Atmosphere and Climate

Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Helps reduce climate change impacts
  and fossil fuel dependency
• Climate change decreases
  freshwater availability, and also
  leads to crop failure and vector-borne diseases
• Reduce the use of ozone-depleting
  substances
• Ozone layer protects from sun’s harmful
  UV rays

Culture and Heritage

Preserve Traditional Diet

• Enjoy local, diverse foods and maintain
  agricultural biodiversity

Provide Ecotourism Opportunities

• Maintains traditional environmental
  conditions while contributing to local and
  national economies

Land

Maintain Forests and Trees

• Provides a habitat and oxygen
• Trees and forests contribute to healthy
  watersheds, recreational activities, and
  livelihoods

Protect Agriculture

• Clean, fertile soil is important for crops
• Variety of crops helps with a diverse diet,
  proper nutrition, and agricultural diversity

Water

Maintain Clean Water Supply

• Enhances plant and animal life
• Provides clean water for drinking,
  swimming, and bathing
• Prevents waterborne diseases

Prevent Water Pollution

• Reduces human activities that harm fresh
  water (e.g. unproperly disposed of plastic
  debris, increased water nutrients)
• Leads to higher oxygen levels, as well as
  healthy aquatic ecosystems and fisheries

Build Environment

Ensure Good Sanitation and Proper Waste Management

• Reduces pests, invasive species, and air
  and water contamination
• Provides clean surrounding environment
  for human health
• Good urban planning and EIAs lead to more
  livable communities and a healthier environment

Biodiversity

Conserve Native Species

• Reduces impact of invasive species
• Protects areas to benefit human, animal,
  and plant life
• Varied animal and plant life is critical for
  an ecosystem to function

Marine

Keep Oceans Clean

• Prevents harmful pollutants from entering food supply that is taken from the ocean (i.e. fish and plants)
• Clean seawater keeps water activities healthy for recreation and tourism

Protect Coral Reefs

• Healthy coral reefs shelter the coastline from waves and tropical storms, provide a habitat to coastal fisheries, and build beaches