Marshallese Community Initiative Awarded Equator Prize 2012 in Rio

Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee was awarded the Equator Prize 2012 in Rio de Janeiro on June 20th, 2012 in recognition of its outstanding contribution to sustainable development. It is one of twenty-five community initiatives to be awarded the prize this year, selected from 812 nominations submitted by communities in 113 countries across the world. We wanted to make this a truly global award, so eligibility was expanded to all countries receiving support from UNDP. The overwhelming response from 113 countries in 13 languages tells us there is a world of community-based innovation out there, and that demand for a better future transcends borders, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. These community efforts are heroic and inspiring. And that is what the Equator Prize is all about shining a spotlight on the women and men on the front lines of sustainable development. At UNDP, we are deeply proud of leading this initiative and giving communities a voice. Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee received this prestigious award in recognition of the communitys outstanding efforts to promote a model of self-sufficiency, local food security and adaptation in one of the nations of the world most vulnerable to climate change. The Committee has undertaken the implementation of a range of measures to improve waste management, address declining fish stocks, develop sustainable livelihood options, address invasive species and above all, build the communitys resilience to the impacts of climate change. A pearl hatchery was established to provide jobs and a revenue stream to fund community development projects in education and health. Mangroves were planted to restore the shoreline and training in rainwater harvesting is providing the community with access to safe drinking water. The initiative is community-owned, fueled by local leadership, and has provided a sustainability model that has been replicated in other atoll communities across the Pacific. Further information on the initiative can be found here. All of the Equator Prize winners were celebrated at a high level awards ceremony on June 20th, during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Each winner received a monetary award and participated in a community dialogue that ran in parallel to the larger conference.

Namdrik Atoll Local Resources Committee was further honored on the night with the receipt of a special prize for Community-based Adaptation, presented by Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Braulio Dias, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Many of the foundational issues discussed at the landmark Rio+20 Conference were represented in the pool of winners: food security, sustainable jobs, freshwater access, sustainable energy, oceans, biodiversity and more. The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the UN, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. The Equator Prize, which has been endorsed by former Heads of State Gro Harlem Brundtland and Oscar Arias, philanthropist Ted Turner, a host of Nobel laureates, and celebrities Gisele Bndchen and Edward Norton, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. A complete list of this years Equator Prize winners can be found here. Current partners of the initiative include: Conservation International; Convention on Biological Diversity; Ecoagriculture Partners; Fordham University; German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; International Union for Conservation of Nature; The Nature Conservancy; Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; PCI Media Impact; Rare; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA); UNEP; UNDP; and the UN Foundation. ****** For more information, please contact Whitney Wilding, Tel: +1 212 906 5104 or whitney.wilding@undp.org, or visit www.EquatorInitiative.org. _______________________________________ UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.