biodiversity in strawberry cultivation Page 22 to 23 Interview with Martin Schüller Page Living Lakes & Water 06 We have been committed to the protection of lakes and wetlands Bettina Schmidt holds a degree in biology and works for GNF as for over 20 years. Some issues coordinator of the Living Lakes Network as well as project manager in the have been on our agenda since area of nature conser- the start, while others have been vation added over time. Sustainable lifestyle is challenging for us humans. The GNF, however, is relentless in finding innovative solutions to the plethora of challenges in the protection of aquatic environments. Annual Report 2020 Global Nature Fund Page 07 A single lake is not enough – GNF dis- tinguishes lakes in Holstein Switzerland In the 1990’s otters were thought to be extinct in Schleswig-Holstein but have been making a comeback for some time now. The otter is therefo- re exemplary of the good ecological development in Holstein Switzerland. There are more than 200 waters of the lake district between the Kiel Fjord and Lübeck Bay which are home to a variety of ani- mal and plant species. In the clear depths of Lake Suhr, the rare spiny naiad is clearly visible, the river Schwentine that flows through several of the lakes is home to the common kingfisher, and the proud white-tailed eagle circles above it all. With the “Living Lakes of 2020/2021” distinc- tion, Global Nature Fund and the Network Living Lakes Germany acknowledge the commitment of all local parties involved in lake and water body conservation. “Otter Wasser Mensch e.V.” and “Integrierte Station Hosteinische Schweiz” – both partners of the network – are working locally to pre- serve the fascinating lake district and counteract the pressures exerted on this vulnerable ecosystem through the expansion of settlements, agriculture, on the lake; the water now has a green sheen. The Chapter picture: leisure activities and tourism. Also distinguished reason for this is cyanobacteria which thrive in the More than 200 small and through this award, is the unwavering commitment nutrient-rich lake water. Agricultural chemicals from large lakes characterize of numerous voluntary conservationists that have local rice cultivation and industrial wastewater are the varied landscape of the Holstein Lake District.