The World Food Programme has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause one of the worst food crises since World War II. It predicts a doubling of the number of people going hungry – more than half of them in sub-Saharan Africa. So far, the global food system has proven to be resilient to the COVID-19
To mark World Environment Day, the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announces its new vision for global tourism– growing better, stronger, and balancing the needs of people, planet and prosperity. The One Planet Vision for the Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector builds on the
The Asia-Pacific region is one of the world’s most ethnically and culturally diverse regions. It is also one of its most biodiverse. Yet local marine ecosystems are nearing a tipping point as a result of various environmental stresses caused by unsustainable human practices. In a newly released report, The Changing Sails: Accelerating
Vilnius gives public space to bars and cafes to allow physical distancing during lockdown Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, has announced plans to turn the city into a vast open-air cafe by giving over much of its public space to hard-hit bar and restaurant owners so they can put their tables outdoors
“Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases from wildlife to people.” Now, the real question is how do we make things right in the world, while avoiding
There is a strong link between economic activity and global carbon dioxide emissions, due to the dominance of fossil fuel sources of energy. This coupling suggests we might be in for an unexpected surprise due to the coronavirus pandemic: a slowdown of carbon dioxide emissions due to reduced energy consumption. The effect
It’s shocking, but right now, 70% of monitored rivers are too polluted to swim in. Companies like Ravensdown are driving industrial dairying and making our rivers sick, all so they can make a quick buck. Use of synthetic fertiliser has increased 627% since 1990 and in that time the dairy herd
The 100-million-year-old burrows confirm that bees diversified alongside early flowering plants. A new fossil find has set paleontologists abuzz: Ancient nests confirm that bees were alive and well in Patagonia 100 million years ago, marking the oldest fossil evidence for modern bees. The nests, described recently in the journal PLOS ONE, consist
Experts welcome example of nation once drinking more per head than any other. The world’s toughest controls over the promotion of sugary drinks, brought in by a nation beset by obesity, have cut purchases by nearly a quarter in two years, research has shown. Instead of a sugar tax, which
Three million people in the Asia Pacific region must be lifted out of hunger each month, over the next decade if the region is to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG) of zero hunger by end 2030, says a new UN report. While “substantial advances” have been made in the region
Renowned Kiwi-born chef Robert Oliver has cooked up what he hopes will be a life-saving recipe for Pacific Islanders. He is putting his experience on My Kitchen Rules New Zealand to good use with Pacific Island Food Revolution (PIFR), a cooking show aimed at encouraging Pacific Islanders to return to eating traditional foods.
With a climate changing faster than most crops can adapt and food security under threat around the world, scientists have found hope in a living museum dedicated to a staple eaten by millions daily: the humble potato. High in the Peruvian Andes, agronomists are looking to the ancestral knowledge of
At the 74th session of the UN General Assembly this month, 2021 was declared as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. The proposal recognises the need to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth, foster innovation and provide opportunities, benefits and empowerment for all and respect for all human rights.
African ministers agreed to make the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) the region’s forum for developing regional environment policies with mechanisms for implementation. The Conference focused on the need for African countries to pursue global and regional frameworks and policies to achieve the SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063
A bio-plastic made of organic fish waste that would otherwise end up in landfill, with the potential to replace plastic in everyday packaging, has landed its UK graduate designer a James Dyson award. Lucy Hughes, 23, a recent graduate in product design from the University of Sussex, sought to tackle the
Greenhouse gas emissions could be halved in the next decade if a small number of current technologies and behavioural trends are ramped up and adopted more widely, researchers have found, saying strong civil society movements are needed to drive such change. Avoiding deforestation and improving land management could reduce emissions by the equivalent
