UN Environment
UN Environment is a international organization that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Lake Tanganyika Basin countries launch initiative to protect biodiversity, enhance water security
The governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia have launched a five-year project to assess and address transboundary threats to the biodiversity of the Lake Tanganyika Basin. The initiative will protect core conservation zones in three identified protected areas and promote sustainable natural resource use in protected areas and their buffer […]
As drought sets in, farmers in Saint Kitts and Nevis turn to technology for help
For Meshach Alford, a farmer from the town of Saint Paul’s in the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts, the realities of climate change are all too real. “I have planted crops and there has been no water for weeks, for months,” he says. “Even when you put your hand 18 inches (45 centimetres) deep […]
Nature-based solutions could create 32 million jobs by 2030, but skills investments needed
Investing in nature-based solutions (NbS) could create up to 32 million new jobs by 2030. This is according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Launched at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations […]
Peatlands degrading in 177 countries, putting climate goals at risk
177 out of 193 UN Member States have peatlands – critical carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots, yet agriculture, urbanization, deforestation, and industrial activities put them – and the essential ecosystems services they provide – at risk everywhere. This is shown in the Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas, published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The atlas provides evidence for […]
Climate change caused Caucasus glaciers to retreat 600 metres, shrinking freshwater supplies
Rising temperatures have caused glaciers in the Caucasus to retreat an average of 600m over the past century, contributing to a loss of more than 11 billion tons of freshwater. Heatwaves and natural disasters are on the rise, but potential exists for environmental progress.
World must act faster to protect 30% of the planet by 2030
The international community has made some headway on pledges to protect 30% of the Earth by 2030 but progress must accelerate, the official progress report from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has found. The Protected Planet Report 2024 reveals that 17.6% of land and […]
Africa’s Environment Ministers advocate for legally binding drought protocol
African Environment Ministers meeting in Abidjan have called for the establishment of a legally binding protocol on drought management under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with a special focus on Africa. The call for action comes amid growing concerns over the detrimental impact of land degradation, drought and desertification on the continent’s socio-economic […]
Half the world’s countries have degraded freshwater systems, UN finds
In half the world’s countries one or more types of freshwater ecosystems are degraded, including rivers, lakes and aquifers. River flow has significantly decreased, surface water bodies are shrinking or being lost, ambient water is growing more polluted, and water management is off-track. These are some of the findings of three reports tracking progress on […]
“In the future, circularity, recovery of nutrients and energy from wastewater will be crucial”
Wastewater treatment comes with challenges and opportunities. While untreated and inadequately treated wastewater threatens water bodies, its potential as a resource is yet to be realized. Earlier this year the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal published the report Wastewater. Turning problem to solution, calling on governments and businesses to treat wastewater as a […]