The war in Ukraine is inflicting immense human suffering and devastating communities. UNDP teams are on the ground, working in partnership with the Government of Ukraine to save lives and support relief efforts. But the needs are rapidly increasing. The government says at least US$100 billion of buildings, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools have been destroyed. The war has caused half the country’s businesses to shut completely, while the other half are struggling. A prolonged conflict could push nine out of 10 of Ukrainians into poverty or near poverty.
UNDP
There are about 100 billion planets in our Milky Way galaxy, according to NASA. But other than Earth, few, if any, have the conditions necessary to support human life. It’s taken billions of years of transformation for Earth to reach conditions that are just right, including a stable climate that is not too cold and not too hot. Its magical features include liquid water and an atmosphere full of oxygen that allow our complex biosphere to flourish. A home looks different from one culture and geographic location to another, but we all share the same ocean, air and climate.
Resilience among ordinary Ukrainians is remarkable but if the war goes on much longer, it threatens 20 years of development gains, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), has warned. From Lviv in western Ukraine, here’s Manal Fouani, UNDP lead in the country, describing to UN News’s Daniel Johnson the many and varied challenges that the country faces, seven weeks since the Russian invasion began.
COVID-19 provided a convenient excuse for bigotry as the world witnessed xenophobic attacks against people of Asian descent. At the same time, racial and ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups suffered the greatest harm from the pandemic, due to higher infection rates and deeper economic distress. The recovery also has been marred by an imbalance of power that has left poor countries unable to vaccinate their populations. Therefore, UNDP puts great focus on ending inequality and exclusion.
Environmental degradation caused by the climate crisis can exacerbate food and water insecurity, and amplify poverty and underlying inequalities. When climate-induced natural disasters happen, women and girls are more likely to suffer food insecurity and poverty, and have a higher risk of being exposed to violence. When communities are recovering from the impacts of natural disasters, the burden of unpaid care work on women and girls is greatly increased, affecting their ability to have a paid job or continue their education. This is why gender considerations need to be at the centre of efforts to combat the climate crisis. See how these 9 countries are working towards gender-responsive climate policies
Although pandemics are a fact of life, the world was blindsided by the impact and devastation of COVID-19. As the pandemic played out in real time, it showed that we were woefully unprepared. Experts underscore the importance of truly understanding how the health of people, animals, and the planet interconnect. Health security plans cannot be piecemeal. Responses must be bolstered with social protection, especially during lockdowns. We need to act more quickly, and with greater fairness. UNDP explains that what we do now could make this pandemic the last of its kind.
In recognition of Covid-19’s world-altering effects, The Lion’s Share, and the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by UNDP, made a call for proposals to support communities dependent on wildlife-based tourism. Grants and the projects they’ve facilitated, have been working to build resilience in communities in wildlife-rich areas and support the continued protection of threatened wildlife in their remaining strongholds despite pandemic hardships.
The Global Fund for Coral Reefs programme, led by the UN Fiji Country Office, mobilizes commercial investments and promotes financial sustainability of coral reef conservation.
Safety and security are at the base of the ‘hierarchy of needs’ pyramid, second in importance only to life’s absolute necessities—air, water, food and shelter. In the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, people were on average living healthier, more prosperous and better lives than ever. Yet still a growing sense of unease had taken root and is flourishing. A new UNDP report, New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene, says six out of seven people all over the world—including in the wealthiest countries— were experiencing high levels of insecurity even before the pandemic.
UNDP’s new Strategic Plan recognizes the complexity of the development landscape and the challenges we face as a global community. It sets out our vision for a future-smart UNDP, working with partners to create a world where people and planet thrive together.
Located in the Escuintla district on Guatemala’s Pacific Coast, the wetlands around Sipacate-Naranjo are treasured conservation areas. Although Sipacate-Naranjo represents a great wealth of biodiversity and natural value, a large percentage of the local population (≈20,000 people) - indigenous and local communities living adjacent to the park – lives close to the poverty line, in need of economic opportunities to survive. Given the great potential of Sipacate-Naranjo, the UNDP-implemented, Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (SGP) supported the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on an ecotourism project to build the capacities of the communities of Sipacate-Naranjo for activities that simultaneously conserve nature and contribute to the local economy.
Encroachment upon forested lands is one of the main threats to natural forest in Pakistan. In realizing the need for practicing sustainable forest management, the SFM project was launched and implemented by the Pakistan Ministry of Climate Change. Working with multiple partners, UNDP supports efforts to sustain resilient forest ecosystems to benefit local economies, protect biodiversity and address climate change by providing technical assistance, policy advice, and governance support to developing countries.
In Tutin, one of the poorest and least developed municipalities in Serbia, children with developmental or behavioural disorders cannot fully enjoy their childhood and develop their potential because of the lack of a suitable environment in the preschool educational system. “The main reason behind this is the lack of financial means and professional staff,“ says Mila Hadzic, a defectologist and speech therapist. To remedy this situation, UNDP Serbia, in partnership with the Municipality of Tutin, is supporting the Kindergarten launch and equipping a sensory room through a crowdfunding campaign.
As the new year opens, the world is battling a global pandemic and confronting a planetary emergency. Both COVID-19 and climate change are contributing to rising inequality, conflict and fragility around the world. These interconnected challenges require integrated solutions. In 2022, UNDP puts its new Strategic Plan into action, grounded in our commitment to eradicating poverty and helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Here are some key moments to watch in the year ahead.