Two decades ago, HIV infections peaked, with treatment available only to a select few. Since then, more affordable anti-retroviral medicines have transformed lives and improved prevention and testing efforts. However, progress does not equal success. Social and legal barriers still hinder access to HIV services, particularly for marginalized populations. Today, most new HIV infections occur outside sub-Saharan Africa. Although infections have declined more among women, adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa face infection rates more than than men. Through its partnerships with the , the United Nations Development Programme () aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
UNDP
In the Peruvian Amazon, indigenous women are spearheading ecological restoration in the Cordillera Azul National Park buffer zone, addressing deforestation that has impacted over 7,945 hectares of forest. Communities like Santa Rosa de AguaytÃa (Shipibo-Conibo) and Yamino and Mariscal Cáceres (Kakataibo) are restoring biodiversity while revitalizing ancestral knowledge. Leaders such as Nilda Vásquez plant native trees, like the endangered ishpingo, alongside agroforestry crops like cacao, creating wildlife corridors and boosting family incomes. Supported by the Sustainable Productive Landscapes project, 2,658 hectares have been restored, improving biodiversity and ecosystem services. This collective effort strengthens governance, climate resilience, and the communities' connection to their land, ensuring a sustainable future for people and nature.
Plastic is more widespread than we realize. While we recognize common items like bags and bottles, many everyday objects contain plastic in surprising ways. Ten unexpected sources of plastic include dust, air, clothing, fish, salt, drink cans, human blood, tea bags, paper cups, and snow. As countries work toward a global treaty to #BeatPlasticPollution, the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee () will be held in South Korea (25 November – 1 December), with the goal of creating a legally binding agreement to combat plastic pollution. ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Development Programme () is tackling the plastic pollution crisis through more than 200 projects and 1,000 community initiatives in 132 countries, helping governments develop policies and regulation.
Comoros is leading global biodiversity conservation with ambitious sustainability projects, ecosystem protection, and international partnerships to combat climate change.
The Serbian spruce is an endemic, endangered conifer found in the Balkan region and the oldest living tree in Europe, unknown until the late 19th century. Milan Mataruga, a dedicated forester since childhood, faces the physical challenges of conservation but wouldn't choose a different path. He is a leading scientist in the conservation of this species. The ‘Sustainability of Protected Areas’ () project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (), aims to protect biodiversity in the region's native forests and provide sustainable management alternatives to mitigate climate change impacts.
Our relationship with the natural world is broken, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to protect and restore nature and biodiversity.
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Ahlam Salha has been displaced 5 times in #gaza, but her one year old daughter gives her strength. Hear the story of our colleague, an IT specialist from .
On the cold, wet and foggy slopes of the Andes mountains in South America, a unique but fragile ecosystem illustrates the interconnection between the three most urgent global environmental crises we face today: biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation. Known as ±èá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ&²Ô²ú²õ±è;(alpine tundras), these high mountain ecosystems are found at altitudes higher than 3,000 metres. Considered sacred by Indigenous Peoples, the ±èá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ of the Andes have been inhabited by humans for the past 15,000 years. However, with over 76,000 families living in the Colombian ±èá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ&²Ô²ú²õ±è;today, unsustainable development has been pressuring this invaluable and delicate ecosystem. That is why the (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the (UNDP), launched the Guardians of the ±Êá°ù²¹³¾´Ç²õ alliance, in partnership with SWISSAID and World Women’s Corporation Colombia. Over the project’s three years of implementation, a total of 2,328 people participated, most of them rural women.
in Cali, Colombia, is a vital opportunity to accelerate global action for biodiversity.
The climate crisis, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification and drought are deeply intertwined facets of the planetary crisis. With most of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently off track, we must urgently act to tackle this crisis and secure a livable future. This year, three major environmental Conferences of the Parties (COPs) are taking place within six weeks of each other. They represent a unique opportunity to tackle our most pressing issues. The outcome of the COPs is critical to our future. Here’s what you need to know about them.
We may think we understand the concept of poverty, but poverty is very complex and has far-reaching effects. It negatively impacts education, economies, and the overall health and well-being of individuals and the communities they live in. By fully understanding the meaning of poverty, we can develop more effective measures to fight it and build a better future for all of humanity. By 2025, the United Nations Development Programme () aims to help 100 million people escape multidimensional poverty so they can reach their full potential.
Ecuador is pioneering sustainable agriculture with innovative practices to enhance productivity while preserving its rich biodiversity and forest ecosystems. ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Development Programme () and Lavazza have teamed up to produce the world's first certified coffee. The initiative aims to improve the quality of coffee beans and protect nature and forests, working with farmers in the 23 provinces bordering Ecuador's Amazon rainforest. The initiative is part of the program, a government-led initiative supported by UNDP, which has restored of Amazonian land.
Climate change affects people differently, with the poorest and most vulnerable bearing the brunt. Developing countries suffered economic loss and damage of US$425 billion in 2020 due to climate change. One of the best ways to address loss and damage linked to climate change is to make funding available directly to local communities, Indigenous peoples, and civil society organizations so that they can design, implement, and deliver their innovative solutions that are culturally appropriate and context-specific. The Global Environment Facility implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (), provides support to local organizations to tackle environmental issues like climate change.
The signs of conflict, distrust, economic inequality, and the climate crisis are all around us. A staggering of the world’s 8 billion people live in conflict. For them, planning next week, let alone the more distant future is an unimaginable luxury. The recent Summit of the Future launched a conversation on how to create a better present while preserving choices for future generations. ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Development Programme () kicked off the debate with its latest report, which identifies areas where our legacy to future generations is in doubt.
Mohammad’s Café has transformed into an oasis in the heart of the Diyala market thanks to a grant from the SME Grant Programme, which allowed him to fully renovate the café and equip it.