Media Coverage

UNU-IAS Experts Discuss Urban Biodiversity in Japan Times Article

The article focused on urban greening policies and initiatives to improve the well-being of city residents.

Focusing on Kanazawa city in Ishikawa prefecture, the article discusses the importance of effective urban greening policies to restore habitats and improve the well-being of residents. It includes expert comments by UNU-IAS researchers Himangana Gupta (Research Fellow and Academic Associate) and Juan Pastor-Ivars (Research Associate).

Excerpts:

Here in Kanazawa, the link between culture and biological diversity is very clear," says [...] Juan Pastor-Ivars. "We have urban gardens where the owner is making traditional crafts like lacquerware or dyeing clothes, using the biodiversity as inspiration and a place to work. And each of these small green cells is very important to the overall biodiversity of the city." "Change isn’t just going to come from central governments," says [Himangana] Gupta. "It’s going to come from local governments and cities that can implement policies on the ground, based on what the locals really need.

The full article is available on the Japan Times website.