Environment Sector: Ag & Forestry Extension, Water Sanitation and Hygiene Facilitator, Environmental Education
ENVIRONMENT
Peace Corps Volunteers who serve in the Environment (ENV) sector leave their green fingerprint on the future by teaching environmental awareness and promoting sustainability in local communities.
WHY ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT
The well being and survival of humans and other living things depend on the planet’s natural resources and ecosystems. The imperative is not only to maintain these resources for the present, but also to extend them in perpetuity for future generations. By 2050, the world’s human population is expected to increase by 2 billion people to approximately 9.7 billion and to 11 billion by 2100.
WHAT ENVIRONMENT VOLUNTEERS DO
Youth environmental education aims to promote understanding of, and respect for the environment by in-school and out of school youth.
PCV activities include:
• fostering environment education and awareness through community
based eco-clubs
• implementing school recycling programs in conjunction with classes in environmental education
Soil and water improvement activities assists individuals and communities to protect and conserve soil and water resources essential to the ecosystems on which we depend.
PCV activities include:
• introducing innovative soil fertility and water conservation methods to adapt to increasingly arid climates
• providing technical assistance to farmers in employing natural resource management methods in agro-pastoral systems
Tree planting, nurseries, and forestation works with individuals, households and communities to reduce and reverse the impact of deforestation on local ecosystems while contributing to household food security and improved energy efficiencies.
Activities undertaken by PCVs include:
• combating soil erosion and climate change by planting gardens and establishing tree nurseries with local counterparts
• slowing rates of deforestation through the introduction of fuel efficient cookstoves
OUR IMPACT
In Fiscal Year 2018:
• although less than 7% of Volunteers are formally assigned to the Environment sector, across all sectors, Volunteers worked with local counterparts to plant over 146,000 trees and supported the creation of approximately 1,976 tree nurseries
• ENV Volunteers helped to strengthen the organizational management and social media capacity of Env. NGOs working on
environmental shocks and stresses
• ENV Volunteers helped to establish eco-clubs and introduced conservation agriculture to 6100 students at local schools
• ENV Volunteers collaborated with local households and municipalities to promote and apply the ‘3Rs’ of Solid Waste Management (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
Looking for more information on Peace Corp’s environment sector? Check out:
WANT TO APPLY?
Search through Peace Corp’s current openings and apply to the one that best suits your skills and interest, or apply to where you’re needed most and we’ll select the positions that best matches your skills. View current opportunities at: https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/volunteer-openings/?sectors=4
Connect with your local recruiter to learn more about service and the application at https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/connect-with-a-recruiter/.