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Category: Weather

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR Arab States unveil key findings of the Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2024

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Kuwait City, 12 February 2025 – The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for Arab States (UNDRR ROAS) launched the key findings of the 2024 Regional Assessment Report (RAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction in the Arab Region during the Sixth Arab Regional Platform for DRR, convening policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to address the region’s evolving risk landscape.

    The RAR Arab States 2024 presents a comprehensive analysis of disaster risk in the Arab region, highlighting systemic risks driven by climate change, urbanization, water scarcity, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. The report underscores the interconnected nature of these risks and calls for urgent action to strengthen governance, enhance early warning systems, and invest in resilience-building measures.

    The findings reveal that the Arab region is increasingly exposed to climate-related risks, with prolonged droughts, heatwaves, and devastating floods becoming more frequent. Governance gaps continue to hinder effective disaster risk management, limiting the ability of institutions to coordinate responses and implement long-term strategies. The consequences of these vulnerabilities extend beyond environmental concerns; droughts, for example, act as a major threat multiplier, exacerbating conflicts over scarce water resources and intensifying socio-economic disparities. Climate change is also reshaping human mobility patterns, forcing displacement as communities struggle with extreme weather, resource shortages, and environmental degradation. Furthermore, the health impacts of climate change in the Arab region are becoming increasingly evident, with rising cases of heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and growing concerns over food security.

    The Arab region has made progress in disaster risk reduction since adopting the Sendai Framework in 2015, yet significant gaps remain in risk governance, preparedness, and investment. Strengthening institutional frameworks, scaling up DRR financing, and promoting climate resilience, gender-responsive policies, and inclusive governance are essential to accelerating progress

    Escalating Risks and Urgent Challenges

    The report conveys an urgent message: tackling systemic risks requires a paradigm shift. Policymakers must transition from reactive disaster response to a proactive approach centered on risk governance and climate adaptation. Strengthening early warning systems and anticipatory action mechanisms is crucial to mitigating the devastating effects of extreme weather events. Water scarcity, another pressing challenge, demands integrated management strategies to curb its cascading impact on food security, migration, and regional stability.

    The RAR 2024 underscores the importance of inclusivity in disaster risk reduction. Gender-responsive policies must be at the heart of DRR strategies to ensure that women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities are not disproportionately affected by disasters. At the same time, investment in local and national resilience-building initiatives is vital to fortifying the region’s ability to cope with future risks and uncertainties.

    The findings of the RAR 2024 paint a stark picture of the Arab region’s risk landscape – one where climate change, resource scarcity, and weak institutional capacities converge to create cascading and compounding threats. Without urgent action, the region may face systemic failures that jeopardize its stability, development, and the well-being of its people. However, the report also provides a pathway forward. By strengthening governance through transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, and by adopting innovative, multi-hazard approaches to risk management, the region can turn the tide. Investments in data-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence will be crucial in navigating the uncertainties ahead. Multi-sectoral cooperation and increased financing for resilience will be essential in ensuring these efforts are effective and sustainable. 

    The recommendations outlined in this report serve as a strategic roadmap for policymakers, urging them to address the root causes of vulnerability and build resilience that is both proactive and sustainable. The future of the Arab region depends on the decisive actions taken today.

    The full Regional Assessment Report 2024 will be available on the UNDRR website soon, providing an in-depth exploration of the findings, key messages, and recommendations for strengthening disaster risk reduction in the Arab region.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: From vision to action: UN contributions to the Antigua and Barbuda agenda for SIDS

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean represent some of the most vulnerable nations globally, grappling with profound challenges posed by climate change, environmental degradation, and economic instability. Despite their resilience, these countries face mounting threats from intensified hurricanes, rising sea levels, prolonged droughts, and other extreme weather events. The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) offers a transformative vision for addressing these challenges, emphasizing resilience-building, sustainable development, and social equity as cornerstones for a secure and prosperous future.

    SIDS face a disproportionate share of global climate injustice, bearing the brunt of environmental and economic pressures while contributing minimally to global emissions. Between 2000 and 2022, Caribbean SIDS suffered 91% of economic losses from tropical storms among all SIDS globally, amounting to nearly $32 billion in damages. These disasters disrupt livelihoods, exacerbate inequalities, and hinder progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With limited fiscal space, high debt burdens, and small, undiversified economies, SIDS often struggle to allocate resources effectively for resilience-building and climate adaptation.

    The United Nations System, through the Regional Collaborative Platform (RCP-LAC) Issue-Based Coalition on Climate Change and Resilience (IBC), has aligned its efforts with the ABAS priorities to support Caribbean SIDS in overcoming these challenges. This comprehensive agenda is structured around four key pillars: building resilient economies, fostering safe and prosperous societies, ensuring a secure future, and promoting environmental protection and planetary sustainability. Together, these pillars provide a roadmap for addressing systemic vulnerabilities and advancing sustainable development in the region.

    In response to the ABAS framework, the UNDRR, in its role as co-chair of the IBC alongside UNEP, has undertaken a meticulous mapping exercise, identifying 132 initiatives and actions led by 11 UN agencies. These initiatives span national, regional, and local levels, addressing critical areas such as disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, environmental sustainability, and inclusive governance. The geographic distribution highlights the breadth of UN engagement, with notable projects in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and other Caribbean nations. Regional and multi-country initiatives further reinforce the importance of cross-border collaboration and shared solutions.

    The infographics presented in this document illustrate the depth and diversity of these contributions, offering a visual representation of how UN system actions align with the development priorities of Caribbean SIDS. From strengthening economic resilience and securing water and food systems to promoting sustainable infrastructure and advancing disaster risk governance, these initiatives exemplify a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach. They also highlight the critical role of gender-responsive and disability-inclusive strategies in ensuring equitable resilience-building and development outcomes.

    Despite significant progress, challenges remain. Critical gaps in risk-based investments, infrastructure protection, and cybersecurity require urgent attention. Additionally, aligning high-level policy discussions with field-level actions is essential to translating commitments into tangible outcomes. Addressing these gaps will require sustained international support, innovative financing mechanisms, and robust partnerships with governments, the private sector, and civil society.

    As the world enters a decisive decade for climate action and sustainable development, the ABAS agenda serves as a vital framework for ensuring that Caribbean SIDS are not left behind. By prioritizing resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability, the region can not only mitigate immediate risks but also build a foundation for long-term prosperity. This document celebrates the collective efforts of the United Nations and its partners while reaffirming the commitment to advancing the ABAS priorities in the face of an increasingly uncertain future. 

    Attachments

    ABAS agenda 2.7 MB, PDF, English

    Document links last validated on: 10 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The 6th Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction launched in Kuwait

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Kuwait City, Kuwait, 10 February 2025 – In a significant event for disaster risk reduction in the Arab region, the Sixth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction officially commenced in Kuwait City. Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for Arab States in partnership with the League of Arab States and hosted by the Government of Kuwait, the platform runs until 12 February 2025 under the theme “Building Resilient Arab Communities: From Understanding to Action.”

    The platform opened with a high-level session and press conference, featuring Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, Kuwait; Governor Abdallah Nassif, the Director of Natural Risk Management at the Ministry of Interior, Morocco; and Ambassador Khalil Ebrahim Al-Thawadi, League of Arab States Assistant Secretary-General for Arab Affairs and National Security. The speakers highlighted the platform’s critical role in advancing resilience, assessing progress, and driving political commitment toward reducing disaster risks in the Arab region.

    Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah emphasized the growing complexity of disaster risks, stating: “We are in a world that is witnessing an unprecedented acceleration in the pace of natural and human risks, and the challenges facing our societies are increasing in terms of size and complexity. Disasters have become more frequent and diverse, as a result of climate change, rapid and unregulated urban growth, and environmental degradation, which makes it necessary for us to adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach to dealing with these risks.”

    Highlighting the region’s achievements while acknowledging the challenges ahead, Kamal Kishore emphasized the importance of governance in disaster risk reduction: “This region should be proud of the progress it has made in advancing disaster risk reduction, especially around strengthening risk governance frameworks, which is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development,” he said. “However, there are still many areas for improvement.”

    The Arab region faces a unique and complex risk landscape, prone to both natural and man-made hazards that are increasingly intensified by climate variability and climate change. Over the past five decades, the region has experienced substantial economic losses totaling nearly $60 billion, primarily due to droughts, earthquakes, and extreme weather events. Droughts alone have had a devastating impact on rural communities in countries such as Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, and Somalia, leading to diminished land fertility, reduced agricultural output, and significant biodiversity loss.

    Governor Abdullah Nassif highlighted the importance of building on the outcomes of the previous platform and enhancing regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction. “The Kuwait Declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction represents a fundamental step in continuing political commitment and unifying efforts towards safer and more resilient societies, drawing on previous experiences, particularly the Rabat Declaration, to promote a proactive and sustainable approach to addressing increasing risks.”

    Ambassador Khalil Ebrahim Al-Thawadi called for urgent action, stressing the need to move from policy to implementation: “The political will available of the Arab countries, reflected in all Arab policies and mechanisms, must be translated into immediate, tangible action on the ground. We must stop waiting until the disaster occurs to confront its repercussions.” He added, “We must begin to anticipate and prepare, coupled with regional early warning systems that extend throughout the Arab region,” he added.

    Advancing disaster risk reduction in the Arab Region

    Recent catastrophic events in 2023 underscored the region’s vulnerability, with earthquakes in Syria and Morocco and floods in Libya collectively claiming over 20,000 lives and displacing more than 243,000 people and huge economic damages, highlighting the urgent need for collective action and investment in disaster prevention and resilience-building.

    The Sixth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction provides an opportunity to address these challenges and assess the progress of disaster risk reduction initiatives under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 and the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction 2030. Discussions will focus on regional priorities and mechanisms to accelerate implementation over the next two years, ensuring communities are better equipped to face increasingly complex disaster risks.

    The Kuwait Declaration for Disaster Risk Reduction, expected to be announced by the end of the platform, serves as a centerpiece of the discussions. This declaration represents a collective political commitment by Arab countries to prioritize investments in disaster prevention and resilience-building, aligning with the global Sendai Framework.

    Knowledge exchange and integrating DRR with broader agendas

    Participants at the platform, representing governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, and academia, are engaging in sessions designed to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and identify innovative approaches to regional disaster risk reduction priorities. The outcomes of these discussions will inform the Eighth Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, scheduled for June 2025 in Geneva.

    The platform underscores the integration of DRR with climate change adaptation and sustainable development goals. By aligning these efforts with regional and global frameworks, stakeholders aim to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach to disaster risk management that benefits all sectors of society.

    The Sixth Arab Regional Platform for DRR is expected to yield tangible outcomes, including the Kuwait Declaration for Disaster Risk Reduction, voluntary action statements from stakeholder groups, and a regional action plan for 2025–2027. These results will inform global discussions and strengthen the Arab region’s disaster resilience.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Inter-agency cooperation on climate change and resilience fosters better understanding of and preparedness for climate phenomena in the Latin America and the Caribbean region

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    The United Nations Regional Collaborative Platform (RCP) for Latin America and the Caribbean unites all UN entities working on sustainable development to ensure full collaboration and coordination of UN assets in addressing key challenges that transcend country borders. It provides policy support and access to expertise at the service of the specific needs and priorities of each region and in support of the work of Resident Coordinators and UN country teams at the country level. The RCP comprises 7 Issue-Based Coalitions (IBC) and Thematic Working Groups, and 6 Operational and Programmatic Working Groups.

