Winners of the United
Nations Environment Programme Sasakawa Prize
2007 Announced
Nairobi, 27 September 2007 - Ms. Jeunesse
Park of South Africa and Bangladeshi NGO
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha are the co-winners
of the UNEP Sasakawa Prize 2007, a $200,000
prize awarded yearly to individuals or institutions
who have made a substantial contribution
to the protection and management of the
environment.
Commenting on this announcement, Ms. Park,
who has been working on climate change since
11000, said that "it has been rewarding
to recently see the growing interest in
this crucial global crisis and to know that
we have played a small part in facilitating
action in South Africa".
For his part, Abul Hasanat Mohammed Rezwan,
Shidhulai Executive Director, noted that
the prize will help his organization "provide
clean solar-powered lighting and educate
thousands of people on literacy, sustainable
farming and climate change", as well
as promote "self-reliance for hundreds
of villages in Bangladesh".
The four-member jury chose the co-winners,
at a meeting at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi,
and the award ceremony will be held on 27
October 2007 at the Museum of Natural History,
Rose Center for Earth and Space, in New
York, USA.
The UNEP Sasakawa Prize acts as an incentive
for environmental efforts that are sustainable
and replicable in the long-term. It recognizes
innovation, groundbreaking research and
ideas, and extraordinary grassroots initiatives
from around the world. The candidates' scope
of activities is associated with the environmental
theme of the year, which in 2007 is climate
change.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General
and UNEP Executive Director, said: "Leadership
is urgently needed if the international
community is to rise to the challenge of
climate change-leadership from the United
Nations; governments, scientists; business
and cities, but also leadership from individuals
and civil society organizations working
on the ground".
"These two outstanding winners of
the Sasakawa Prize 2007 embody leadership
in its finest form - namely creative and
determined action that demonstrates real
and tangible difference to the people and
communities they serve. In doing so our
award winners are proving that combating
climate change is not only do-able but links
to the wider environmental, social and economic
aims enshrined in targets such as the Millennium
Development Goals," he added.
The Winners
Ms. Jeunesse Park, is the founder and CEO
of Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA), South
Africa's only national greening and food
gardening NGO which promotes greening, sustainable
natural resource use and management and
food security, through three key programs:
Trees for Homes, EduPlant, and the Urban
Greening Forum.
Ms. Park initiated the design of the first
carbon calculator in South Africa, using
the global Greenhouse Gas Reporting Protocol
and launched the Carbon Standard in 2006
to make it easy and affordable for government,
institutions and communities to offset carbon
emissions. The calculator evaluates carbon
emitted by a range of activities such as
energy consumption, land and air travel,
and paper usage. It then calculates how
many trees one would need to plant to absorb
the carbon generated through the process
of photosynthesis. The calculator and associated
action are instrumental in creating political
and social awareness on means of addressing
the effects of climate change on communities
and the environment.
She has played a significant role in the
introduction of the concept of urban forestry.
Taking note that over 66% of South Africa's
population lives in degraded urban areas,
she initiated the Urban Greening Forum.
With support from various international
and local environmental entities, she began
working with national and local authorities
and communities in the barren townships
of South Africa to develop parks, nurseries,
street trees and other greening projects.
Her work has provided a model for several
municipalities such as Soweto, Johannesburg,
Ekurhuleni, Port Elizabeth and Kimberley.
As for Trees for Homes, with the slogan
"a house is not a home without a tree",
it aims to improve the quality of life of
the under-privileged by providing plant
material, environmental awareness, some
short term employment and education for
those living in low-cost housing developments,
whilst offsetting carbon emissions.
"FTFA aims for sustainability and
replication and, in the past few years,
it has been encouraging to see the government
and the private sector in South Africa approach
us for assistance in addressing greening
and climate change. We feel that over the
past 18 years we have sown the seeds of
awareness and they are now germinating and
growing to ensure sustainable development
for our emerging democracy", said Ms.
Park.
