Why Global Conservation Matters
Global Conservation Act
The Global Conservation Act of 2012 was introduced in the House and Senate on June 28, 2012. This is a bipartisan bill that will strengthen the U.S. government’s role in helping developing countries to conserve their renewable natural resources, thus contributing to global prosperity and security.
The Global Conservation Act would potentially:
- Increase access to food and water for millions of people, through sustainably managed natural resources
- Help to reduce conflict in areas where resource scarcity leads to inter and intra-state tensions
- Protect natural areas that are home to the plants used in countless medicines for people all over the world
How it Works:
The key aspect of the Global Conservation Act of 2012 is to establish, for the first time, a global conservation strategy to combat the international conservation crisis. By way of an inter-agency working group created by the Act, the Act would:
- Identify clear goals, priorities, and benchmarks of success
- Improve coordination among US agencies to ensure conservation programs are administered effectively, efficiently, and in a financially sound manner
Identify successful conservation programs currently underway abroad and evaluate the potential for similar programs to be adopted and expanded by the U.S.
- Integrate conservation programs into key foreign policy areas such as national security, the economy, business, and public health
- Encourage the U.S. government to collaborate with other countries to enact global conservation programs and policies
- Work with developing countries to create conservation programs and policies that are sensitive and specific to the locations in which the programs are being implemented
