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Climate Change
Global Issues:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is helping farmers in southern Madagascar to prevent the impact of recurring droughts. In partnership with local organizations, they are strengthening community resilience in areas deeply affected by climate change. The key is to take action before the predicted impact of climate disasters. Madagascar is the world’s fourth most vulnerable country to climate change, and more than 2.3 million people need assistance to cope with the consequences of repeated droughts and recent cyclones. Despite this, current projects lack funding.
Humanity is breaking all the wrong records on global warming. Fragile ecosystems face enormous pressure. More than 1 million plants, animals and other living things are at risk of being wiped out. Dirty air and chemical pollution threaten our lands, oceans and health. However, there is a lot we can do as individuals to tackle these issues. Every action, no matter how small, matters to the planet. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has developed toolkits for taking environmental action on a range of issues, including reviving ecosystems, fighting climate change, reducing plastic waste, improving air quality, and planting trees.
As climate change intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves at an increased risk of exposure to various hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals. In conjunction with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April), the International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a new report "Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate," which reveals alarming new data on the impact of climate change on workers’ safety and health.
From extreme heat and rising sea levels to biodiversity loss and pollution, Mother Earth is in peril and making a clear call to action - a need to shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. This International Mother Earth Day, let’s mobilize for the planet and all the life it supports. There are steps every one of us can take to protect nature, tackle climate change, and promote harmony with the Earth. Speak up, log your actions, and help save our planet with the UN’s ActNow campaign!
Watch the 2050 forecast delivered by Weather Kids, created in partnership with the World Meteorological Organization and The Weather Channel. The campaign is part of UNDP’s efforts to boost awareness on the impacts of climate change and to mobilize people around the world to take meaningful climate action for future generations.
Climate change-induced cocoa price hikes are affecting chocolate lovers globally, highlighting the urgent need for climate action.
Water is crucial to life and economies, but it can also cause or be affected by conflict. The risk of conflict is increasing due to water scarcity and climate change, making effective water resource management essential for peace. Remote sensing, using open-access satellite data, can help monitor water resources, even in conflict-affected areas. The Water Productivity through Open-access of Remotely-sensed derived data, a tool created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has been used in conflict zones like Syria, Sudan, Mali, and Sri Lanka to monitor water resources, reduce conflict, and restore access to water.
Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves worldwide, which negatively impact the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, particularly children. UNICEF and partners urge governments to take urgent action and ensure that frontline health workers are trained to recognize and treat heat stress, health facilities are equipped to cool heat victims, and healthcare systems are connected to meteorological services in high-heat regions. Additionally, health facilities should have cool public spaces for people to safely seek refuge during heat waves.
Empowering women in environmental initiatives is essential for addressing climate change, as their participation fosters innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.
Climate change won’t end cold waves. Fewer and weaker cold waves may actually be more impactful if we let cold waves fall off our radar and neglect preparedness.
The World Food Programme highlights women's vital role in climate resilience amidst heightened vulnerability and underrepresentation in decision-making.
In Kabo village, men play a game with beans. The beans represent wild animals, the bag is the forest, and the players are hunters. Once the bag is empty, they all lose. This game is designed to show the consequences of unsustainable hunting on future generations' food and incomes. The Bantu and Baaka Indigenous Peoples groups in the Congo rely on wild meat as their main source of protein and income. However, overhunting, deforestation, pollution, diseases, and climate change have reduced the population of wild animals in the Congo Basin. The Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme, coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and three other organizations, works to restore the balance between food security and wildlife conservation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, along with Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria, is among the countries that face the biggest emergencies when it comes to food according to the World Food Programme (WFP). Decades of conflict and climate change have reduced people's access to basic foods, leading to unprecedented levels of hunger. Despite the growing humanitarian needs and the global funding crisis that the WFP is trying to manage, the tragic situation in the eastern part of DRC still receives very little attention. As the African Cup of Nations attracts all the attention, it's important to reflect on what could be possible for the children of DRC, and more broadly, the children across the Continent.
Think of tomorrow, act today. Climate change is not a problem that can be addressed by one individual or nation, it can be solved if we all work together.