Our relationship with the natural world is broken, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to protect and restore nature and biodiversity.
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Ahlam Salha has been displaced 5 times in #gaza, but her one year old daughter gives her strength. Hear the story of our colleague, an IT specialist from .
On the cold, wet and foggy slopes of the Andes mountains in South America, a unique but fragile ecosystem illustrates the interconnection between the three most urgent global environmental crises we face today: biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation. Known as ±èá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ&²Ô²ú²õ±è;(alpine tundras), these high mountain ecosystems are found at altitudes higher than 3,000 metres. Considered sacred by Indigenous Peoples, the ±èá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ of the Andes have been inhabited by humans for the past 15,000 years. However, with over 76,000 families living in the Colombian ±èá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ&²Ô²ú²õ±è;today, unsustainable development has been pressuring this invaluable and delicate ecosystem. That is why the (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the (UNDP), launched the Guardians of the ±Êá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ alliance, in partnership with SWISSAID and World Women’s Corporation Colombia. Over the project’s three years of implementation, a total of 2,328 people participated, most of them rural women.
in Cali, Colombia, is a vital opportunity to accelerate global action for biodiversity.
The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification and drought are deeply intertwined facets of the planetary crisis. With most of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently off track, we must urgently act to tackle this crisis and secure a livable future. This year, three major environmental Conferences of the Parties (COPs) are taking place within six weeks of each other. They represent a unique opportunity to tackle our most pressing issues. The outcome of the COPs is critical to our future. Here’s what you need to know about them.
We may think we understand the concept of poverty, but poverty is very complex and has far-reaching effects. It negatively impacts education, economies, and the overall health and well-being of individuals and the communities they live in. By fully understanding the meaning of poverty, we can develop more effective measures to fight it and build a better future for all of humanity. By 2025, the United Nations Development Programme () aims to help 100 million people escape multidimensional poverty so they can reach their full potential.
Ecuador is pioneering sustainable agriculture with innovative practices to enhance productivity while preserving its rich biodiversity and forest ecosystems. The United Nations Development Programme () and Lavazza have teamed up to produce the world's first certified coffee. The initiative aims to improve the quality of coffee beans and protect nature and forests, working with farmers in the 23 provinces bordering Ecuador's Amazon rainforest. The initiative is part of the program, a government-led initiative supported by UNDP, which has restored of Amazonian land.
Climate change affects people differently, with the poorest and most vulnerable bearing the brunt. Developing countries suffered economic loss and damage of US$425 billion in 2020 due to climate change. One of the best ways to address loss and damage linked to climate change is to make funding available directly to local communities, Indigenous peoples, and civil society organizations so that they can design, implement, and deliver their innovative solutions that are culturally appropriate and context-specific. The Global Environment Facility implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (), provides support to local organizations to tackle environmental issues like climate change.
The signs of conflict, distrust, economic inequality, and the climate crisis are all around us. A staggering of the world’s 8 billion people live in conflict. For them, planning next week, let alone the more distant future is an unimaginable luxury. The recent Summit of the Future launched a conversation on how to create a better present while preserving choices for future generations. The United Nations Development Programme () kicked off the debate with its latest report, which identifies areas where our legacy to future generations is in doubt.
Mohammad’s Café has transformed into an oasis in the heart of the Diyala market thanks to a grant from the SME Grant Programme, which allowed him to fully renovate the café and equip it.
Two Bajau girls in Mabul island are seen selling their catch of mostly shellfish, lobster, snails, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. The Bajau Laut are a sea-faring group that traditionally lived across the Sulu Sea on small wooden boats called lepa, getting everything they needed from the ocean. Due to the creation of maritime borders that disregarded the distribution of ethnic groups, as well as other modern developments that clashed with their nomadic way of life, new generations of Bajau Laut have been forced to settle on land, not recognized as citizens by any country. The denial of citizenship means stateless people are often unable to access basic rights and services, such as state education, water, healthcare, and legal employment, leaving them at higher risk of exploitation, discrimination and abuse.
In 2023, a youth-led movement received a grant from the GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by , to aimed at raising awareness and preparing students to address the various issues affecting their community.
As world leaders prepare to gather for the Summit of the Future, meet who are leveraging digital solutions to create a secure future for all of us.
Wild tigers have a crucial place in Asian landscapes and biodiversity and act as both an umbrella and indicator species, protecting the wider ecosystem and indicating a healthy environment.
Over the past 12 years, tiger populations have begun to rise in 5 countries – increasing for the first time in over a century. With effective, collaborative conservation, evidence shows tiger numbers can recover.
As part of the solution, fighting for a future with tigers, the Tiger Conservation Coalition brings together leading biologists and experts in wildlife crime, human-wildlife coexistence, policy, finance, development and communications, with unprecedented alignment on achieving tiger conservation at scale. Its member organisations include IUCN, the Environmental Investigation Agency; Fauna & Flora; Natural State; Panthera; TRAFFIC; ; the Wildlife Conservation Society; WWF and ZSL.
Climate change impacts are becoming more severe, with increasing droughts, floods, and extreme heat. We have a crucial two-year window to influence countries' third generation of and keep global warming below 1.5°C.
The interconnectedness of healthcare waste management, climate change, and environmental degradation highlights the need for sustainable practices and technologies to protect both human health and the environment.