Veronika Wild

  -Image created by Microsoft Copilot Mesoamerica’s five forests stretch over 8 countries from Mexico to Panama. They cover over 100 million hectares – an area the size of Switzerland. As well as being an ecological bridge between North and South America, they are the  world’s third largest biodiversity hotspot, especially for birds and amphibians.  Home to jaguars, tapirs and scarlet macaws, its high diversity is due to varied microclimates and topography. The forests also provide food, water and livelihoods for approximately five million people. Between 2000 and 2020 these forests lost 1.4 million hectares or 23% of their area.  Historic forest loss  was largely due to expansion of plantations but 90% of more recent losses are due to illegal cattle ranching and infrastructure development. Roads through the region fragment habitat and facilitate illegal logging and poaching, both of which are made easier by poor oversight, conflicting laws and poor en...

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND World Press Freedom Day was on May 3 and has been celebrated each year since 1993. Its aim is to reinforce the need for press freedom, to defend it against attack and to honour those who have lost their lives while carrying out their work.  Freedom of the Press is protected under the Universal Charter of Human Rights which all 193 member states have endorsed. Article 19 says: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." This guarantees freeedom of expression , which includes press freedom , ensuring that journalists and media organisations can operate without government censorship or interference.Unfortunately both are under threat in many parts of the world and this year they have in fact gone into decli...