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 Nationally Determined Contributions 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.

Starting in April, flash floods have wreaked havoc across Afghanistan, leaving at least 300 dead, hundreds injured, and nearly 9,000 homes destroyed. Thousands are now homeless. Roads, bridges, schools, and health facilities in Baghlan, Badakshan, Takhar, Faryab and Ghor are in ruins. But why are these sudden deluges so deadly, and what makes this disaster particularly devastating? On the surface, it might seem like a straightforward question, yet the answers unravel a complex weave of geography, climate change and socio-economic frailties, creating a polycrisis that’s hard to untangle. Here's what you need to know and how UNDP is trying to reduce its impact.

We are at a critical juncture in the climate crisis, and 2024 is a landmark year for democracy. These two historical milestones are not just coinciding; they are intertwined and essential to the shape of our future. In what’s being called a ‘super year’ for elections, half of the world’s adult population will have the chance to go to the polls, and climate action is one of the factors which affect how people vote. With a changing political landscape, 2024 could be a turning point to stabilize the climate and secure a livable planet for today and for generations to come.

This remote and unique region is grappling with a complex set of challenges that demand immediate attention. The recent unprecedented landslide in Enga Province, which affected close to 8,000 people, has not only highlighted the region's vulnerability to hazards but also exposed underlying issues such as conflict, poverty, inequality and the climate crisis. Geographically isolated, the region boasts rich cultural heritage, biodiversity, and natural resources. UNDP and its partners are undertaking a new programme focused on three interconnected pillars: community empowerment, climate resilience, and peacebuilding.

“How, in our age, do we overcome this competition between ecology and economy, which is leading us to so many destructive and ultimately, increasingly catastrophic realities around the world?”

Born in Brazil to German parents, Achim Steiner knows first hand the power of cultural exchange to drive international cooperation. Now head of UNDP, he leads global efforts to secure a better future for our planet and its people.

“The clearest lesson from 50 years of modern development thinking is don't try and just pick one aspect and put all your eggs in that basket. Society is complex, development is about choices. And you will either get them right and succeed or you will fall apart.”

In this episode, Achim reflects on the thorniest challenges facing humanity, on his hopes for a fairer, cleaner future, and on the vital lessons he learned in rural Pakistan.

Photo:©UNDP Afghanistan/Oriane Zerah

In the relentless march of climate change, the Earth is heating up faster than ever. The climate crisis unquestionably poses an existential threat to humankind. But it’s not too late to pull back from the precipice. We can still realize the promise of the Paris Agreement by taking urgent action, including reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by phasing out fossil fuels, protecting and restoring biodiversity and natural ecosystems and increasing resilience. Working hand in hand with nations around the globe, UNDP is spearheading efforts to translate intentions into actions. 

The Peoples' Climate Vote 2024 asked if people want bolder climate action from their country.

Results are now available.

Fast fashion contributes significantly to environmental degradation, including resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution.

Burkina Faso's economy relies on subsistence agriculture, mainly cereals like sorghum, millet, corn, and rice, but faces challenges with low crop productivity due to land degradation in the northern Sahelian zone. In 2018, residents of Kirsi established the Wendpanga Simplified Cooperative to address land degradation and desertification with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The cooperative, consisting of 180 members, has already reclaimed 260 hectares of degraded land using techniques such as the zaï, stone barriers, and half-moons.

This year's election is the biggest in human history, with 3.7 billion people across 72 countries having the opportunity to vote. However, many feel they lack control over their lives and their voices are unheard in the political system. Inequality, distrust in government, disinformation, and polarization are significant challenges. Countries need to invest in governance systems that ensure everyone has a voice and their needs and rights are protected. As the UN’s largest provider of electoral assistance, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assists between 40 and 50 countries annually, about a third of which are expected to hold elections in 2024. 

We cannot be without biodiversity. We are part of the complex web of life, and biodiversity is a part of us. Biodiversity describes the wide range of life forms on Earth, from genes to entire ecosystems. It encompasses the processes that maintain life, including evolution, ecology, and climate stability. Biodiversity incorporates all living beings - from humans to microbes and fungi.  Recognizing the imperative to protect the natural world, the world came together in December 2022 where 196 countries signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, known as The Biodiversity Plan. This is nothing less than a plan for humanity to restore its balance with the natural environment for a nature positive future. Responding in a bolder, more ambitious way than ever before, the newly launched Nature Pledge is UNDP's commitment to support governments to meet the goals and targets of The Biodiversity Plan and secure a nature-positive future.

Sign a pledge to take climate action on behalf of the children in your life and next generations.

In 2023 alone, 400 million hectares were consumed by flames—an area twice the size of Mexico. Forest fires cause biodiversity loss, release large quantities of carbon dioxide, and degrade the soil and contaminate water resources. Today, more than half of forest fire-related costs go toward rapid response. But less than 1 percent is spent on planning for and preventing this environmental threat. Costa Rica's Volunteer Forest Fire Brigade has been supported by the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in fighting forest fires for the last 30 years.

World Migratory Bird Day (11 May) works to increase the level of awareness about the threats – both general and specific – that birds are facing. In the vast expanse of the Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway, where azure waters meet golden sands, over 1.5 million birds – representing 37 species, five of whom are globally threatened - take flight each year. Among them are species on the brink of extinction, their survival hanging in the balance. Against the backdrop of this natural wonder, human activities have cast a shadow of threat upon these winged travelers. This story highlights a Global Environment Facility-financed project led by UNDP Jordan.