A Rocha (a- RAW-sha), meaning “the rock” in Portuguese, is an international Christian organization committed to conservation – and through conservation improving the lives of the rural poor who depend directly on the natural resource base.
A Rocha’s introductory video highlights the link between the environment and poverty:
“There is a misconception that investing in conservation is contrary to investing in people’s livelihoods, that it is a luxury. But the idea that you need to get rich first, then worry about your environment later, is not only untrue, it’s dangerous. The fact is the majority of the poorest people in the majority of the poorest countries in the world continue to depend heavily on natural resources. However, experts have confirmed that 60% of the world’s ecosystems are degraded or unsustainably used. This has direct impact on the livelihoods of the poor. They have concluded that if we want to cut in half the number of people living in extreme poverty and meet Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty, hunger, and disease by 2015 the world’s natural resources need to be managed sustainably.”
*just a reminder, find the Christian and Creation page on Facebook!