    The Issue-Based Coalition on Climate Change and Resilience is a collaborative effort involving 22 UN entities, with UNDRR and UNEP leading the coalition. The primary goal of this Thematic Coalition is to facilitate a cohesive and synchronized implementation of global agendas, specifically focusing on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. By promoting inter-agency coordination and accountability, the IBC seeks to strengthen the United Nations System’s collective efforts in addressing climate change, resilience, and disaster risk reduction at both regional and subregional levels in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    In 2023, in partnership with UNEP, the IBC on Climate Change and Resilience conducted a comprehensive series of capacity-building activities addressing key topics requested by the United Nations Country Teams/Resident Coordinators (UNCT/RCs) in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. These sessions, held from February to December of 2023, aimed to 1) enhance participants’ knowledge and capabilities in the domains of climate change and disaster risk reduction; 2) ensure the effective integration of DRR into the Common Country Analysis and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework; and to 3) provide support and guidance to country offices on how to systematically integrate Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation with the principle of leaving no-one behind, economic impacts, and other relevant factors.

    In 2023, as El Niño impacts were expected towards the later part of the year, a webinar, reaching over 5,000 ,people was held on the Preparation for the Impact of the El Niño Event in Latin America. It aimed to provide information and tools to support decision-makers in the region in implementing urgent preventive measures across various levels and strategic sectors. A meeting with RCs and UNCTs was organized to follow up on the webinar, providing a platform for country offices to ask questions to IBC members regarding the El Niño event. After the webinar, a brief on El Niño in Latin America and the Caribbean was published, which forecast the El Niño impacts in the region and provided key recommendations to prepare for them. Based on the success of the webinar and forecasts, the IBC will be leading a WMO-facilitated session on La Niña events in the region in 2024.

    A series of six regional dialogues were held in preparation for COP28, with 5,800 participants between April and October 2023, gathering inputs to assist UN negotiators and country teams in Latin America and the Caribbean. The outcomes contributed to the preparations for the XXIII Forum of Ministers of Environment in October 2023. More than 20 side events were organized by two or more IBC members during the Regional Climate Week. After COP28, the IBC led a webinar with RCOs/UNCTs to discuss the implications of COP28 outcome for the Americas and the Caribbean.

    In February 2023, FAO, UNEP, UNDRR, and WMO, along with the participation of other IBC members and co-organized with DCO, presented to UN Country Teams (UNCTs) the Technical Brief on Wildfires developed in 2022 in response to the severe wildfire seasons of 2020 and 2021 in the Gran Chaco and Amazonia region. This agreed inter-agency approach on wildfires is based on the Sendai Framework. Uncontrolled fires significantly affected societies, economies, and the environment, and insufficient resources and technical capacities hindered effective mitigation measures, which highlighted the need for standardized international methodologies to record and analyze historical wildfires for informed policy and decision-making. The report will further be shared with key stakeholders and members states that have been impacted by wildfires.

    Pathways for sustainable development and policy coherence in the Caribbean region through comprehensive risk management is a study revealing that all sixteen Caribbean countries have achieved a partial level of coherence in aligning their national policies and plans with Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Change Adaptation, and Disaster Risk Reduction. The study was then followed up by a webinar attended by 350 participants, most importantly by RCOs/UNCTs of the Caribbean region in January of 2024.

    The regional brief Gender Mainstreaming in Climate Change, Resilience, and Disaster Risk Reduction aims to provide strategic information and tools for decision-makers, UN Resident Coordinators, and country teams, supporting coherent implementation of global agendas and enhancing coordination, accountability, and gender mainstreaming. Agencies that supported the development of the brief include UNEP, UNDRR, UNDP, OIT, UN Women, ECLAC, UNICEF, UNHCR, and IOM. For 2024, the launch of the brief is planned, accompanied by a webinar to present the brief to RCOs and UNCTs and other events.

    A regional brief on Energy Transitions in the Latin America and the Caribbean provided a concise overview of the current state of the energy sector in the LAC region, highlighting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, economic and social development, environmental commitments, investment trends, global dialogues prioritizing energy transitions, and identifies four key areas where the UN can influence and promote sustainable energy transitions. The brief was developed in collaboration with UNDRR, UNEP, ECLAC, FAO, ILO, IOM, OCHA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, WFP, UNFCCC, UN Women, DCO, and presented to RCOs/UNCTs in December 2023. For 2024, meetings are planned to facilitate discussions on additional support needed.

    The strengthened interaction between the Issue-Based Coalition at the regional level and the RCOs/UNCTs in 2023 through webinars and the community of practice is expected to lead to an increase in requests for regional inter-agency collaboration within the scope to the IBC’s Terms of Reference going forward.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Demand-driven cooperation helps build resilience to disaster- and climate-related impacts in Asia and the Pacific

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    In 2022 alone, over 7,500 people died due to more than 140 disasters, which affected 64 million people in Asia and the Pacific.[1] In the same year, there were 22.6 million internal displacements as a result of disasters in the Asia-Pacific region, more than 70 percent of the global total. Climate change is projected to increase these trends as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, compounded by rapid and unplanned urbanisation, population growth, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, which also heighten the needs of those affected. Disaster risk reduction and prevention are key to mitigating the impact that displacement will have on affected populations. Measures to help disaster displaced people achieve durable solutions should be also integrated in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction plans, recognising them as a disproportionally affected group with specific needs that may face challenges in accessing services and the benefits of development and reconstruction programmes.[2]

    The Issue-Based Coalition on Building Resilience (chaired by UNDP and UNDRR) serves as a platform for UN agencies to work together in four workstreams[3] to accelerate action on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. Driven by demand in the region, the working group on disaster- and climate-related displacement organised a workshop on preventing, managing and finding solutions to disaster- and climate-induced displacement in December 2023, bringing together representatives from twelve countries across the region for a peer-to-peer exchange. Government representatives presented effective practices for preventing, responding to and solving disaster displacement sustainably in sessions that were organised by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) and the Asian Development Bank. The workshop served as a platform to strengthen collective efforts in finding innovative solutions and promoting resilience, as well as to focus future efforts of the disaster-and climate-related displacement working group. A community of practice for national technical focal points has been established to foster ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange going forward.

    In 2023, the Issue-Based Coalition (IBC) achieved significant milestones through demand-driven cooperation based on peer-to-peer exchange facilitated by the UN system and partners providing technical knowledge and support. This approach underpinned the progress in advancing the Early Warning for All (EW4all) initiative, marked by the endorsement of the regional strategy and collaboration with UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) and Country Teams (UNCTs) to translate the global initiative into national actions. National consultations in countries like the Maldives, Lao PDR, Nepal, Cambodia, and Bangladesh, as well as the Pacific sub-region, have laid the foundation for implementing the EW4all Initiative. Notably, the Maldives and Lao PDR have made significant strides in designing their national roadmaps through government leadership and collaboration with the UN system and partners. Additionally, the IBC’s efforts addressed displacement challenges and disseminated knowledge on building disaster- and climate-resilient health systems and the state of the climate.

    For 2024 the Issue-Based Coalition on Building Resilience intends to continue working with Resident Coordinators and Country Teams to support governments in implementing their plans, ensuring the necessary regional assistance is identified, including for displacement, loss and damage, the successful implementation of the Early Warnings for All Initiative, and by providing state-of-the-art risk analytics on the ESCAP Risk and Resilience Portal.

    [1] UN-ESCAP, Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2023

    [2] The United Nations Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement focuses on three key areas: prevention, response, and solutions. Similarly, the Early Warning for All Initiatives aims to embed strong early warning systems in all countries by 2027 to ensure that all people are protected from disasters.

    [3] Four workstreams of the IBC on Building Resilience: 1) integration of health emergencies in DRR, 2) disaster and climate risk analysis, 3) resilient recovery and 4) disaster and climate-related displacement.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Visionary leadership for comprehensive risk management is supporting resilience building in Bangladesh

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Bangladesh is exposed to a range of natural hazards including tropical cyclones, monsoon and flash floods, storm surges, landslides, extreme temperature events, and droughts, which are exacerbated by climate change, as well as earthquakes. In 2023 alone, Bangladesh witnessed a surge in natural hazards and extreme weather events, including three cyclones affecting around 2.5 million people, and flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains affecting over 1.3 million people.[1] While investments in disaster preparedness and response have been prioritized, the wide-reaching impacts of climate change and disasters threaten to exacerbate social, political, and economic vulnerabilities. Reducing existing risk and preventing the creation of new risk is therefore a priority for sustainable development, as reflected in priority 3 ‘sustainable, healthy and resilient environment’ of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2022 to 2026. The work of the United Nations in Bangladesh has a strong focus on anticipatory interventions at the nexus of development and humanitarian programming to sustainably build resilience and address the underlying causes of vulnerability, while reinforcing national systems and capacities.

    Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the United Nations organizations take a comprehensive risk management approach to disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and ecosystem health management, supporting the government and key non-state actors to coordinate and implement innovative, whole-of-society and gender-responsive initiatives, and build institutional capacity to improve ecosystem health and to better manage dynamic risks. The United Nations Resident Coordinator co-chairs, jointly with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team (HCTT), an effective coordination mechanism between government agencies and international partners, comprising the humanitarian clusters, aligning emergency responses with national disaster risk management strategies. In its co-chair role, the Resident Coordinator is supported by the Humanitarian Advisory Group that is composed of UN humanitarian agencies, donors, international and national NGOs (including women-led organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities), and deliberates on disaster risk reduction, preparedness and response across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. The effective leadership for and coordination of a comprehensive risk management approach, including through the establishment and strengthening of area-based initiatives and district-level coordination structures, has yielded a lot of progress on disaster risk reduction and resilience building through comprehensive technical support.

    In 2023, having accumulated valuable experience in anticipatory action, particularly regarding monsoonal river floods, the Anticipatory Action framework for floods was extended to two more river basins, a common beneficiary database was established covering 200,000 vulnerable households in 15 climate hotspots, and additional funding sources were joined to the pre-agreed UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to the anticipatory action framework that comprises actions by FAO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and Save the Children. A second UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Anticipatory Action Framework was approved in November 2023 for cyclones. This makes Bangladesh a pioneer with a multi-hazard trigger for both floods and cyclones. Ahead of Cyclone Mocha and related flash floods, 45,000 individuals received anticipatory cash support, mitigating the impact of the event.

    A Disaster Risk Reduction Financing Strategy (DRRFS) for Bangladesh was developed, led by the Ministry of Finance and supported by the UN system, with UNDRR as the technical lead who developed the model and drafted the strategy in consultation with relevant government ministries and International Financial Institutions (IMF, World Bank, ADB), and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office providing critical coordination support. The strategy aims to ensure the determining and distribution of limited financial resources in a way that strengthens economic, social, health, and environmental resilience before a hazard event.

    The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office facilitated coordination with the Government, UN and other humanitarian entities to implement UN Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) initiatives, including organizing a national consultative workshop to develop a EW4ALL roadmap in November 2023. Also, the Resident Coordinator’s Office has supported the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in developing the first sub-national earthquake risk assessment in Bangladesh, in collaboration with UNDRR and the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation.

    [1] United Nations in Bangladesh, 23 April 2024, https://bangladesh.un.org/en/266779-government-and-humanitarian-partners-recommit

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Djibouti advances climate-informed disaster risk reduction strategy: Writing workshop concludes in Cairo

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Cairo, Egypt, 30 January 2025 – The writing workshop towards the “Finalization of the Djiboutian National Climate-informed Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and its Action Plan” successfully concluded in Cairo, marking a significant milestone in Djibouti’s efforts to enhance national resilience to climate and disaster risk.

    Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Regional Office for Arab States, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, Djibouti, the workshop brought together a specialized drafting committee established by the General Secretariat for Disaster Risk Management within Djibouti’s Ministry of Interior. The committee, composed of key national stakeholders and technical experts, refined and finalized the strategy following a series of national consultations concluded in December 2024.

    Djibouti has long faced significant challenges due to climate-related hazards, including droughts, floods, and extreme weather events. Recognizing the urgency of integrating climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, the Djiboutian government, with support from UNDRR and partners, has been working towards developing a comprehensive national strategy to mitigate risks and build resilience.

    This new Climate-informed DRR Strategy and its Action Plan align well with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, emphasizing inclusive and participatory approaches, long-term investment in resilience, and enhanced multi-stakeholder coordination. It aims to improve risk governance, strengthen early warning systems, and integrate disaster risk considerations into national development and climate change adaptation planning.

    Over three intensive days, workshop participants reviewed and refined key components of the strategy, focusing on governance mechanisms, risk profiles, institutional frameworks, and priority action areas. Working sessions included discussions on policy coherence between disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, implementation mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

    During the writing workshop, participants indulged in in-depth technical discussions to refine the draft strategy and detailed action plan matrix to ensure alignment with national priorities and international commitments such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

    Next steps: Political validation and implementation

    The final version of the National Climate-informed DRR Strategy and its Action Plan will be presented to the Djiboutian government during a high-level political validation workshop scheduled for April 2025. This next phase will seek official endorsement and commitment to implementing the strategy across key sectors, ensuring institutional coordination and sustainable investment in disaster resilience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: What’s desertification? Experts hopeful devastating trend can be reversed

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Climate and Environment

    An area the size of Egypt, around 100 million hectares, of healthy and productive land is being degraded each year due to drought and desertification, which is being driven mainly by climate change and poor land management. 

    On 2 December, countries from around the world will meet in Riyadh under the auspices of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, (UNCCD) to discuss how to turn the corner from degradation to regeneration.

    Here are five things you need to know about desertification and why the world needs to stop treating the planet like dirt to protect the productive land which supports life on Earth.

    No life without land

    It is perhaps to state the obvious, but without healthy land there can be no life. It feeds, clothes and shelters humanity.

    © UNEP/Florian Fussstetter

    A member of an indigenous group in the Amazon, in Brazil, works to reforest the land.

    It provides jobs, sustains livelihoods and is the bedrock of local, national and global economies. It helps to regulate climate and is essential for biodiversity.

    Despite its importance to life as we know it, up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, affecting around 3.2 billion people; that’s almost half of the global population.

    From deforested mountains in Haiti, to the gradual disappearance of Lake Chad in the Sahel and the drying up of productive lands in Georgia in eastern Europe, land degradation affects all parts of the world.

    It is not an exaggeration to say our very future is at stake if our land does not stay healthy.

    Degraded land

    Desertification, the process by which land is degraded in typically dry areas, results from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities, such as over-farming or deforestation.

    100 million hectares (or one million square kilometres), that’s the size of a country like Egypt, of healthy and productive land is lost each year.

    The soils on these lands which can take hundreds of years to form are being depleted, often by extreme weather.

    Droughts are hitting harder and more often, three out of four people in the world are projected to face water scarcity by 2050.

    Temperatures are increasing due to climate change further driving extreme weather events, including droughts and floods, adding to the challenge of keeping land productive.

    Land loss and climate

    There is clear evidence that land degradation is interconnected with broader environmental challenges like climate change.

    © World Bank/Andrea Borgarello

    A man looks across a desert in Mauritania.

    Land ecosystems absorb one-third of human CO2 emissions, the gas that is driving climate change. However, poor land management threatens this critical capacity, further compromising efforts to slow down the release of these harmful gasses.

    Deforestation, which contributes to desertification, is on the rise, with only 60 per cent of the world’s forests still intact, falling below what the UN calls the “safe target of 75 per cent.”

    What needs to be done? – the ‘moonshot moment’

    The good news is that humankind has the knowhow and power to bring land back to life, turning degradation into restoration.

    Robust economies and resilient communities can be cultivated as the impacts of devastating droughts and destructive floods are tackled.

    © UNCCD/Juan Pablo Zamora

    A community in Mexico comes together to work on improving their lands.

    Crucially, it is the people who depend on land who should have the biggest say in how decisions are made.

    UNCCD says that to “deliver a moonshot moment for land,” 1.5 billion hectares of degraded lands need to be restored by 2030.

    And this is happening already with farmers adopting new techniques in Burkina Faso, environmentalists in Uzbekistan planting trees to eliminate salt and dust emissions and activists protecting the Philippines capital, Manila, from extreme weather by regenerating natural barriers.

    What can be achieved in Riyadh

    Policy makers, experts, the private and civil society sectors as well as youth will come together in Riyadh with a series of goals, including:

    • Accelerate restoration of degraded land by 2030 and beyond
    • Boost resilience to intensifying droughts and sand and dust storms
    • Restore soil health and scale up nature-positive food production
    • Secure land rights and promote equity for sustainable land stewardship
    • Ensure that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions
    • Unlock economic opportunities, including decent land-based jobs for youth

    Fast facts: The UN and desertification

    • Three decades ago, in 1994, 196 countries and the European Union signed up to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification or UNCCD.
    • The Conference of the Parties or COP is the main decision-making body of UNCCD.
    • UNCCD is the global voice for land where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss challenges and chart a sustainable future for land.
    • The 16th meeting of the COP (otherwise known as COP16) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2-13 December.
    • UNCCD is one of three “Rio Conventions.” along with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). These are outcomes of the historic 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Plastic pollution treaty negotiations adjourn in Busan, to resume next year

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Climate and Environment

    Countries negotiating a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution concluded their fifth session in the small hours of Monday in Busan, Republic of Korea, with plans to reconvene in 2025.

    Despite intense discussions, delegates recognised the need for more time to address divergent views and refine the treaty’s framework.

    The session, which began on November 25, brought together more than 3,300 participants, including representatives from over 170 nations and more than 440 observer organizations.

    Delegates agreed on a “Chair’s Text” prepared by Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) Chair, Ambassador Luis Vaya’s Valdivieso of Ecuador, which will serve as the basis for future negotiations.

    Clear and undeniable commitment

    Speaking at the session’s closing, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), acknowledged the progress made while emphasising the challenges that remain.

    “The world’s commitment to ending plastic pollution is clear and undeniable. Here in Busan, talks have moved us closer to agreeing on a global legally binding treaty that will protect our health, our environment, and our future from the onslaught of plastic pollution,” she said.

    She highlighted that “good progress” was made in Busan, adding however that “persisting divergence” remains in key areas.

    “Negotiators have reached a greater degree of convergence on the structure and elements of the treaty text, as well as a better understanding of country positions and shared challenges. But it is clear there is persisting divergence in critical areas and more time is needed for these areas to be addressed.”

    The INC will resume discussions in 2025, with the venue yet to be announced.

    An ambitious mandate takes time

    INC Chair Vayas underscored that the INC Committee’s mandate “has always been ambitious”.

    “But ambition takes time to land. We have many of the elements that we need, and Busan has put us firmly on a pathway to success,” he said.

    “I call on all delegations to continue making paths, building bridges, and engaging in dialogue…let us always remember that our purpose is noble and urgent: to reverse and remedy the severe effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems and human health,”

    A pervasive problem

    Plastic pollution remains a major global challenge.

    Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes, posing severe risks to wildlife and human health. Microplastics have been found in food, water, soil and even in human organs and placenta of newborn babies.

    The treaty, mandated by a 2022 UN Environment Assembly resolution, seeks to addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal, through an international legally binding instrument.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: LIVE: UN tackles desertification, drought and land restoration

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson in Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    People around the world are facing devastating consequences as the land that supports livelihoods, helps to regulate climate and protect biodiversity becomes increasingly degraded due to climate change and mismanagement. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification is meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss how to regenerate the land and secure all of our futures. UN News app users can follow here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Three billion people globally impacted by land degradation

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson in Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    Three billion people around the world are suffering the impact of poor and degraded land which will “increase levels of migration, stability and insecurity among many communities,” according to the newly-elected President of a UN-backed conference on desertification, drought and land restoration which is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Abdulrahman Alfadley, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture was speaking as the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) got underway in the capital of the Middle Eastern country.

    The meeting, according to UNCCD, represents a “moonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.”  

    UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    Delegates arrive on the first day of the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Globally up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has been reduced.

    This has dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods.

    Droughts, which is a priority issue at COP16, are becoming more frequent and severe, increasing by 29 per cent since 2000 due to climate change and unsustainable land management.

    Nurturing humanity

    The UN desertification convention was agreed 30 years ago and the organization’s current Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw highlighted the continued importance of restoring land lost to drought and desertification.

    UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw addresses COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    “Land restoration is primarily about nurturing humanity itself,’ he said, adding that the “way we manage our land today will directly determine the future of life on Earth.”

    He spoke of his personal experience of meeting farmers, mothers, and young people affected by the loss of land. “The cost of land degradation seeps in every corner of their lives.”

    “They see the rising price of groceries, in unexpected energy surcharges, and in the growing strain on their communities,” he said. “Land and soil loss are robbing poor families of nutritious food, and children of a safe future.”

    Reversing of land degradation

    COP16 provides the opportunity for global leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to come together to discuss the latest research and to chart a way forward to a sustainable future of land use.

    © UNCCD/Mwangi Kirubi

    Small farms in northern Kenya are struggling to grow crops amidst increasingly arid conditions.

    Together the world can “reverse the trends of land degradation,” Mr Thiaw said, but only if “we seize this pivotal moment.”

    In a video address to the conference, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged delegates at COP16 to play their part and “turn the tide,” by focusing on three priorities including strengthening international cooperation.

    She said it was also crucial to “ramp up” restoration efforts and work towards “the mass mobilization of finance.”

    Financing these efforts is going to be challenging, and is unlikely to come from the public sector alone, but according to the UN deputy chief, “cumulative investments must total $2.6 trillion dollars by 2030; That is what the world spent on defence in 2023 alone.”

    © UNDP Somalia

    Droughts are a constant threat in Somalia, in the horn of Africa.

    Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations attending the conference, Tahanyat Naeem Satti called for “ambitious and inclusive action at COP16,” adding that the “meaningful participation of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and local communities in decision-making at all levels must be institutionalized.”

    She emphasized that “their insights and lived experiences are critical for shaping policies that effectively address land degradation and promote sustainable land management and restoration.”

    The conference is set to last 2 weeks until 13 December and there will be some intense discussions and negotiations as delegates push towards the following outcomes.

    • Accelerate restoration of degraded land by 2030 and beyond
    • Boost resilience to intensifying droughts and sand and dust storms
    • Restore soil health and scale up nature-positive food production
    • Secure land rights and promote equity for sustainable land stewardship
    • Ensure that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions
    • Unlock economic opportunities, including decent land-based jobs for youth

    Fast facts: The UN and desertification

    • Three decades ago, in 1994, 196 countries and the European Union signed up to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification or UNCCD.
    • The Conference of the Parties or COP is the main decision-making body of UNCCD.
    • UNCCD is the global voice for land where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss challenges and chart a sustainable future for land.
    • The 16th meeting of the COP (otherwise known as COP16) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2-13 December.
    • UNCCD is one of three “Rio Conventions.” along with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). These are outcomes of the historic 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The ‘slow onset, silent killer’: Droughts explained

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson, Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    Droughts across the world are intensifying and have become a “slow onset, silent killer” to which no country is immune, according to the UN’s most senior official working on desertification, drought and land restoration issues.

    Ibrahim Thiaw, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was speaking at the opening of COP16 a major global conference taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where a new global drought regime is expected to be agreed which will promote the shift from reactive relief response to proactive preparedness.

    Here’s what you need to know about droughts.

    Droughts are increasing in regularity and intensity

    Droughts are a natural phenomenon, but in recent decades have been intensified by climate change and unsustainable land practices. Their number has surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture, water security, and the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people, with the poorest nations bearing the brunt.

    © World Bank/Arne Hoel

    Water availability is essential to prevent migration in places like western Nigeria.

    They can also lead to conflict over dwindling resources, including water, and the widespread displacement of people as they migrate towards more productive lands.

    No country is immune

    More than 30 countries declared drought emergencies in the past three years alone, from India and China, to high-income nations such as the US, Canada and Spain, as well as Uruguay, Southern Africa and even Indonesia.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    A ship passes through the Panama Canal in Central America.

    Droughts impeded grain transportation in the Rhine River in Europe, disrupted international trade via the Panama Canal in Central America, and led to hydropower cuts in the South America country, Brazil, which depends on water for more than 60 per cent of its electricity supply.

    Firefighters were even called to an urban park in New York City, in the United States in wintry November 2024 to tackle a bush fire after weeks of no rainfall.

    “Droughts have expanded into new territories. No country is immune,” said UNCCD’s Ibrahim Thiaw adding that “by 2050, three in four people globally, up to seven and half billion people, will feel the impact of drought.”

    Domino effects

    Droughts are rarely confined to a specific place and time and are not simply due to a lack of rainfall but are often the result of a complicated set of events driven or amplified by climate change, as well as sometimes the mismanagement of land.

    For example, a hillside which is deforested is immediately degraded. The land will lose its resilience to extreme weather and will become more susceptible to both drought and flooding.

    And, once they strike, they can trigger a series of cataclysmic domino effects, supercharging heat waves and even floods, multiplying the risks to people’ s lives and livelihoods with long-lasting human, social and economic costs.

    As communities, economies, and ecosystems suffer the damaging effects of drought, their vulnerability is increased to the next one, feeding a vicious cycle of land degradation and underdevelopment.

    Drought is a development and a security issue

    Around 70 per cent of the world’s available freshwater is in the hands of people living off the land, most of them subsistence farmers in low-income countries with limited livelihood alternatives. Around 2.5 billion of them are youth.

    Without water there is no food and no land-based jobs, which can lead to forced migration, instability, and conflict.

    “Drought is not merely an environmental matter,” said Andrea Meza, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary. “Drought is a development and human security matter that we must urgently tackle from across all sectors and governance levels.”

    Planning for greater resilience      

    Droughts are also becoming harsher and faster due to human-induced climate change as well as land mismanagement and typically the global response to it is still reactive. More planning and adaption is required to build resilience to the extreme conditions created by dwindling supplies of water and this often happens at a local level.

    UN Haiti/Daniel Dickinson

    A beekeeper collects honey in southern Haiti.

    In Zimbabwe a youth-led grass-roots organization is aiming to regenerate land by planting one billion trees across the southern African country, while more farmers on the Caribbean island of Haiti are taking to bee-keeping; Bees feed off the trees, so there is an incentive for bee keepers to protect the trees from being cut down. In Mali, a young woman entrepreneur, is creating livelihoods and building resilience to drought by promoting the products of the moringa tree.

    Experts say proactive initiatives like these can prevent immense human suffering and is far cheaper than interventions focused on response and recovery.

    What next?

    At COP16 countries are coming together to agree how to collectively tackle worsening droughts and promote sustainable land management.

    Two key pieces of research were launched on the opening day.

    The World Drought Atlas depicts the systemic nature of drought risks illustrating how they are interconnected across sectors like energy, agriculture, river transport, and international trade and how they can trigger cascading effects, fueling inequalities and conflicts and threatening public health.

    The Drought Resilience Observatory is an AI-driven data platform for drought resilience created by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), a UNCCD-hosted coalition of more than 70 countries and organizations committed to drought action.

    How much is it going to cost?

    One UN estimate suggests that investments totalling $2.6 trillion will be needed by 2030 to restore land across the world which is affected by drought and poor management.

    At COP16 an initial pledge of $2.15 billion was announced to finance the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership.

    It will serve as a global facilitator for drought resilience, promoting the shift from reactive relief response to proactive preparedness,” said Dr Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudia Arabia, adding that “we also seek to amplify global resources to save lives and livelihoods around the world.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Private sector urged to act as world faces $23 trillion loss from land degradation

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson, in Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    The private sector has been urged to make the sustainable management of land a key part of corporate and financial strategy going forward, as the world risks losing half of global GDP – estimated at $23 trillion – due to degradation.

    Business leaders have been meeting at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is focusing on drought, land degradation and restoration issues.

    According to the UN, droughts have surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture and water security, while up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has been reduced

    © FAO Saudi Arabia

    Saplings are planted Al Adhraa national park in Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to protect the land from degradation.

    Drought and land loss will have dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods as well as businesses, large and small.

    The global economy could lose $23 trillion by 2050 through degradation UNCCD has warned, while halting this trend would cost around $4.6 trillion, a fraction of the predicted losses.

    The private sector can play a key role in supporting the sustainable use of land, according to the Executive Secretary of UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw.

    Speaking at the Business 4 Land  Forum at the COP16 conference,  he said they provide “a critical momentum to make sustainable land management a core part of corporate and financial strategies.”

    COP16 is the biggest global meeting of its kind on land degradation and restoration and the presence of a wide range of business leaders suggests they recognize the urgent need to support the healthy use of land.

    © FAO/Giulio Napolitano

    Women in Niger prepare fields for the rainy season as part of an anti-desertification initiative.

    “Shifting towards nature-positive operations, supply chains, and investments, is not only about environmental sustainability,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, “but about the long-term profitability and resilience of businesses.”

    Members of the Business 4 Land initiative are urged to act in three key areas.

    Speaking to delegates at the meeting, Philippe Zaouati, CEO of the MIROVA sustainable investment fund, said that “companies stand to gain significantly by transforming their value chains to incorporate sustainable practices, not only to reduce their impact on nature but also to seize economic opportunities,” adding that “mobilizing funding for land restoration requires a concerted effort by the public and private sectors.”

    There have been some early successes during the first days of COP16 in terms of unlocking international funding with $12 billion pledged to land restoration efforts.

    The Arab Coordination Group pledged $10 billion while the OPEC Fund and the Islamic Development Bank committed $1 billion each to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, alongside the $150 million dollars provided by Saudi Arabia to operationalize the initiative.

    Henri Bruxelles, the Chief Sustainability Officer of the global food and beverage company, Danone, reiterated the importance of global collaboration. 

    “Collaborating across sectors of society is vital to address the intertwined climate and water challenges, to guarantee food security and nutrition and to secure the livelihoods of the communities that feed the world,” he said in order to “build a sustainable food system.”

    More about Business 4 Land (B4L)

    B4L is UNCCD’s main initiative to engage the private sector in sustainable land and water management. It helps companies and financial institutions manage risks and seize opportunities tied to land degradation and drought.

    B4L aims to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030, contributing to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), a global commitment to achieve net zero land degradation by 2030, as well as enhancing drought resilience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Charting a path for global action on land and drought

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The largest and most inclusive UN land conference wrapped up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, charting a path for global action following two weeks of intense negotiations on how best to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, which affects one quarter of the world.

    The nearly 200 countries gathered at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and committed to prioritising land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation.

    While parties failed to agree on the nature of a new drought regime, they adopted a strong political declaration and 39 decisions shaping the way forward.

    According to UNCCD’s newly released World Drought Atlas and Economics of Drought Resilience reports, droughts affect the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people worldwide, pushing already vulnerable communities to the brink. They also cost an estimated $300 billion per year, threatening key economic sectors such as agriculture, energy and water.

    Among the main outcomes reached at COP16 were:

    • A prototype launch of the International Drought Resilience Observatory, the first ever global AI-driven platform to help countries assess and enhance their capacity to cope with harsher droughts
    • Mobilisation of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative
    • The creation of designated caucuses for Indigenous Peoples and for local communities to ensure their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented

    “Today, history has been made”, said Oliver Tester from Australia, a representative of Indigenous Peoples. “We look forward to championing our commitment to protect Mother Earth through a dedicated caucus and leave this space trusting that our voices be heard.”

    UN News/Martin Samaan

    Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an Indigenous Peoples rights campaigner, attends the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Global drought regime

    Nations also made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026.

    At COP16, more than 30 decisions were issued on key topics through the negotiation process, including migration, dust storms, enhancing the role of science, research and innovation, and empowering women to tackle environmental challenges.

    Some decisions introduced new topics to the agenda, namely environmentally sustainable agrifood systems and rangelands, which cover 54 per cent of all land. The degradation of rangelands alone threatens one sixth of global food supplies, potentially depleting one third of the Earth’s carbon reserves.

    At the same time, more than $12 billion was pledged to tackle land challenges around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Right now, some two billion people living in pastoral areas are among the world’s most vulnerable in the face of desertification, land degradation and drought.

    Now, the work begins

    COP16 was the largest and most diverse UNCCD COP to date. It attracted more than 20,000 participants, around 3,500 of them from civil society, and featured more than 600 events as part of the first Action Agenda to involve non-State actors in the work of the convention. It also set records for youth attendance and for the most ever private sector participants at a UN land conference, with more than 400 representatives from such industries as finance, fashion, agri-food and pharmaceuticals.

    UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said now, the work begins.

    “Our work does not end with the closing of COP16,” she told delegates. “We must continue to tackle the climate crisis. It is a call to action for all of us to embrace inclusivity, innovation and resilience”

    She said youth and Indigenous Peoples must be at the heart of these conversations.

    “Their wisdom, their voices, and their creativity are indispensable as we craft a sustainable future with renewed hope for generations to come.”

    Vital turning point

    The meeting also marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience, according to COP16 president, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley.

    “We hope the outcomes of this session will lead to a significant shift that strengthens efforts to preserve land, reduce its degradation, build capacities to address drought, and contribute to the wellbeing of communities around the world,” he said in closing remarks.

    UN Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw agreed, underscoring a significant shift in the global approach to land and drought issues and the interconnected challenges with broader global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, forced migration and global stability.

    NOOR for FAO/Benedicte Kurzen

    In Koyli Alpha, Senegal, women work in tree nurseries created as part of the Great Green Wall Initiative.

    ‘Solutions are within our grasp’

    During COP16, participants heard that UNCCD estimates that at least $2.6 trillion in total investments are needed by 2030 to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and build resilience to drought.

    This equals $1 billion in daily investments between now and 2030 to meet global land restoration targets and combat desertification and drought.

    New pledges were also announced for large-scale land restoration and drought preparedness and for some existing projects that are already winning the battle, like the Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land straddling across the Sahel region, which mobilised $11.5 million from Italy and nearly $4 million from Austria.

    UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw summed up a common message heard throughout COP16 in his closing remarks.

    “As we have discussed and witnessed, the solutions are within our grasp,” he said.

    “The actions we took today will shape not only the future of our planet but also the lives, livelihoods and opportunities of those who depend on it.”

    Read more stories on climate and the environment here.

    Sacred Lands Declaration

    © UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    Assessing drylands in Caating, Brazil.

    In a landmark decision, COP16 parties requested the creation of a caucus for Indigenous Peoples with the goal of ensuring that their unique perspectives and priorities are represented in the work of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

    The Sacred Lands Declaration, presented during the inaugural Indigenous Peoples Forum on 7 December, underscored their role in sustainable resource management and called for greater involvement in global land and drought governance, including through participation in land restoration efforts.

    Here are some calls for action in the declaration:

    • We call on parties to ensure an approach that embraces human rights and Indigenous Peoples’s rights in all policies and actions related to land restoration and resilience building
    • We call on parties to respect, recognise, promote and protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, based on the fundamental right to self-determination, provided for in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and its General Recommendation 23

    • We encourage the UNCCD to create a dedicated fund for Indigenous Peoples’ initiatives on land restoration, conservation, desertification and drought resilience

      Read the full Sacred Lands Declaration here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Around 90,000 children impacted by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Tropical Cyclone Chido struck northern Mozambique over the weekend, bringing torrential rains and powerful winds that caused devastation for communities in Cabo Delgado province.

    Current assessments show the storm destroyed or damaged over 35,000 homes, displaced thousands of families, and impacted more than 90,000 children, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

    Classrooms destroyed; infrastructure damaged

    According to the latest situation report, at least 174,000 people have been impacted overall but numbers may increase as assessments continue.

    In addition to homes damaged, at least 186,000 classrooms were destroyed, and 20 health facilities hit, after the storm made landfall on Sunday.

    Cyclone Chido hit close to the city of Pemba in Cabo Delgado, blowing away roofs, damaging civilian infrastructure, and leveling electricity and communication systems.

    “Mozambique is considered one of the most affected countries in the world by climate change and children were already experiencing several life-threatening emergencies before Cyclone Chido, including conflict, drought, and disease outbreaks,” said Mary Louise Eagleton, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique.

    UNICEF – along with other UN agencies, the government, NGOs and local partners – is “responding and prioritizing decisive actions for emergency humanitarian action despite the enormous challenges children face in Mozambique”, Ms. Eagleton added.

    Seven years of conflict

    Cabo Delgado has endured at least seven years of brutal conflict, leading to more than 1.3 million people becoming internally displaced, 80 per cent of them women and children.

    For many, Cyclone Chido has caused renewed hardship, washing away what little they had managed to rebuild, according to UN agencies in the region.

    © UNICEF/Guy Taylor

    Young boys look at the damage caused by Cyclone Chido.

    The cyclone also tore through Nampula and Niassa provinces, leaving over 25,000 families without electricity and damaging two water facilities.

    In a region already fighting a cholera outbreak, the latest devastation creates an ominous likelihood that the outbreak will further deteriorate, UNICEF added.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has experts on the ground in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces, supporting authorities to conduct health assessments to identify and address immediate needs.

    Affected rural areas

    Within the first 48 hours, UN refugee agency, UNHCR, provided aid to those in need in Pemba, where more than 2,600 people received emergency relief and essential items such as blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and emergency shelter supplies.

    Speaking to the media on Tuesday in Geneva, UNCHR’s spokesperson Eujin Byun said that “while the full extent of the damage in rural areas remains unclear, preliminary assessments suggest that around 190,000 people urgently need humanitarian assistance, 33 schools have been affected and nearly 10,000 homes were destroyed. In some villages, very few houses remain standing”.

    UN standing ready

    Posting on X, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that UN teams in the region are helping deliver emergency assistance, and that the organization stands ready to provide additional support as needed.

    According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, limited supplies are hampering the response. Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $4 million to Mozambique in support of the early humanitarian response.

    With nearly 3.3 million people projected to be in “crisis” or higher levels of food insecurity in Mozambique next year, the World Food Programme (WFP) added that the agency would be scaling up to help those most affected by the cyclone.

    Other affected areas

    Cyclone Chido also caused significant devastation in Mayotte, a French overseas territory, resulting in fatalities, infrastructure damage, and increased risks for vulnerable communities, including asylum-seekers and refugees, added UNHCR.

    And in southern Malawi, the storm brought strong winds and rains leading to destruction of houses and infrastructure in several areas. The agency is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with local partners.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN World Court concludes landmark hearings on States’ responsibility for climate change

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) held historic hearings from 2 to 13 December addressing States’ obligations under international law to combat climate change, a process spearheaded by small island nations facing existential threats.

    Initiated by a UN General Assembly resolution, the proceedings involved 96 countries and 11 regional organizations presenting their views on the “obligations of States with regard to climate change” under international law.  

    While ICJ advisory opinion will be non-binding, it is expected to shape the future of international climate law.

    Small islands call for justice

    The hearings opened with an appeal from Vanuatu and Melanesian Spearhead Group, representing nations most vulnerable to climate change.  

    “The outcome of these historic proceedings will have repercussions for generations to come, determining the fate of nations like mine and the future of our planet,” said Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change.  

    The Pacific Island nation highlighted the catastrophic impacts of rising seas and extreme weather, calling the failures of high-emitting States “illicit”.

    The country’s Attorney General Arnold Kiel Loughman argued that “the failure of a handful of high-emitting states to meet their obligations constitutes an internationally wrongful act,” as they have brought humanity “to the brink of the abyss.”  

    Small island developing States (SIDS), represented by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), echoed these calls.  

    They asked the World Court to affirm principles of international law that address sea-level rise, including the recognition of maritime zones and statehood even if territories are inundated.  

    Differentiated responsibilities: Brazil, China weigh in  

    Brazil highlighted its commitment to ambitious emissions reductions, stressing that despite being a developing country, it faces significant challenges like poverty eradication and extreme climate impacts.  

    The country’s special envoy on climate change, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, underscored the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, asserting that high-emitting developed countries bear the greatest burden in addressing the crisis.  

    China, meanwhile, urged the ICJ to avoid creating new legal obligations and focus on existing frameworks such as the Paris Agreement on climate change.

    As one of the world’s largest emitters, China argued that developed nations must bear historical responsibility, while developing countries require longer timelines to meet climate goals.

    UN Photo

    The towers and gables of the Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

    US, EU take diverging stances  

    The United States acknowledged the severity of the climate crisis but argued that international treaties like the Paris Agreement are not legally binding.  

    Margaret Taylor, the US representative, also rejected the notion that “common but differentiated responsibilities” is a fundamental principle of international law.  

    On the other hand, the European Union (EU) emphasised cooperation and stressed the non-adversarial nature of the advisory proceedings.  

    EU representatives pointed to the importance of existing treaties in addressing climate change but stopped short of calling for enforcement mechanisms.  

    A crucial moment for international climate action

    While the ICJ deliberates, nations and observers alike await its advisory opinion, expected to guide future legal interpretations of States’ responsibilities for the climate crisis.

    For small island nations and vulnerable communities, the stakes are existential.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Spirit of resilience braces desertification winds in Saudi Arabia

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

    Climate and Environment

    A low tech and sustainable solution to holding back advancing desert sands in eastern Saudi Arabia could help farming communities to thrive and conserve vulnerable habitats.

    The deserts of Saudi Arabia are amongst the largest in the world and controlling the natural migration of sand has always been a challenge not just to farmers, who want to increase agricultural productivity, but also to communities that want to ensure a more prosperous future or seek investment for growth.

    The Al Ahsa oasis in the eastern province of the Gulf state, one of the country’s largest and most productive oases, is threatened by encroaching sands.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Villages like this one close to the Al Ahsa oasis have been fully submerged by sand.

    At least nine villages in the immediate area have been inundated by sand dunes which can reach up to 15 metres high. Some have been dug out, others have remained buried.

    Holding back desertification

    “This is not a new phenomenon,” said Mona Dawalbeit from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which has been working with the Saudi government and local communities on trials to hold back desertification, “but communities and farmers especially do need extra support as they do not have the resources to do this alone.”

    Climate change has made the issue more pressing as higher temperatures and lower ground moisture contribute to drier sand and the increased likelihood of desertification.

    The state-owned oil company, Aramco, which extracts oil and gas in the eastern desert has over many decades protected infrastructure, including roads, mechanically removing sand amongst other measures, but the costs are high, so FAO has been promoting more sustainable approaches.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Palm fronds arranged in quadrants can help to slow down the pace of desertification.

    It is trialing low-level sand barriers made of palm fronds which are inexpensive and use material may otherwise would go to waste.

    Various designs can be tailored to protect farms and service facilities based on the geographical and geomorphological conditions,” said Mona Dawalbeit.

    These designs may include checkerboard and linear patterns with varying heights, ranging from 10 cm to one metre, depending on the specific purpose of the sand barrier.

    Environmental benefits

    The checkerboard technique effectively reduces sand encroachment and promotes the growth of natural vegetation including createing favourable conditions for planting trees or the spreading of seeds.

    “The palm barriers will not fully prevent the wind from moving sand towards land you want to protect,” said Mona Dawalbeit, “but it does slow the speed and completely change the flow of the sand.”

    There are additional environmental benefits of using palm fronds as typically they would be burned as waste, releasing the harmful carbon dioxide gas which is fuelling climate change.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Palm fronds are collected and reused as sand barriers.

    FAO is also piloting weather stations based on global standards which provide data on the complicated science of sand movements.

    Preventive action

    By analysing sand grain ‘deposit suspension’ (particles are suspended in mid-air and are blown by the wind across land), ‘saltation’ (smaller particles which are blown in jumps across the surface) and ‘surface creep’ (particles which are rolled over the ground) the volume and direction of sand encroachments can be predicted in conjunction with other climatic factors such as wind speed and direction, humidity and temperature.

    Preventative action can be targeted in specific locations where sand tends to move onto valuable agricultural land eroding the topsoil.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    An FAO-supported meteorological station measures sand movements.

    FAO collaborated with Green Environment Society in Al Ahsa to implement sand barriers aimed at protecting Al Ahsa National Park, a government-managed entity.

    The initiative sought to strengthen the relationship between governmental institutions and local communities while building the capacity of NGOs to construct sand barriers using palm fronds.

    Community involvement 

    “This approach not only ensures local sustainability,” said FAO’s Mona Dawelbait “but also promotes community involvement in environmental conservation efforts”.

    “In Saudi Arabia and in Al Ahsa in particular, there are concerns about land degradation and the loss of productive land,” she added, “but together we can change these challenges into opportunities.”

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Climate change is contributing to increased sand movements in Saudi Arabia.

    “I have worked with desert communities for 20 years. They are resilient people with strong spirits and I believe, the wind of change in terms of holding back land loss will carry on beyond this FAO intervention.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: It’s official: January was the warmest on record

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The world has just experienced the hottest January ever recorded, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday, citing data crunched by UN partner the Copernicus Climate Service

    Last month was 1.75 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level and 0.79°C above the 1991-2020 average, despite expectations that the La Nina weather phenomenon might bring cooler temperatures.

    In 2015, the international community agreed to try to limit average global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

    Surprise data

    The January data was “surprising” even to climate change experts at Copernicus, the European climate change service, which noted that it was the 18th month in the last 19 where the global-average surface air temperature was more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level.

    “January 2025 is another surprising month, continuing the record temperatures observed throughout the last two years, despite the development of La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific and their temporary cooling effect on global temperatures,” said Samantha Burgess, Copernicus Strategic Lead for Climate.

    For many in the northern hemisphere January 2025 will be remembered by “wetter-than-average conditions” over western Europe, as well as parts of Italy, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, Copernicus said, highlighting “heavy precipitation” and flooding in some regions.

    Regional variations

    On the other hand, drier than average conditions were recorded in the northern UK and Ireland, eastern Spain and north of the Black Sea.

    Beyond Europe, it was wetter than average in Alaska, Canada, central and eastern Russia, eastern Australia, southeastern Africa, and southern Brazil, with regions experiencing floods and associated damage.

    But drier-than-average conditions took hold in southwestern United States and northern Mexico, northern Africa, the Middle East, across Central Asia and in eastern China as well as in much of southern Africa, southern South America and Australia.

    Global temperature rise is primarily attributed to humans burning fossil fuels which have led to record concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Other factors are also key, including deforestation. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Today’s challenges are ‘opportunities for transformation’, Somali leader tells UN

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    In his address to the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre of Somalia highlighted the multitude of challenges facing the world today, including transnational conflicts, humanitarian crises, and the existential threat of climate change. 

    Underscoring the theme of this year’s Assembly session, he said that these challenges come with “an opportunity for transformation” that can only be realized through “closer cooperation, collective resolve, and an unwavering commitment to the principles of humanity and multilateralism.”  

    The Prime Minister addressed the urgency of escalating global conflicts, notably the humanitarian crises in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine. Denouncing the violence in Sudan, where ongoing conflict has displaced millions and led to severe food insecurity, he urged a cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians, emphasizing the need for humanitarian access and inclusive dialogue.  

    Turning to Gaza, Mr. Barre said, “The ongoing conflict has not only destroyed the physical infrastructure of Gaza but has also crushed the hopes of an entire generation,” and called for an unconditional ceasefire and the lifting of the inhumane blockade, advocating for a political process that respects the rights of the Palestinian people.  

    He also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine, again calling for a ceasefire and adherence to international humanitarian law. He stressed the importance of dialogue to achieve a lasting political settlement and prevent further escalation.  

    The Prime Minister noted that while global conflicts demand attention, regional threats should not be overlooked, particularly highlighting the threats posed by Ethiopia’s recent actions, which he described as violations of Somalia’s territorial integrity. He condemned Ethiopia’s attempts to annex parts of Somalia and called for international support to uphold Somalia’s sovereignty.  

    He went on to emphasize the critical need for sustainable funding for peacekeeping, particularly in Somalia, where African Union forces have played a vital role in combating terrorism. He urged the international community to support innovative funding solutions to ensure the success of these missions.  

    Climate change was another focal point of Mr. Barre’s address. He highlighted the severe impacts of climate change on Somalia, including droughts and floods. He noted, “For many developing countries, the reality is that the complex bureaucracy, rigid criteria, and lack of necessary resources often stand in the way of receiving the help they so desperately need” and called for simplified access to international funds to help vulnerable nations build resilience.  

    Mr. Barre also advocated for reforming the UN Security Council to better reflect today’s geopolitical realities, supporting the ‘Ezulwini Consensus’ for a more inclusive Council. He also called for reforms in international financial institutions to create a more equitable global economy, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency.  

    Highlighting Somalia’s progress, PM Barre celebrated recent milestones, including the completion of debt relief and accession to the East African Community, and emphasized Somalia’s potential for economic growth and development, citing natural resources and a strategic location for trade.  

    Click here for the full statement.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The climate crisis: 5 things to watch out for in 2025

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    Climate and Environment

    The Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, will be the global focus of efforts to tackle the climate crisis in November 2025, when it hosts one of the most significant UN climate conferences in recent years. 

    However, throughout the years there will be plenty of opportunities to make important progress on several climate-related issues, from the staggering levels of plastic pollution to financing the shift to a cleaner global economy.

    1 Can we keep 1.5 alive?

    “Keep 1.5 alive” has been the UN’s rallying cry for a number of years, a reference to the goal of ensuring that average global temperatures don’t soar beyond 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels. The scientific consensus is that a lack of action would have catastrophic consequences, not least for the so-called “frontline States”, such as developing island nations which could disappear under the ocean, as sea levels rise.

    © UNICEF/Lasse Bak Mejlvang

    A man fishes sitting on sandbags which protect the Pacific Ocean island nation Tuvalu against sea erosion.

    At COP30, the UN climate conference scheduled to take place between 10 and 21 November 2025, mitigation (in other words, actions and policies designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures) is likely to a key focus.

    The nations of the world will arrive with upgraded, more ambitious commitments to lowering greenhouse gases. This is both a recognition that existing pledges are wholly inadequate, in terms of getting temperatures down, and part of the deal that Member States signed up to in 2015 at the Paris COP (nations are expected to “ratchet up” their commitments every five years. The last time this happened was at the 2021 Glasgow COP, delayed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

    2 Protecting nature

    Holding COP30 in the Amazonian rainforest region of Brazil is of symbolic importance. It harks back to the early days of international attempts to protect the environment: the pivotal “Earth Summit”, which led to the establishment of three environmental treaties on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, took place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

    © Unsplash/Sreenivas

    A parrot stands on a tree branch in Maharashtra, India.

    The location also highlights the role that nature has to play in the climate crisis. The rainforest is a massive “carbon sink”, a system that sucks up and stores CO2, a greenhouse gas, and prevents it from entering the atmosphere, where it contributes to warming.

    Unfortunately, rainforests and other “nature-based solutions” face threats from human development, such as illegal logging which has devastated huge swathes of the region. The UN will continue efforts begun in 2024 to improve the protection of the rainforest and other ecosystems, at biodiversity talks due to be resumed in Rome in February.

    3 Who’s going to pay for all this?

    Finance has long been a thorny issue in international climate negotiations. Developing countries argue that wealthy nations should contribute far more towards projects and initiatives that will enable them to move away from fossil fuels, and power their economies on clean energy sources. The pushback from the rich countries is that fast-growing economies such as China, which is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, should also pay their share.

    © UNFCCC/Habib Samadov

    Activists protest against fossil fuels at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

    At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, a breakthrough of sorts was made, with the adoption of an agreement to triple the amount of climate finance paid to developing countries, to $300 billion per year, by 2035. The deal is a definite step forward, but the final sum is far less than the $1.3 trillion that climate experts say these countries need in order to adapt to the crisis.

    Expect more progress to be made on financing in 2025, at a summit in Spain at the end of June. The Financing for Development conferences only take place once every 10 years, and next year’s edition is being billed as an opportunity to make radical changes to the international financial architecture. Environmental and climate concerns will be raised, and potential solutions such as green taxation, carbon pricing and subsidies will all be on the table.

    4 Laying down the law

    When the attention of the International Court of Justice turned to climate change in December, it was hailed as a landmark moment with regards to States’ legal obligations under international law.

    © UNDP/Silke von Brockhausen

    Vanuatu often experiences destructive extreme weather, such as typhoons, which are being exacerbated by climate change.

    Vanuatu, a Pacific island state particularly vulnerable to the crisis, asked the court for an advisory position, in order to clarify the obligations of States with regard to climate change, and inform any future judicial proceedings.

    Over a two-week period, 96 countries and 11 regional organizations took part in public hearings before the Court, including Vanuatu and a group of other Pacific islands States, and major economies including China and the USA.

    The ICJ will deliberate for several months before delivering its advisory opinion on the subject. Although this opinion will be non-binding, it is expected to guide future international climate law.

    5 Plastic pollution

    UN-convened talks on getting to grips with the global epidemic of plastic pollution edged closer to a deal during negotiations in Busan, South Korea.

    Some key advances were made during the November 2024 talks – the fifth round of negotiations following the 2022 UN Environment Assembly resolution calling for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

    Agreement on three pivotal areas needs to be ironed: plastic products, including the issue of chemicals; sustainable production and consumption; and financing.

    UNDP India

    Plastic bottles are collected for recycling in India.

    Member States are now charged with finding political solutions to their differences before the resumed session begins, and with landing a final deal that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics and delivers on the growing global momentum to end plastic pollution.

    “It is clear that the world still wants and demands an end to plastic pollution,” said UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen. “We need to ensure we craft an instrument that hits the problem hard instead of punching below its potential weight. I call on all Member States to lean in.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 2024 to become the hottest year on record

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The year 2024 is set to be the warmest on record, capping a decade of unprecedented heat fuelled by human activities, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). 

    “Today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for the New Year.  

    “This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose,” he gravely emphasised.

    WMO will publish the consolidated global temperature figure for 2024 in January and its full State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March 2025.  

    Climate catastrophes 

    Throughout 2024, a series of reports from the WMO community highlighted the rapid pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on every aspect of sustainable development.

    Record-breaking rainfalls were documented as well as catastrophic flooding, scorching heat waves with temperatures exceeding 50°C, and devastating wildfires.  

    The organization found that climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems in their report When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather.  

    Climate change also intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3700 people and displaced millions. 

    Celeste Saulo, the WMO Secretary-General, described the year as a sobering wake-up call. 

    “This year we saw record-breaking rainfall and flooding events and terrible loss of life in so many countries, causing heartbreak to communities on every continent,” she stated.

    “Every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and increases climate extremes, impacts and risks,” she underscored.  

    Hope amid crises  

    Despite the grim realities, the year 2024 saw notable advancements with the adoption of the Pact for the Future – a landmark agreement to promote disarmament, financial reform, gender equality, and ethical technological innovation.  

    The COP29 UN climate conference also recently discussed ways to increase finance for poor countries to support them in coping with the impacts of extreme weather.  

    Developing countries are responsible for a small amount of historic carbon emissions, but as WMO research has highlighted, are being hit the hardest by extreme weather. 

    Moreover, in response to the Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, a targeted group of experts representing 15 international organizations and 12 countries convened at WMO headquarters in December to advance a coordinated framework for tackling the growing threat of extreme heat.  

    2025: A pivotal year  

    With 2025 designated as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, WMO and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aim to prioritise efforts to protect the cryosphere – the Earth’s frozen regions, critical to regulating global temperatures.  

    Additionally, WMO is advancing initiatives like the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch which aims to improve the monitoring of greenhouse gas (GHG) net fluxes globally.  

    By 2027, the organization also aims to ensure universal protection from hazardous environmental events through life-saving anticipatory systems currently developed in the Early Warnings for All programme.  

    Reflecting on WMO’s upcoming 75th anniversary, Ms. Saulo reinforced the shared responsibility to act.

    “If we want a safer planet, we must act now. It’s our responsibility. It’s a common responsibility, a global responsibility,” she firmly stated.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Confirmed: 2024 was the hottest year on record, says UN weather agency

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    UN weather experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Friday that 2024 was the hottest year on record, at 1.55 degrees Celsius (C) above pre-industrial temperatures.

    “We saw extraordinary land, sea surface temperatures, extraordinary ocean heat accompanied by very extreme weather affecting many countries around the world, destroying lives, livelihoods, hopes and dreams,” WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said. “We saw many climate change impacts retreating sea ice glaciers. It was an extraordinary year.”

    Four of the six international datasets crunched by WMO indicated a higher than 1.5℃ global average increase for the whole of last year but two did not. 

    The 1.5℃ marker is significant because it was a key goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to ensure that global temperature change does not rise more than this above pre-industrial levels, while striving to hold the overall increase to well below 2℃.

    Climate deal under pressure

    The Paris Agreement is “not yet dead but in grave danger”, the WMO maintained, explaining that the accord’s long-term temperature goals are measured over decades, rather than individual years.

    However, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo insisted that “climate history is playing out before our eyes. We’ve had not just one or two record-breaking years, but a full ten-year series. “It is essential to recognize that every fraction of a degree of warming matters. Whether it is at a level below or above 1.5C of warming, every additional increment of global warming increases the impacts on our lives, economies and our planet.”

    LA fires: climate change factor

    Amid still raging deadly wildfires in Los Angeles that weather experts including the WMO insist have been exacerbated by climate change – with more days of dry, warm, windy weather on top of rains which boosted vegetation growth – the UN agency said that 2024 capped a decade-long “extraordinary streak of record-breaking temperatures”.

    © CAL FIRE

    A bank building burns in Los Angeles, California.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the WMO’s findings as further proof of global warming and urged all governments to deliver new national climate action plans this year to limit long-term global temperature rise to 1.5C – and support the most vulnerable deal with devastating climate impacts.

    “Individual years pushing past the 1.5℃ limit do not mean the long-term goal is shot,” Mr. Guterres said. “It means we need to fight even harder to get on track. Blazing temperatures in 2024 require trail-blazing climate action in 2025,” he said. “There’s still time to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe. But leaders must act – now.”

    The datasets used by WMO are from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Japan Meteorological Agency, NASA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the UK Met Office in collaboration with the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (HadCRUT) and Berkeley Earth.

    Listen back to an interview climate scientist Alvaro Silva at the WMO, following the heat alert in the United States at the end of June: 

    Soundcloud

    Ocean warming

    Highlighting a separate scientific study on ocean warming, WMO said that it had played a key role in last year’s record high temperatures.

    “The ocean is the warmest it has ever been as recorded by humans, not only at the surface but also for the upper 2,000 metres,” the UN agency said, citing the findings of the international study spanning seven countries and published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.

    WMO noted that about 90 per cent of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, “making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change”.

    To put the study’s findings into perspective, it explained that from 2023 to 2024, the upper 2,000 metres of ocean became warmer by 16 zettajoules (1,021 Joules), which is about 140 times the world’s total electricity output.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Climate emergency: 2025 declared international year of glaciers

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Pia Blondel

    Climate and Environment

    As glaciers disappear at an alarming rate due to climate change, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP).

    Co-facilitated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this global initiative seeks to unite efforts worldwide to protect these vital water sources, which provide freshwater to more than 2 billion people.

    Glaciers and ice sheets hold around 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater and their rapid loss presents an urgent environmental and humanitarian crisis.

    WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised this urgency, saying “Melting ice and glaciers threaten long-term water security for many millions of people. This international year must be a wake-up call to the world.”

    Alarming data

    In 2023, glaciers experienced their greatest water loss in over 50 years, marking the second consecutive year in which all glaciated regions worldwide reported ice loss.

    Switzerland, for instance, saw their glaciers lose 10 per cent of their total mass between 2022 and 2023, according to the WMO.

    Dr. Lydia Brito, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, explained during the launch event in Geneva that the “50 UNESCO heritage sites with glaciers represent almost 10 per cent of Earth’s glacier area.” However, a recent study warned that glaciers in one-third of these sites are projected to disappear by 2050.

    With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the need for immediate and decisive action has never been more critical.

    2025 key initiatives

    A key focus, the panel explained, is raising global awareness about the essential role glaciers, snow and ice play in regulating the climate and supporting ecosystems and communities.

    “Glaciers don’t care if we believe in science – they just melt in the heat,” said Dr. Carolina Adler of the Mountain Research Initiative.

    The initiative also aims to enhance scientific understanding through programmes like the Global Cryosphere Watch, ensuring that data guides effective climate action.

    Strengthening policy frameworks is another priority, with the integration of glacier preservation into global and national climate strategies, such as the Paris Agreement.

    Mobilising financial resources is another priority – essential to support vulnerable communities and fund adaptation and mitigation efforts – alongside engaging youth and local communities.

    Milestones on climate

    The first World Glacier Day will be celebrated on 21 March 2025, coinciding with World Water Day, coming a day later.

    In May, Tajikistan will host the International Glacier Preservation Conference, bringing together scientists, policymakers and community leaders to discuss solutions and form partnerships.

    “Tajikistan is immensely proud to have played an instrumental role in advocating for this resolution,” said Bahodur Sheralizoda, Chair of Tajikistan’s Committee of Environmental Protection.

    “Let us be clear, the only way to preserve glaciers as an important resource for the entire planet is for all governments to collectively course correct with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) fully consistent with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement limit,” he underscored.

    Challenges ahead

    According to the policy brief on the IYGP, “Some level of glacier loss remains inevitable given current loss rates, which modelling shows will continue until temperatures stabilise.”

    “We must prepare for cryospheric destruction through urgent policy changes,” explained Dr. John Pomeroy from the University of Saskatchewan.

    These efforts will require global cooperation, particularly in regions like Central Asia, where glacier loss has led to significant water security challenges.

    “In Tajikistan alone nearly 1,000 glaciers have melted, accounting for one-third of the country’s glacier volume,” Dr. Brito highlighted.

    A shared responsibility

    The IYGP seeks to unite nations, organizations and individuals in a common mission.

    “[It] provides a mechanism to kick start both renewed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the science and adaptation necessary to prepare for a warmer, less icy world,” said Dr. Pomeroy

    “History will record that 2025 was the tipping point where humanity changed course and eventually saved the glaciers, ourselves and our planet,” he concluded.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deadly floods in Spain highlight need to cut greenhouse gas emissions

    Source: United Nations 2

    Climate and Environment

    The record-breaking rainfall and deadly flash floods that hit Spain this week underscore why saving lives as climate change turbocharges extreme weather must be a top priority, the World Meteorological Office (WMO) said on Friday. 

    The UN weather agency is highlighting the importance of early warning systems for all corners of the planet and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

    “The flooding that we’re seeing in Spain is just one of many, many, many, extreme weather and water-related disasters that have been taking place around the world this year. Almost every week we’re seeing such shocking images,” spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva. 

    Lives lost as rains continue

    More than 150 people have been killed in Spain, where a massive search and rescue operation is ongoing even as the rains continue. 

    The Valencia region was worst affected, and “some areas received more than the equivalent of a year’s amount of rainfall in the space of eight hours.” 

    Spain’s meteorological and hydrological service, AEMET, has been issuing constant advisories and alerts throughout the week via the common alerting protocol, she said, referring to the standardized message format for all media, all hazards, and all communication channels.

    A red alert – the top level – was issued on Friday in the southwest province of Huelva, “so, unfortunately, this episode is not finished yet”.

    Extreme weather increasing

    Ms. Nullis recalled that other areas in Europe have been badly affected by floods this year. In mid-September, parts of Central Europe experienced very heavy rainfall, breaking local and national records.

    “According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, extreme weather events causing highly impactful floods and droughts have become more likely and more severe due to anthropogenic climate change,” she said.

    She pointed to WMO’s recently released report on the State of Global Water Resources. Commenting at the time, the agency’s chief, Celeste Saulo, said that the hydrological cycle has accelerated due to rising temperatures.  

    As a result, the world is facing growing problems of either too much or too little water. Furthermore, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which is conducive to heavy rainfall.

    Ms. Nullis said this is what is happening in Spain.

    “As the air warms, it becomes more moist. So, every additional fraction of warming increases the atmospheric moisture content, and this increases the risk of extreme precipitation, flooding,” she explained.

    World must act now 

    Asked what action can be taken to avoid the devastation caused in Spain and elsewhere, Ms. Nullis said the international community “can make a good start by reducing greenhouse gas emissions which are the driver behind this.”

    Countries also “need to ensure that early warnings lead to informed early action.”

    WMO will publish its latest State of the Global Climate update at the COP29 UN climate change conference in Azerbaijan later this month.  The report will provide more details about extreme events around the world over the past year. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN expert calls for action as Marshall Islands faces dual displacement crisis

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    An independent UN expert on Thursday called on the international community to fulfill its “urgent moral obligation” to support the Marshall Islands in addressing displacement challenges stemming from the impacts of historical nuclear testing and the growing threat of climate change. 

    The appeal from Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, comes as the Pacific nation grapples with generational displacement and the threat posed by rising sea levels and unprecedented global heating.

    The Marshall Islands, a frontline nation in the fight to slow global warming, faces unique challenges.

    As one of the small island developing States (SIDS), it has played a significant role in international climate action. Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, the Marshall Islands was instrumental, along with other SIDS, in advocating strongly for the inclusion of the 1.5 C temperature goal.

    The nation also submitted one of the first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS) under the agreement.

    The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) identifies the Marshall Islands as particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with rising sea levels posing an existential threat.

    Despite these challenges, the agreement on ‘Loss and Damage funding’ at COP27,  marks a critical development for vulnerable nations like the Marshall Islands. This mechanism aims to provide financial assistance to the most vulnerable nations impacted by climate change effects.

    Nuclear testing threatens communities

    Beyond environmental challenges, research conducted by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, revealed that 67 nuclear tests performed between 1946 and 1958 by the United States Government in the Marshall Islands left communities displaced and contributed to radioactive land and sea pollution.

    “Legacies of nuclear testing and military land requisitions by a foreign power have displaced hundreds of Marshallese for generations,” while the adverse effects of climate change threaten to displace thousands more,” said Ms. Gaviria Betancur, following her 10-day visit to the country.

    The UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert who receives no salary and represents no government or organization, welcomed Marshall Islanders’ efforts to seek remedy and solutions for displaced persons while emphasizing that the “situation has been largely driven beyond the country’s control”.

    Indigenous rights

    During her visit, Ms. Gaviria Betancur emphasized the profound impact of displacement on Marshallese communities.

    “Many Marshallese I spoke with recounted the profound sense of dislocation they feel as a result of their displacement from lands deeply intertwined with their sense of culture and identity as Indigenous Peoples,” she reported.

    She congratulated the Marshall Islands on its recent election to the Human Rights Council and its introduction of a resolution addressing the human rights implications of the nuclear legacy.

