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.
UNDP
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.
Located in the Escuintla district on Guatemala’s Pacific Coast, the wetlands around Sipacate-Naranjo are treasured conservation areas. Although Sipacate-Naranjo represents a great wealth of biodiversity and natural value, a large percentage of the local population (≈20,000 people) - indigenous and local communities living adjacent to the park – lives close to the poverty line, in need of economic opportunities to survive. Given the great potential of Sipacate-Naranjo, the UNDP-implemented, supported the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on an to build the capacities of the communities of Sipacate-Naranjo for activities that simultaneously conserve nature and contribute to the local economy.
Encroachment upon forested lands is one of the main threats to natural forest in Pakistan. In realizing the need for practicing sustainable forest management, the was launched and implemented by the Pakistan Ministry of Climate Change. Working with multiple partners, supports efforts to sustain resilient forest ecosystems to benefit local economies, protect biodiversity and address climate change by providing technical assistance, policy advice, and governance support to developing countries.
In Tutin, one of the poorest and least developed municipalities in Serbia, children with developmental or behavioural disorders cannot fully enjoy their childhood and develop their potential because of the lack of a suitable environment in the preschool educational system. “The main reason behind this is the lack of financial means and professional staff,“ says Mila Hadzic, a defectologist and speech therapist. To remedy this situation, , in partnership with the Municipality of Tutin, is supporting the Kindergarten launch and equipping a sensory room through a crowdfunding campaign.
As the new year opens, the world is battling a global pandemic and confronting a planetary emergency. Both COVID-19 and climate change are contributing to rising inequality, conflict and fragility around the world. These interconnected challenges require integrated solutions. In 2022, UNDP puts its new into action, grounded in our commitment to eradicating poverty and helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Here are some key moments to watch in the year ahead.
Peru is among the world’s 10 megadiverse countries. But despite its many resources some 4.5 million people face severe food insecurity. Several communities are advancing towards .
It was a challenging year for families everywhere. Alongside a pandemic that has taken millions of lives, the broader socio-economic effects of COVID-19 reversed decades of important gains for the most vulnerable. UNDP doubled down on its commitment to build forward better, working with partners at all levels of society to ensure people have the means to live in dignity, and the skills and resources to recover from crises and create fulfilling lives. .
2021 was dominated by two crises that the world could not ignore – COVID-19 and global heating. From unprecedented floods in Germany, to out of control fires in California and Greece, extreme weather increased in intensity and frequency. The pandemic laid bare other inequalities. Rich countries hoarded vaccines and poor countries went without. Global food systems struggled to cope with the twin crises. The digital divide became more pronounced; the pandemic also showed that we can change quickly, but only if we have the resources and the vision.
For nomadic herders in the mountains of Mongolia, traditional cheeses offer a sustainable alternative to tourism income, with benefits for snow leopard conservation. The majority of people in this region live in semi-nomadic subsistence communities that make a living from livestock herding. For these communities, ecotourism represents an increasingly important part of the economy that simultaneously promotes the conservation of local biodiversity. But when the pandemic hit, the dramatic loss of international tourists shuttered the ecotourism industry in Mongolia.
works with local communities in Indonesia’s Kalimantan forests to protect biodiversity and generate sustainable livelihoods. Recognising that naturally-dyed textiles are in high demand (and thus fetch higher prices) on international markets, weavers from the Ensaid Panjang village started a programme of forest rehabilitation and enrichment by planting and cultivating natural dye-producing plants. The KalFor project, which is supported by UNDP Indonesia and partners, bolsters the Government's program to preserve the remaining forests in Kalimantan that are outside state forest zones.
The Siberian musk deer, because of its constant vigilance and unique alarm call, has been termed ‘the forest police officer’ by Mongolian biologists and veterinarians. Its whirring whistle alarm call rings out through the Mongolian forest, alerting others in its herd – and its fellow forest-dwellers - to predatory threats, allowing all those within earshot to escape. But this role makes the deer especially vulnerable to predation and poaching. The applies a multi-focal area approach by integrating biodiversity conservation and sustainable land and forest management, through the application of best practice and innovative green development approaches at the landscape scale. The is supported by .