Jardí Botànic hosts the exhibition ‘Madagascar en peligro. Paisajes naturales y humanos’ (Madagascar in danger. Natural and human landscapes) until next 12th February. It is a photographic exhibition by the Fundación Agua de Coco bringing the public closer to the biggest and most varied island in the African continent. The showing goes through the landscapes the foundation is working on, where a large process of desertification is taking place.
Madagascar, lemurs and baobabs’ land, is a great source of biological riches due to its biodiversity and unique landscapes. It was isolated for more than 80 million years and it has thick forests, dry and hot deserts, deep mangroves and large herbaceous areas nowadays threatened by desertification, which has already destroyed two thirds of the wooded surface.
The exhibition shows the consequence of the loss of the wooded surface: a large process of desertification, which can be observed in the exhibition thanks to the great photograpic job by Gérard Fournier, Vincent Verra and Paco López.
Some factors directly influencing the quality of life of Malagasy people are: habitat alteration, soil erosion, water scarcity and species loss. All this encouraged Fundación Agua de Coco to promote different humanitarian projects trying to change this situation using eduaction as a catalyst for development.
The foundation also carries out other projects when local authorities and communities ask them for their collaboration. For example, a mangroves restoration project made up of a multidiscipline botanists and naturalists team is currently taking place in Madagascar. Researcher in the Jardí Botànic of the Universitat de València are part of this project as well.
Agua de Coco works for the social inclusion of the most disadvantaged groups, especially children, in southern countries. Among its projects are the creation of new schools and training centres, families care programmes, environment education centres and campaigns public awareness for the gender equality.
The exhibition can be visited in the Jardí Botànic’s Sala de Exposiciones. Entrance is free. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00-14:00 and 16:00-20:00. Saturday and Sunday until 18:00.
More information here.
Last update: 2 de january de 2012 12:51.
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