ELI’s International Programs seek to restore, manage, and conserve the natural systems upon which people and the planet depend. Global sustainable development requires attention to environmental, developmental, and social priorities. Rapid economic growth has taken a toll on the ecosystem services that provide people with livelihoods, clean water and air, food, fuel, and fiber. Degradation of environmental services has also harmed spiritual, religious, recreational, aesthetic, and other intangible — but fundamental — values.
The international community recognizes the urgent need to respond to these threats to the environment and human development. The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment concluded that 60 percent of the planet’s ecosystem services are being degraded or used unsustainably. The direct drivers of loss of ecosystem services are habitat change, overexploitation of resources like fisheries, invasive alien species, pollution, and climate change. The U.N. Millennium Development Goals emphasize human needs associated with the environment, including improving livelihoods and reducing extreme poverty, broadening public access to clean water, and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Read about our programs below:
- International Water Program
- Ocean Program
- Technologies for Sustainable Development
- Capacity Building
- Climate Change
- Sustainable Livelihoods
- Environmental Peacebuilding
- Judicial Education Program
- Jim Rubin International Fellowship Program
- Visiting Scholars
Our success stories illustrate just a few of our many achievements around the world: