On August 15, 2017, Future Earth announced the winners of the first round of grants for the Program for Early-stage Grants Advancing Sustainability Science (PEGASuS). The winning projects include topics such as the impacts of the cocaine trade on protected areas in Mesoamerica, the collection of indigenous knowledge of threatened native pollinators in Bolivia and sustainable farming in Malawi. They were selected through a global search that attracted dozens of proposals from over 50 countries.
The winning projects are:
“Drug trafficking and Central American protected areas: Focusing on participatory governance to conserve ecosystem services and biodiversity,” Bernardo Aguilar González (PI), Fundación Neotrópica
Sixty percent of total deforestation in biodiversity hot spots in Central America is linked to cocaine trafficking. The project will assess the impacts of drug transit on ecosystems services, biodiversity and environmental governance, and catalyze a regional observatory for continued monitoring of this alarming phenomenon.
“Farmer-led agroecological research in Malawi (FARM) for biodiversity,” Rachel Bezner Kerr (PI), Cornell University
The project will study the impact of agroecological farming methods on crop pest abundance and the biodiversity of beneficial insects and birds. If such farming practices increase wild biodiversity there are positive social and ecological implications for rural African communities.
“Toward biodiversity-related opportunities for sustainable development: A global social-ecological mountain comparison,” Markus Fischer (PI), GMBA and University of Bern
Mountains provide water to half of humankind, host one-third of terrestrial species and are home to more than 10 percent of the human population. This social-ecological research project will compare mountain ranges all over the world to identify opportunities for sustainable development related to mountain biodiversity.
“Nurturing a shift towards equitable valuation of nature in the Anthropocene (EQUIVAL),” Unai Pascual (PI), ecoSERVICES and Basque Centre for Climate Change
The state of biodiversity depends to a great extent on people’s behavior, which in turn is primarily determined by their perception of nature’s contributions to their well-being. The project will evaluate whether there is a positive relationship between equitable value articulation of nature and the effectiveness of nature conservation initiatives.
“Cross-pollinating knowledge systems: exploring indigenous local knowledge about native bee diversity and ecology,” Wendy R. Townsend (PI), University of Florida
Information is needed for planning and management of threatened Bolivian native pollinators because they service about 70 percent of tropical forest plants; losing the pollinators could negatively impact tree species diversity. The project will gather and analyze information about threatened native pollination systems in at least two indigenous territories in lowland Bolivia.
Project winners will receive a combined total of $600,000 in support from PEGASuS over a one-year period. The PEGASuS partners will announce a second round of grants, focusing on ocean sustainability, in the spring of 2018. A third round, addressing water, energy and food, is expected in early 2019.
The PEGASuS program is supported in part by the NOMIS Foundation. NOMIS funding ensures the inclusion of social scientists in these interdisciplinary projects.