Add to CalendarIllicit drug crop cultivation usually takes place in fragile ecosystems and often encroaches into protected areas, resulting in deforestation and biodiversity loss. The forced eradication of drug crop cultivation can further damage surrounding ecosystems, contribute to population displacement and hence increase pressures on landscapes elsewhere. Nevertheless, the environmentally harmful cultivation of drug crops often is the only source of income for vulnerable communities.
The session will highlight how investments in “alternative development” can help local communities overcome dependency on illicit livelihood activities whilst simultaneously contributing to biodiversity conservation and reversal of environmental degradation. It underpins how the “alternative development” approach can contribute to global biodiversity and climate change targets.