Instead of waiting around for the limelight
to spur her into action, she has been working
for 18 years with her NGO on accomplishments
that could fill several books, and she intends
on continuing.
"The prize money would be used to
develop climate change awareness and education
materials and assist in networking and presentations
on climate change to government, business
and the disadvantaged and underserved communities
of South Africa," assured Ms Park.
"Since we are currently lobbying big
business in this country, the award would
assist us with highlighting the importance
of climate change, and options for addressing
this, amongst the larger carbon emitters
of South Africa," she added.
Thanks to the education and support programs
offered by FTFA, hundreds of people in South
Africa are hard at work planting, reaping,
creating and selling their homegrown or
recycled wares.
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha was founded
in 1998 to help poor and marginalized people
from the remote Chalanbeel region and to
combat the effects of climate change in
Bangladesh, particularly devastating floods
and rising water levels.
The Shidhulai has achieved this target
by building 40 flat-bottomed boats from
locally available materials, which make
their way through the rivers and shallow
canals of the Chalanbeel to bring a range
of educational services and renewable energy
supplies to 88,000 families each year.
"Climate change has increased flooding
in recent years - now we have floods two
to three times a year. Over the next 8-10
years, ten per cent of our land will be
lost to the sea because of climate change
- issues like this need local solution by
local people. Shidhulai as a local organization
is proving that it is possible to deal with
this climate change, to tackle pollution,
and at the same time, to lift people out
of poverty. We hope our work in using boats
to adapt and cope with climate change and
improve the quality of life will serve as
an inspiration," said Mr. Rezwan.
Shidulai uses Bangladesh's extensive river
network to spread environmental education.
Boats have been outfitted to travel from
farm to farm bringing new technologies,
information, strategies, and tools. Villagers
have learned and implemented ways to avoid
problems such as soil erosion, ground and
water contamination, over-fishing, and habitat
destruction. Access to this information
has resulted in higher income which has
enabled residents to send their children
to school, gain access to better healthcare,
and improve living conditions.
The boats, which anchor at remote villages,
rely on solar energy and cellular network
for Internet access. With the help of volunteers,
Shidhulai educates men, women, and children
on issues ranging from agricultural practices
to micro enterprise and literacy. Farmers
learn about strategies for productive and
sustainable farming and the ecological hazards
of pesticides. Throughout the year, they
are able to connect with educators via onboard
e-mail and video conference, and check current
farm prices online to remain competitive
in the local market.
Students, who would otherwise be unable
to attend school during the monsoon season,
continue their education using the libraries'
onboard field staff. With illiteracy rates
in Bangladesh at nearly 60%, Shidhulai is
making a significant impact on educating
young people, especially girls. In fact,
over 70 percent of the program's beneficiaries
are women.
Notes to Editors
The four member of UNEP Sasakawa Prize jury
are: Pr. Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace
Laureate; Ms. Angela Cropper, Senator for
Trinidad and Tobago; Ms. Wakako Hironaka,
former Minister of the Environment of Japan;
and Mr. Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director.
The UNEP Sasakawa Prize is sponsored by
the Japan-based Nippon Foundation, an independent,
non-profit grant-making organization that
supports both domestic and international
philanthropic projects. The UNEP Sasakawa
Prize was originally established in 1982
by the late Ryoichi Sasakawa. The Prize
was re-launched in its current format in
2005, and is currently chaired by Mr. Sasakawa's
son, Yohei Sasakawa.
Ms. Park, SHIDHULAI and Ms. Omana T.K,
a woman who has brought climate-friendly
rice production, rainwater harvesting and
bio gas power to thousands of villagers
in rural India, were short-listed in June
2007 by Daniel Schrag, Director of Harvard
University's Center for the Environment;
Richard Ottinger, Pace University Law School,
Zamba Batjargal, former minister of the
Environment for Mongolia and Eric Falt,
Director, Division of Communications and
Public Information, United Nations Environment
Programme.
For more information please visit http://www.unep.org/sasakawa/
Eric Falt, Director, UNEP Division of Communications
and Public Information
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson
