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The southwest coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest and most populated island, is flanked by the country’s longest fringing reef system, affectionately known as the Coral Coast. Namada is one of four traditional villages in the Korolevu-i-Wai District that will benefit from the Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy programme. Partly funded by the Joint SDG Fund, the programme supports the customary fishing rights owners for the Korolevu-i-Wai/Koro-i-Nasau qoliqoli (community) to operate coral-reef-associated ecotourism attractions and activities to generate revenue to support the effective management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Locally Managed Marine Area (KiW/KiN LMMA), as well as help support the communal development needs of the community, while also offering them economic opportunities.

Tafo Mihaavo is the national network of local communities in Madagascar practicing customary natural resource management. Established in 2012, Tafo Mihaavo has more than 600 members who work in ecosystem safeguarding and restoration across 22 regions. Tafo Mihaavo has developed strategies on community natural resource management to enhance the legal recognition of local community rights. Indigenous peoples and local communities are environmental stewards of many of the world’s biodiversity and cultural hotspots. With the territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities accounting for approximately 32 per cent of ecologically intact global land, studies show that global biodiversity goals cannot be met without them.

Phayvieng Vongkhamheng was born at the end of the Laotian wet monsoon season in 1984. From a young age, Mr. Vongkhamheng had the impression that village life and wilderness intermingled symbiotically. Mr. Vongkhamheng is now the Assistant Project Manager for the . With support, the project has been promoting sustainable land and forest management in dry forest ecosystems and protection of critical wildlife habitats with its biodiversity.

Rich and healthy soils are the basis of all life on Earth. Yet up to 40 percent of the planet’s land is degraded, affecting half the world’s population. Especially at risk are people living in drylands – covering 45 percent of the Earth’s surface – which are prone to desertification and the devastating impacts of climate-related shocks such as disease, drought, flooding and wildfire. Around 12 million hectares of land are lost each year to degradation.  and its partners are working towards a land degradation-neutral world, to support ecosystem functions and improve food security.

The war in Ukraine is inflicting immense human suffering and devastating communities. teams are on the ground, working in partnership with the Government of Ukraine to save lives and support relief efforts. But the needs are rapidly increasing. The government says at least US$100 billion of buildings, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools have been destroyed. The war has caused half the country’s businesses to shut completely, while the other half are struggling. A prolonged conflict could push nine out of 10 of Ukrainians into poverty or near poverty.

There are about 100 billion planets in our Milky Way galaxy, according to NASA. But other than Earth, few, if any, have the conditions necessary to support human life. It’s taken billions of years of transformation for Earth to reach conditions that are just right, including a stable climate that is not too cold and not too hot. Its magical features include liquid water and an atmosphere full of oxygen that allow our complex biosphere to flourish. A home looks different from one culture and geographic location to another, but we all share the same ocean, air and climate.

Resilience among ordinary Ukrainians is remarkable but if the war goes on much longer, it threatens 20 years of development gains, the UN Development Programme (), has warned. From Lviv in western Ukraine, here’s Manal Fouani, UNDP lead in the country, describing to ’s Daniel Johnson the many and varied challenges that the country faces, seven weeks since the Russian invasion began.

COVID-19 provided a convenient excuse for bigotry as the world witnessed xenophobic attacks against people of Asian descent. At the same time, racial and ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups suffered the greatest harm from the pandemic, due to higher infection rates and deeper economic distress. The recovery also has been marred by an imbalance of power that has left poor countries unable to vaccinate their populations. Therefore, puts great focus on ending inequality and exclusion.

Environmental degradation caused by the climate crisis can exacerbate food and water insecurity, and amplify poverty and underlying inequalities. When climate-induced natural disasters happen, women and girls are more likely to suffer food insecurity and poverty, and have a higher risk of being exposed to violence. When communities are recovering from the impacts of natural disasters, the burden of unpaid care work on women and girls is greatly increased, affecting their ability to have a paid job or continue their education. This is why gender considerations need to be at the centre of efforts to combat the climate crisis.

Although pandemics are a fact of life, the world was blindsided by the impact and devastation of COVID-19. As the pandemic played out in real time, it showed that we were woefully unprepared. Experts underscore the importance of truly understanding how the health of people, animals, and the planet interconnect. Health security plans cannot be piecemeal. Responses must be bolstered with social protection, especially during lockdowns. We need to act more quickly, and with greater fairness. explains that what we do now could make this pandemic the last of its kind.

In recognition of Covid-19’s world-altering effects,, and the, implemented by , made a call for proposals to support communities dependent on wildlife-based tourism.  Grants and the projects they’ve facilitated, have been working to build resilience in communities in wildlife-rich areas and support the continued protection of threatened wildlife in their remaining strongholds despite pandemic hardships.

The  programme, led by the , mobilizes commercial investments and promotes financial sustainability of coral reef conservation.  

Safety and security are at the base of the ‘hierarchy of needs’ pyramid, second in importance only to life’s absolute necessities—air, water, food and shelter. In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, people were on average living healthier, more prosperous and better lives than ever. Yet still a growing sense of unease had taken root and is flourishing. A new report, , says six out of seven people all over the world—including in the wealthiest countries— were experiencing high levels of insecurity even before the pandemic.

Despite rising global wealth, most people today feel anxious about the future, according to a new report from the . Dianne Penn from spoke to Heriberto Tapia, the Research and Strategic Partnership Advisor in the Human Development Report Office at UNDP.  

’s new recognizes the complexity of the development landscape and the challenges we face as a global community. It sets out our vision for a future-smart UNDP, working with partners to create a world where people and planet thrive together.