Jan 5, 2008
2008: The International Year of the...
IN DANGER: Indonesia's coral reefs are under threat from coral mining and illegal fishing. -- PHOTO: AFP
POTATO
WHO DECLARED IT: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation
WHY: It will be an important staple in times of food scarcity. It occupies less land than other cereal crops for the amount of nutrition provided. It also draws the attention of the world to food crops and agriculture.
WEBLINK: www.potato2008.org
PLANET EARTH
WHO DECLARED IT: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the International Union of Geological Sciences.
WHY: Attention to earth sciences will make the world a safer place to live. Scientists estimate that hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved during the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, with properly trained geologists, equipment and networking among meteorological stations around the globe.
WEBLINK: www.yearofplanetearth.org
CORAL REEF
WHO DECLARED IT: The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), a 13-year partnershipamong world bodies, governments and non-government organisations.
WHY: To raise awareness about reefs and motivate action to reverse damage done. If trends continue, this decline is likely to lead to the loss of most of the world's reef resources in the next century.
WEBLINK: www.iyor.org
FROG
WHO DECLARED IT: Amphibian Ark
WHY: A third of all amphibians are threatened. The campaign draws attention to frogs, which are a key indicator of environmental health.
WEBLINK: www.amphibianark.org
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