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  Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá AC (Niparaja), an International Community Foundation grantee, has been awarded UN Habitat’s 2008 Dubai International Award for Best Practices for its community based public advocacy work to promote Playa Balandra as a municipal protected area for La Paz, BCS, Mexico. Niparajá was among 12 nonprofit organizations selected from over 500 entries submitted worldwide. The award which includes a grant of US$30,000 and a trophy will be presented at an award ceremony in Dubai early in 2009. Playa Balandra is a coastal wetland area located along an undeveloped coastal area of La Paz, Baja California Sur. Through the leadership efforts of Niparaja, a grassroots citizen’s movement was initiated. Over 18,000 citizens of all ages supported the establishment of Balandra as a municipal protected area and the inclusion of this unique bio-diverse rich site as a candidate for inclusion to the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for the Gulf of California. The Dubai International Award for Best Practices was established in 1995 under the directives of the late Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during a United Nations International Conference. The biennial award, which recognizes best practices that have a positive impact on improving the living environment, reflects the policy and commitment of Dubai Government and the United Arab Emirates towards sustainable development of human settlements and protection of the environment on the basis of mutual international cooperation around the world. |