Environment

Mask Off – Recapping the 2025 World Bank Land Conference

By Andy Currier
Last week, at its annual Land Conference in Washington D.C., (May 5-8), the World Bank showed allegiance to the new US administration by dropping the pretense of promoting land reform for climate action and confirming that its land agenda is about boosting corporate profits.

Amidst Choking Garbage, Locals Join Hands to Build a Zero-Waste Bali

By Stella Paul
It was Christmas Eve last year when visitors across several tourism hotspots in Bali woke up to a ghastly scene they hadn’t expected: layers of cans, bags, bottles, and driftwood covering their favorite sandy beaches, washed up by hours of rain and high tide. So bad was the situation that from Kuta to Legian and Seminyak to Jimbaran—none of the island’s picturesque beaches was clean enough to attract the visitors for a swim.

Education Cannot Wait Interviews Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator


 
Tom Fletcher is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA. He started his official duties on 18 November 2024.

A Natural Disaster that Has Affected More People Worldwide Than Any Other

By Danielle Nierenberg
Here’s a question: Over the past 40 years, what natural disaster has affected more people around the globe than any other?

The Indus Water Treaty Suspension: A Wake-Up Call for Asia–Pacific Unity ?

By Sinéad Barry and Emma Whitaker

 
On April 23, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), a 65-year-old agreement that had been a rare symbol of cooperation between India and Pakistan despite decades of hostility. The suspension came a day after militants attacked civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed region, killing 26 people, most of them Indian tourists. India accused Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” and responded by halting the treaty. Pakistan denied involvement in the attack and called India’s move an “act of war.”

Former Energy Ministers from Saint Lucia and Uruguay Named REN21 Renewable Energy Champions

By Alison Kentish
The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), a global network that advances renewable energy through collaboration and knowledge sharing, has named Dr James Fletcher of Saint Lucia and Dr Ramón Méndez Galain of Uruguay as its first Renewable Energy Champions.

Transitioning to a Circular Economy: The Future We Cannot Afford to Delay

By Marcos Neto
From environmental degradation to biodiversity loss and mounting waste, we are facing the dire consequences of a reckless economic model that extracts, consumes, and discards. But there is an urgent alternative—one that is not just possible, but essential.

In Zimbabwe, Farmers Are Leading Scientific Research on Conservation Agriculture

By Farai Shawn Matiashe
Migren Matanga grew up shying away from small and traditional grains in Rushinga, in northern Zimbabwe. The 58-year-old mother of four from Toruzumba village relied on maize and cotton, one of the major cash crops in the area at the time.

Rights with No Age Limit: Hopes for a Convention on the Rights of Older People

By Samuel King and Inés M. Pousadela
The world’s population is ageing. Global life expectancy has leapt to 73.3 years, up from under 65 in 1995. Around the world, there are now 1.1 billion people aged 60-plus, expected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050. This demographic shift is a triumph, reflecting public health successes, medical advances and better nutrition. But it brings human rights challenges.

From Pledges to Action: EU Ocean Leadership on the Line

By Pascal Lamy and Geneviève Pons
If one so wished, it would be entirely possible to spend a lifetime travelling from one international environmental conference to the next, without ever returning home. But the relentless pace of these meetings does not always translate into equally rapid action.

Underfunding Threatens Sahrawi Refugees in Algeria

By Oritro Karim
Since the Western Sahara War in 1975, Sahrawi refugees have resided in a collection of refugee shelters in the Tindouf province of Algeria. For over 50 years, these communities have struggled to develop self-sufficiency and have been solely dependent on humanitarian aid for survival, marking one of the most protracted refugee crises in the world.

Third LDC Future Forum Concludes with Ambitious Plans to Build Resilience in Least Developed Countries

By May Yaacoub
The 3rd LDC Future Forum, held from April 1-3, 2025, in Zambia, brought together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to address the urgent need for resilience in the world’s 44 Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Uncertainty Looms for Kenya Following Tense IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings

By Janet Ngombalu
Reflecting on this year’s IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, one word lingers in my mind: uncertainty. The shifting global geopolitical landscape loomed large—none more so than the US administration’s initial threat to withdraw from the Bretton Woods institutions.

To Save Our Planet, We Must Protect Its Defenders

By Luisa Gómez Betancur
The most powerful court in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, is preparing to clarify the obligations of States in relation to climate change. In its upcoming Advisory Opinion, the Court must articulate ambitious standards for respecting and protecting the human rights of environmental defenders in the context of the climate crisis.

World Immunization Week Highlights the Urgency of Global Vaccine Access

By Oritro Karim
For 2025, the theme of World Health Immunization Week (24-30 April), “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible”, emphasizes the need to eradicate disparities in access to vaccines, particularly for children. By encouraging governments to implement vaccination programs at the local and national levels, the World Health Organization (WHO) seeks t0 ensure worldwide access to life-saving vaccines.

Indispensable—Native Hawaiian Elder Says of Indigenous Ocean Management Systems

By Joyce Chimbi
Indigenous people play a vital role in ocean protection due to their deep-rooted connection to the marine environment and their traditional knowledge of sustainable resource management. They often possess centuries-old practices and stewardship ethics that prioritize ecological balance and community well-being.

Sights Set on Highest Ambition as World Rows Through Toughest Ocean Crisis

By Joyce Chimbi
Participants from over 100 countries will leave the 10th Our Ocean Conference in Busan, the Republic of Korea, with stark reminders that with sea levels rising dangerously, coastal regions and low-lying areas globally, particularly densely populated areas, are threatened.

Mexico Bans GM Corn Cultivation in Constitutional Reform: Action Follows Trade Ruling That Ignored Evidence of Genetic Contamination

By Timothy A. Wise
On March 17, Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum signed into law a constitutional reform banning the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) corn. The action followed a December ruling by a trade tribunal, under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement, in favor of a U.S. complaint that Mexico's 2023 presidential decree, with broader restrictions on the consumption of GM corn, constituted an unfair trade practice by prohibiting the use of GM corn in tortillas.

Floods and Droughts are Two Sides of the Same Crisis

By Retno Marsudi and Musonda Mumba
Water emergencies are deeply personal to us. Coming from Southeast Asia and southern Africa—two regions that struggle with water challenges—we have witnessed firsthand how water defines the fate of communities and nations.

Global Community in Busan to Define Sustainable Future for Life Under Water

By Joyce Chimbi
“As the son of a haenyeo, a traditional Korean female diver, I grew up by the sea, often watching the ocean with my mother. Captivated by the beauty and majesty of the sea, I chose to study marine science and have devoted my entire career to the ocean,” said Do-hyung Kang, Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea.

Korea’s Troubled Waters: Traditional Women Divers Protecting an Ocean in Crisis

By Joyce Chimbi
Ahead of the 10th Our Ocean Conference, with the theme "Our Ocean, Our Action," comes a global call to protect the world's oceans.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
*#*