Tears of joy as children in an Argentine city meet nature for the first time — Global Issues

Ana Di Pangracio works for the public organization Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales or FARN which is involved in projects to restore damaged land in Argentina.

He spoke to him UN news in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he attended the UN conference (COP16) that focused on desertification, drought and land restoration.

“We are working in the village of Matanza Riachuelo, which is a polluted area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, which is home to about 4.5 million people, most of whom live in socially and environmentally vulnerable situations or other difficult situations.

Restoration activities include planting native plants and removing invasive non-native species from some 4.5 hectares, as well as creating concepts and methods that describe and clean up illegal dumping.

Part of our mission is to bring people, especially young people, to experience this restored natural wetland.

Many live very close to cities, in built-up areas and may come from challenging or violent areas but have never seen this world or even know it exists.

Emotions and tears

Some shed tears when they saw nature for the first time in their lives.

We comfort them and tell them it’s OK to have feelings; I am happy that they are able to communicate with nature in this way, as I see that our work has a great impact.

Some shed tears when they saw nature for the first time in their lives.

They tell their friends and teachers about the information about it and we get more visitors.

There is something educational in our work as we teach children about the importance of protecting wetlands but also the surrounding plains and natural forests.

I am a bird watcher, and although I am not an expert, I enjoy showing our guests my favorite bird, the caranchowhich is a very intelligent and funny bird that you can see all over Argentina, including in urban areas. It is my way of connecting with nature.

Recognizing that the right to a healthy environment is a human right underpins all of our work.

There is a lot of land loss in Argentina, including areas damaged by drought. In 2020, we had a three-year drought, the worst in more than 60 years. This has had a huge social and environmental impact.

UN desert conference

It is important to come to this conference of the UN Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD) as it gives us the opportunity to discuss with civil society and consider the connection between national and international policy on many issues including land restoration and biodiversity.

If you believe in multilateralism, it is important to be here and civil society organizations (CSOs) can make a difference.

It was pressure from CSOs that led to the inclusion of human rights and gender components in the Biodiversity Convention and the recently adopted Global Biodiversity Framework.

In the UNCCD, the issue of land ownership, expressed in COP resolutions, was promoted by CSOs.

The UNCCD process, and this COP16 is the same, helps to involve everyone, as CSOs have access to all meetings and present statements for our hearing.

We note that CSOs in other international forums such as UN climate COPs do not have the same level of access.

We received funding from the G20 Global Land Initiative and presented our work at the meeting in Riyadh. This support will enable us to continue our work in the Matanza Riachuelo area.

I am happy to give many young people the opportunity to enjoy the nature and become the new guardians of the wetlands and convey the message to their peers about the importance of preserving the environment for future generations.”