Impact Trust • Working glossary

Transnational ecological goods / Planetary commons

Natural systems and resources that cross borders and require shared governance because no single nation can control or protect them - like the Himalays, the Amazon, major river basins)

Details

Our Take
Important concept for humanitarian ctors working across borders. The label is dense - 'shared natural systems' or 'cross-border ecosystems' is cleaner. Concrete examples do the work: river basins that National Societies on both banks depend on; mountain systems that determine water supply for millions.
Synonyms/Variants
Shared commons / Global commons; Transboundary ecological resources
Typical everyday wording
Natural systems that cross borders and need looking after together