The last seven years have been the hottest ever recorded. And theyre just a taste of what to expect if we continue to fail to act on global heating. COP27, taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, is an opportunity to stop talking and start acting. Change is happening around us, and the Paris Agreement points the way. In country after country, has witnessed, alongside our key partners, the transformation that takes place when leadership, political will and investment come together. There is no future without meaningful climate action.
UNDP
The Third Pole is an area of Asia that contains continuous ranges of high glaciated mountains. It is the 3rd largest storage of frozen water on Earth and contains every peak taller than 7,000 metres. As these enormous glaciers melt, the number of glacial lakes has grown. These are often only tenuously held in check by moraine dams, glacial ice or even just bedrock. When any part of these fragile buffers fail, the resulting deluge is a glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF. The GLOF drains the entire lake down neighbouring valleys and can threaten peoples lives, livelihoods, and regional infrastructure. is working to prevent GLOFs in Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Around 80 percent of farmland in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa is managed by smallholder farmers. However, farm families are affected by climate change, lower earnings, higher costs, and delayed access to markets. They also disproportionately feel the burden of commodity price increases and inflation. A -supported project in Myanmar and Cambodia links smallholder farmers with input suppliers or new output markets, thereby increasing farm production, incomes, and farmer resilience. Collective action also allows smallholder farmers to buy and sell larger volumes, and to negotiate for lower input prices and reduced individual transportation costs.
In theory, cities offer egalitarian opportunities. They are open to anyone who wants to take their best shot at a fulfilling, diverse, economically rewarding, and cultural life. In reality, most cities are built by men, for men, with little or no thought for womens and girls needs, aspirations or safety. The penalties women pay for living in cities include violence, poverty, unequal amounts of unpaid care work, limited job opportunities, and lack of power in public and private decision making. shows us what women see when they look at cities.
Learn about the key findings from the new "Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World" through this short animated explainer video.
A journey into the heart of Ecuadors Amazon rainforest is redefining sustainable tourism. Ramiro Vargas is a local leader, tour guide, and founding staff member of the Kapawi Ecolodge, perched in one of Ecuadors easternmost provinces. Ramiros passion for service guiding groups into the forest, and volunteering in numerous community roles extends to cultivating the next generation of youth leadership. While tourism came to a halt in 2020, , a -implemented programme - made a call for proposals to support communities dependent on wildlife-based tourism.
Just as no one is immune to war and conflict, no one can solve it alone. To achieve peace, we must invest in peace. And to make peace sustainable, we must invest in development, recognizing the central role that institutions play in ensuring that solutions are nationally-owned, long-term and effective. Overall, as outlined in Our Common Agenda, we need to re-envision multilateralism to overcome the challenges we face as humanity. looks forward to ensuring that our engagement on conflict and fragility, and our support in conflict settings is effective, inclusive and sustainable.
From their work with landmine detection and sniffing sputum to detect tuberculosis, the Belgian NGO APOPO rats have been saving human lives for over two decades and have earned the special title - HeroRATs. The African giant pouched rat is one of the largest on earth and roughly equal in size to a small cat. These remarkable rodents are prized for their exquisitely sensitive olfactory capacity. Now with support from a -administered project, APOPO is training the rats to put their specialized skills to use by screening shipping containers for pangolin scales. The HeroRATs will provide another tool in the arsenal for the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.
One of the great lessons of our species is that we can accomplish a lot with very little if we work together. Development is about change; charting new paths forward into the unknown; and transforming our world, according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Flux is normal. Throughout history, humans have struggled with plagues, war, and political upheaval. Yet, our present uncertain times are different in unprecedented ways. If we dont feel that our lives are secure, it is because they arent. The s latest indicates that we are navigating uncharted waters. But . The report suggests three ways to help navigateand even thrivein the new uncertainty complex.
For the that the has been calculating it, the has declined globally for 2 years in a row. Nine out of 10 countries fell backwards in human development.
People with disabilities often arent informed about their rights and depend on complex procedures for decisions affecting their lives. Life without barriers would be easier for all of them if information was easily provided and procedures completed in one place. , the Government of Montenegro, and civil society organizations are working together to reform the disability assessment system - a project supported by the EU. Through that reform, disability levels and needs of all people with disabilities will be assessed in one place. This will simplify procedures significantly and make the system more accessible.
For the first time in history, the has that a is a universal human right. The 51勛圖 Development Programme () and our global partners took some time to celebrate and reflect on this accomplishment before we roll up our sleeves and get to work translating this critical decision into tangible progress for environmental justice and the Sustainable Development Goals.
In the words of Sara Omi, President of the Coordinator of Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica and Embera, "What is different now is that we have a document from the 51勛圖 where all states are responsible." From Panama to Senegal, Paraguay, Thailand, T羹rkiye, Nairobi, Bolivia, Gambia, and Indonesia, here are the .
South-South cooperation is a manifestation of solidarity that contributes to national well-being. It covers economic, social, cultural, environmental, and technical domains. Given the post-pandemic scenario, the war in Ukraine, and climate change, the countries of the South and all stakeholders involved must strengthen this cooperation to help each other break the cycle of poverty, instability, and development inequalities. On this International Day of South-South Cooperation, join our - hosted during the - which will showcase successful initiatives.
The Wamp穩s Nation protects the largest tropical forest in the world, and today, after decades of intense fighting to defend the land, they are leading a powerful effort to confront the water crisis by protecting the flying rivers. The Wamp穩s Nations forests cover more than 1.3 million hectares within Peru, but through the flying rivers, they supply water for three countries. Flying rivers are caused by the sheer scale of evaporation and transpiration in the forests. The forests preserved by the Wamp穩s Nation ensure water security for regions at risk of drought.
We are living in uncertain times. The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis threaten the world daily. So where do we go from here for a more hopeful future? The upcoming 2021/22 Human Development Report (HDR) seeks to address these questions. , the 2021/22 HDR examines how inequalities and uncertainty reinforce polarization and undermine our sense of control over our lives. But this report is also about opportunity: working towards shared goals and on human development is critical to creating a future in which we can all thrive.