Rural-urban migration in response to environmental degradation and natural hazards is rising at an alarming rate as families seek employment in urban areas.

The Montes del Aguacate Biological Corridor is located in the western part of Costa Rica's Central Valley. It serves as a link between Protected Wildlife Areas and Protected Zones, promoting biological connectivity. The area is home to several rural communities with scarce job opportunities and low human development. However, the inspiring story of María Olivia Rodríguez Vasquez and Jesús María Molina Salas shows that this doesn't have to be the case. Over 30 years ago, they started farming livestock on a 20-hectare land, and with the support of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, which is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, they have been able to make a living out of it.

UNEP has released its 2nd global report which provides an essential toolbox of approaches for strengthening the implementation and enforcement of environmental law.

Gökova Bay, a sparkling blue body of water on the Mediterranean coast off Türkiye, is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and one of the most successful marine ecosystem conservation initiatives. This is in large part thanks to Zafer Kizilkaya and the efforts of his organization, Mediterranean Conservation Society, a UNDP Equator Prize winner. At its outset, the organization focused primarily on the creation of marine protected areas, which allowed fishing but limited development, and included no-take zones, which forbid all fishing and were critical to fully restoring marine ecosystem functions after years of overfishing. The organization still maintains the highest level of respect and reverence for the small-scale fishermen who have accumulated generations of knowledge about local fishing conditions of this Mediterranean spot.

The sea urchin is considered a culinary delicacy in many countries and faces the threat of overfishing in some areas. However, while some sites are lacking in the species, other areas are experiencing excessive sea urchin populations that can lead to the depletion of algae and other marine vegetation, so-called sea urchin barrens. These two contrasting situations call for individualized solutions. FAO is helping countries and farmers tackle these two issues by creating specific guidelines for restorative aquaculture and helping with the removal of urchins and their sale in culinary markets, helping to restore algae populations while enhancing the value of these species.

A healthy environment is a basic human right, advocates Francisco Vera, the 13-year-old Colombian Climate Human Rights defender.

Despite its widespread use, mercury has been known for centuries to be toxic. Adopted in 2013, the Minamata convention aims at stepping up action on mercury pollution to help attain a pollution-free planet.

In its natural state, tropical peat occurs in flooded swamps and is one of nature’s most effective ways of removing carbon from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate global warming. When peat catches fires, it releases up to ten times more carbon than forest fires. Indonesia is home to 40 per cent of the world’s tropical peatlands, and they hold up to 57 billion metric tonnes of carbon. It is indisputable that the protection and restoration of the Indonesian peatlands is vital for the planet. As part of this, UNOPS and partners are supporting communities that are at the forefront of peatland restoration and conservation by strengthening cooperation between villages.

Given that many nations that are at a high risk of disasters are also the ones that have a significant proportion of the population living below the national poverty line, UNDRR is urging individuals to take action to put an end to the vicious cycle of disasters and worsening inequality.

The Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than 40% of global energy consumption and over 50% of greenhouse gas emissions. Its rapid energy demand growth will persist, posing challenges for energy security, affordability, and climate change mitigation. To address these challenges and promote a cleaner, more resilient, interconnected energy future, the U.N. and Thailand will co-host the 3rd Asian and Pacific Energy Forum (19-20 October). The event brings together energy leaders, policymakers, and experts to find solutions to these problems. Check out the program and follow the event!

Voluntary contributions assist UNEP deliver on its mandate and programme which include providing scientific solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the planet and humankind, and guidance on sound policies and effective environmental laws and institutions in support of a healthy planet for healthy people. 

These large rodents are famous for their impressive engineering skills. They create wood and mud structures to block streams cutting logs and branches using their massive teeth and strong jaws. Such natural barriers increase water levels upstream and slow down river flow. By copying the beavers' techniques, humans can make rivers safer, using materials like logs, branches, mud and leaves.

Summer grazing in the high mountain meadows has been part of the landscape in the Central Balkans Biosphere Reserve for centuries, as it ensured livelihoods for local populations on both sides of the range. Since the early 1990s, there has been a dramatic decline in the traditional practice. Considering that improved management is paramount for successful biodiversity conservation and restoration efforts, the Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve reached out to the Earth Network. This project, which is generously supported by the Government of Italy, matches the challenges of UNESCO-designated sites with the expertise of senior and young scientists.

Martha Isabel “Pati” Ruiz Corzo, a 2013 Champion of the Earth for Inspiration and Action, has spent the best part of four decades fighting to protect Sierra Gorda – a dramatic expanse of mountains, valleys and wild beauty in the heart of Mexico. 

Lewis Pugh, UNEP's Patron of the Oceans, has completed a 507km swim down the United States’ Hudson River to emphasise the urgent need to protect the world’s waterways. Despite the physical pain of the swim, he was motivated by the extraordinary biodiversity he saw and it stiffened his resolve to keep advocating for damaged marine ecosystems across the globe. He chose the Hudson to highlight successful efforts to clean the river in recent decades and encourage other countries to adopt similar efforts in some of the world's most polluted waterways.