Environment

Rocky Point Fishers Await Sanctuary To Ease Environmental Issues, Low Fish Catch

By Zadie Neufville
Long before the COVID-19 Pandemic, fishers at the Rocky Point fishing beach in Clarendon were forced to venture farther out to sea to make a living or find alternatives to make ends meet.

A Global Plastics Treaty Can End the Age of Plastic

By Juressa Lee
Climate-crisis-fuelled storms have hit New Zealand hard this year. In January, we suffered unprecedented extreme weather and flooding, followed by Cyclone Gabrielle in February - the worst storm in 55 years—which triggered a national state of emergency. In total, we had 5.5 times more rain than Auckland summers typically receive.

Climate Carnage: Things Can Only Get Worse

By Baher Kamal
Please stop repeating all this softened wording, such as climate change, climate-related hazards, climate crisis, or extreme weather events... And just call it what it really is: climate carnage.

Carbon Tax: A Surprisingly Simple Contribution to Fight Climate Change

By Tatiana Falcão
Reducing carbon emissions is critical for combating climate change. And one effective way to do this is through the use of carbon taxes.

UN Human Rights Office Remains Under-Funded & Under-Resourced

By Volker Turk
In December last year, I launched our year-long commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have since issued a series of initiatives calling on States and all others to make pledges, and to take clear steps to fulfil the promises of the Universal Declaration.

Cooperatives in Argentina Help Drive Expansion of Renewable Energy

By Daniel Gutman
When the residents of Armstrong, a town of 15,000 in western Argentina, began to meet to discuss a renewable energy project, they agreed that there could be many positive effects and that it was not just a question of doing their bit in the global effort to mitigate climate change.

Climate Change Gets Its Day in Court

By Inés M. Pousadela
As a matter of global justice, the climate crisis has rightfully made its way to the world’s highest court. On 29 March 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on the obligations of states on climate change. The initiative was led by the Pacific Island state of Vanuatu, one of several at risk of disappearing under rising sea levels. It was co-sponsored by 132 states and actively supported by networks of grassroots youth groups from the Pacific and around the world.

The Lead-Free Water Pledge: Steps Towards a Future of Lead-Free Drinking Water

By Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi and Aaron Salzburg
At the UN Water Conference in March 2023, the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina (UNC) along with several key partners, including UNICEF, Water Aid, the World Health Organization, and the governments of Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa, among others, organized a session centered around the elimination of lead in drinking water across the globe.

Governments Are Changing Fisheries Management for the Better, but More Action Is Still Needed

By Grantly Galland
Global fisheries are worth more than US$140 billion each year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. But this hefty sum does not capture the true value of fish to ocean health, and to the food security and cultures of communities around the world.

Rainwater Harvesting Brings Hope for Central America’s Dry Corridor – Video

By Edgardo Ayala
Chronic water shortages make life increasingly difficult for the more than 10.5 million people who live in the Central American Dry Corridor, an arid strip that covers 35 percent of that region.

G7 Has Failed the Global South in Hiroshima

By Max Lawson
"G7 countries have failed the Global South here in Hiroshima. They failed to cancel debts, and they failed to find what is really required to end the huge increase in hunger worldwide. They can find untold billions to fight the war but can’t even provide half of what is needed by the UN for the most critical humanitarian crises."

Rwanda: Better Mapping of Erosion Risk Areas Needed More Than Ever

By Aimable Twahirwa
Following severe flooding and landslides that hit major parts of Rwanda earlier this month, experts are convinced that investing in the mapping of erosion risk areas could go a long way to keeping the number of casualties down.

Europe Sells to Africa and Asia 90% of Its Used Clothes, Textiles Waste

By Baher Kamal
Once the money-making businesses have turned Asia and Africa into their low-cost factories, to produce and market at higher prices their clothes and footwear, obtaining more profits by selling to these two continents around 90% of all their used and textiles waste.

Nothing Beats Bushmeat, Not Even the Risk of Disease

By Busani Bafana
Meat from wild animals is relished across Africa and widely traded, but scientists are warning that eating bush meat is a potential health risk, especially in the wake of pandemics like COVID-19.

Human Rights & Sovereign Debt Restructurings: A Proposal for an Optimal Outcome

By Daniel Bradlow
Zambia defaulted on its debt in November 2021 but has not yet reached an agreement with its creditors. Its president recently warned that this situation is hurting its citizens and undermining its democracy because “you cannot eat democracy”.

Government Financing for Mayan Train Violates Socio-environmental Standards

By Emilio Godoy
Mexico’s development banks have violated their own socio-environmental standards while granting loans for the construction of the Mayan Train (TM), the flagship project of the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Education Must Be Put Front and Centre on the G7 Agenda

By Yasmine Sherif
At this year’s G7 Hiroshima Summit in Japan, world leaders will have a chance to “uphold the international order based on the rule of law and extend outreach to the Global South.” Education, as a binding force that unites us all in our global efforts to protect human rights and ensure sustainable development, should be front and centre on the G7 Agenda.

The End of Dollar Supremacy

By Monica Hirst and Juan Gabriel Tokatlian
Half a century ago, the dominance of the United States dollar in the international finance and trade system was indisputable. By 1977, the US dollar reached a peak of 85 per cent as the prevailing currency in foreign exchange reserves; in 2001, this position was still around 73 per cent. But today, it is at approximately 58 per cent.

Will COP28 Catch the Next Green Wave … Or Will It Wipe Out?

By Felix Dodds and Chris Spence
Perhaps one of the least well known among Dubai’s many attractions is surfing. Locals and visitors enjoy the sport at Sunset Beach and elsewhere, especially in winter. There is even an artificial wave pool where surfers can hone their skills. To some, the pool is just another example of the host country’s entrepreneurial outlook.

Why Quality Seeds Are among the Most Valuable Currency in Climate Finance for Africa

By Michael Keller
At long last, momentum is growing for an overdue rethink of climate finance and development assistance to support countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

Are Countries Ready for AI? How they can Ensure Ethical & Responsible Adoption

By Yasmine Hamdar, Keyzom Ngodun Massally and Gayan Peiris
From ChatGPT to deepfakes, the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) has recently been making headlines. But beyond the buzz, there are real benefits it holds for advancing development priorities.
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