    She also outlined specific recommendations for the government, stating, “the Government should adopt a comprehensive, rights-based policy on displacement, promote greater transparency around laws and policies relevant to displaced persons and continue working with traditional leaders”.

    International Responsibility

    Addressing historical responsibility, the expert noted that displacement occurred while the Marshall Islands were under US administration as a Strategic Trust Territory of the United Nations. She urged the United States to provide complete information about the displacement and health risks to affected communities, ensure meaningful remedy, and seek full consent from those with traditional rights to lands it currently occupies for military purposes.

    “While current compensation agreements may have been put in place after independence, these aims to codify displacement that took place when those displaced could not reasonably have provide free, prior and informed consent in line with Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination,” she stated.

    Ms. Gaviria Betancur called on the international community to provide more support for the Marshall Islands’ climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, highlighting the countries minimal contribution to global emissions. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Devastating 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends, marked by record-setting storms

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Climate and Environment

    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season officially concludes this weekend, leaving a trail of destruction, loss of life and massive economic damage across the Americas and the Caribbean, the UN meteorological agency reported on Friday.

    This year saw 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes – classified as Category 3 or higher – marking the ninth consecutive above-average season for the Atlantic basin.

    “Year after year, the climate crisis continues to break new records, resulting in more extreme weather events, including rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, intense rainfall and flooding,” said Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

    Among them was Hurricane Beryl, which made history as the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Striking in July, Beryl left widespread devastation across the Caribbean.

    While the storm caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, its impact on human life was mitigated by advances in early warning systems.

    “Despite its ferocity, the hurricane resulted in fewer deaths compared to previous ones. This was thanks to advances in strengthening their early warning systems,” Ms. Saulo said.

    A season of extremes

    After the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Beryl in July, activity slowed in August due to atmospheric conditions over Western Africa impeding storm development.

    However, storm frequency and intensity surged in early September, with seven hurricanes forming after 25 September – a record for late-season activity.

    Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September as a Category 4 storm on Florida’s Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding in the southern Appalachians, widespread wind damage across the eastern United States and storm surge flooding along Florida’s coast.

    With over 150 direct fatalities, Helene became the deadliest hurricane to strike the country since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

    In October, Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm. It unleashed 46 tornadoes, torrential rainfall and severe flooding.

    IOM/Gema Cortés

    Aerial view of houses destroyed by Hurricane Beryl as it barreled through Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Rising threats amid climate change

    The 2024 hurricane season underscored the alarming trend of increasingly severe storms fueled by the climate crisis.

    Rising global temperatures are intensifying tropical cyclones, leading to rapid storm intensification, heavier rainfall and more frequent flooding, according to the WMO.

    While fatalities from tropical cyclones have decreased dramatically – from over 350,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 20,000 in the 2010s – economic losses have risen sharply. In 2024 alone, four US hurricanes caused damage exceeding $1 billion each.

    Small island developing states in the Caribbean remain particularly vulnerable, with disproportionate impacts highlighting the need to scale up initiatives like the Early Warnings for All campaign, aimed at building resilience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: First Person: Tears of joy as Argentinian city children encounter nature for first time

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson

    Climate and Environment

    An environmental lawyer has told UN News how children and teenagers from some of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, have been moved to tears after encountering nature for the first time.

    Ana Di Pangracio works for the civil society organization Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales or FARN which is involved in projects to restore degraded land in Argentina.

    She spoke to UN News in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she was attending a UN conference (COP16) focused on desertification, drought and land restoration.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Ana Di Pangracio attends the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    “We work in the Matanza Riachuelo basin which is a polluted area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, which is home to around 4.5 million people, many of whom are living in socio-environmental vulnerable situations or other difficult circumstances.

    Restoration activities include planting native flora and removing non-native invasive species across some 4.5 hectares, as well as building viewpoints and interpretative trails and cleaning up illegal garbage disposal.

    Part of our work is bringing people, especially young people, to experience this restored natural wetland.

    Many live close by in very urban, built-up areas and may come from challenging or violent environments but have never seen this land or had not even known of its existence.

    Emotions and tears

    Some are moved to tears when they experience nature for the first time in their lives.

    We comfort them and tell them it is OK to be emotional; I’m really pleased that they are able to connect with nature in this way, as I can see that our work is having a big impact.

    Some are moved to tears when they experience nature for the first time in their lives.

    They tell their friends and teachers about the experience as well and so we get more visitors.

    There is an educational element to our work as we teach the children about the importance of protecting wetlands but also the adjacent grasslands and native forest.

    I am a birdwatching lawyer, and although I am no expert, I enjoy showing our visitors my favourite bird, the carancho, which is a very clever and funny bird which you can see across Argentina, including in urban areas. It is my way to connect with nature.

    The recognition that the right to a healthy environment is a human right underpins all of our work.

    © FARN

    An ibis and ducks graze the wetlands close to Buenos Aires.

    There is a lot of land loss in Argentina, including areas which have become degraded by drought. In 2020, we experienced a three-year-long drought, the worst in over 60 years. This had serious social and environmental impacts.

    UN desertification conference

    It’s important to come to this conference of the UN Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD) as it gives us the opportunity to engage with civil society constituencies and to consider the interface between national and global policy on a range of issues including land restoration and biodiversity.

    If you believe in multilateralism, it is important to be here and civil society organizations (CSOs) can make a difference.

    It was the pressure from CSOs which led to the inclusion of human rights and gender-focused elements in the Biodiversity Convention and its recently adopted Global Biodiversity Framework.

    In the UNCCD, the issue of land tenure, reflected in COP decisions, was also promoted by CSOs.

    © FARN

    A carancho sits on a sign in the wetlands in Buenos Aires Province.

    The UNCCD process, and this COP16 is no exception, does facilitate inclusivity, as CSOs are able to access the plenary meetings and deliver statements so we are being listened to.

    We are mindful that CSOs in other international fora like the UN climate COPs do not have the same level of access.

    We have received a grant from the G20 Global Land Initiative and are presenting our work at the meeting in Riyadh. This support will enable us to carry on our work in the Matanza Riachuelo basin.

    I’m excited to give more young people the opportunity to enjoy nature and for them to become the new guardians of wetlands and take the message back to their peers about the importance of preserving ecosystems for future generations.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The Philippines brace for more storms amid devastating typhoon season

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    After enduring 12 typhoons this year, including two back-to-back storms in less than a month, communities across the Philippines are bracing for more extreme weather. 

    Typhoons Kristine and Leon caused widespread damage in the Philippines, leaving thousands of families and children without access to safe water and sanitation facilities.

    The 11th and 12th tropical cyclones to hit the country this year affected at least 4.2 million individuals – approximately 1.3 million of them children – and displaced over 300,000.  

    Worsening water and sanitation crisis

    The recent typhoons have exacerbated pre-existing fragilities where access to safe water and sanitation services was already limited. In some communities, open defecation has been reported with facilities washed away, raising concerns about disease outbreaks.

    “We can’t emphasise enough the importance of lifesaving supplies during and after an emergency,” said UNICEF Representative to the Philippines Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov.

    “We are working with our partners to provide water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to affected families and children to ensure their access to critical measures against the spread of diseases,” she stressed.

    Since October 31, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners have distributed 2,950 hygiene and water kits to families in the hardest-hit provinces of Camarines Sur and Albay in the Bicol Region.

    An additional 350 kits will be delivered in the coming days through partnerships with Action Against Hunger and Plan International Pilipinas.

    Education disrupted

    The Department of Education estimates that at least 500 schools in the Bicol Region need urgent assistance, with the recent typhoons disrupting learning for 20 million children nationwide.

    “UNICEF strongly urges that schools remain dedicated to education and not used as evacuation centres so that children continue to have a stable learning environment,” said UNICEF Philippines Education Chief, Akihiro Fushimi.

    In collaboration with local education authorities, UNICEF is set to provide educational supplies to 14,594 learners and 765 teachers in 25 schools and five Community Development Centres.

    “Ensuring that children’s learning is not disrupted is a priority for UNICEF,” Mr. Fushimi further emphasised, highlighting the importance of providing children with a sense of normalcy amid the chaos.

    A season of uncertainty

    The Philippines, already Southeast Asia’s most disaster-prone country, faces increasingly frequent and severe weather events due to climate change.

    With storms Marce and Nika impacting many of the same regions last weekend and a new weather system forming that could become Tropical Storm Ofel, recovery efforts are under immense strain.

    Despite these challenges, the government has ramped up its response, while UNICEF and its partners continue to support communities with critical resources and interventions.

    UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo González recently explained in a blog on the growing risk posed by natural hazards for UN News: “As we see, the exposure to disasters and the vulnerability to climate change have compelled Filipinos to cultivate a unique sense of resilience. The ‘saving lives’ spirit is widely spread within local communities.”

    “As Filipinos frequently say, ‘as long as there is life, there is hope,’” he added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Landmark climate change hearings represent largest ever case before UN world court

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    A record number of oral statements are expected to be presented to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as highly awaited public hearings on States’ legal obligations with respect to climate change got underway on Monday.

    The hearings are part of the process towards the court issuing an advisory opinion, which will clarify States’ legal obligations under international law and the consequences for breaching them.

    They are scheduled to take place from 2 December until 13 December in the Hague, Netherlands.

    Here are five things you need to know about the historic proceedings:

    1.What are the hearings about?

    The hearings broadly concern the obligations of States with respect to climate change and the legal consequences of these obligations. They are significant because they represent the international community’s efforts to come up with a legal framework for addressing climate change. 

    More simply put, the court is being asked to provide clarity on international law with respect to climate change. The legal advice it provides may in turn influence any multilateral processes involving climate action.

    The two central questions asked of the court are as follows: 

    1.What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic [human caused] emissions of greenhouse gases for States and for present and future generations;

    2.What are the legal consequences under these obligations for States where they, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to:

    a. States, including, in particular, small island developing States, which due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specifically affected by, or are particularly vulnerable to, the adverse effects of climate change?

    b. Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change? 

    © UNICEF/Vlad Sokhin

    Children in a Pacific Island stand in an area heavily affected by sea level rise and coastal erosion.

    2.How did this case come to the ICJ? 

    In September 2021, the Pacific island of Vanuatu announced its intention to seek an advisory opinion from the ICJ on climate change. It explained that this initiative, which had been pushed for by the youth group Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, was necessitated by its vulnerability and that of other small island developing States to climate change and the need for increased action to address the global climate crisis. 

    Vanuatu then lobbied other countries to support this initiative and formed the core group of UN Member States to take the initiative forward in the General Assembly. 

    The discussions within the core group led to the development of resolution A/RES/77/276, which was eventually adopted by the General Assembly on 29 March 2023. A total of 132 countries co-sponsored the resolution. 

    The resolution drew upon “particular regard” to the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and rights recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “the principle of prevention of significant harm to the environment and the duty to protect and preserve the marine environment”. 

    The request was transmitted to the court by the UN Secretary-General in a letter dated 12 April 2023. 

    3.Who is authorised to request advisory opinions and what happens next? 

    Advisory proceedings are only open to five organs of the United Nations and 16 specialised agencies of the UN.  While the UN General Assembly and Security Council may request advisory opinions on “any legal question”, the other UN organs and specialised agencies can only do so with respect to “legal questions arising within the scope of their activities”. The majority of advisory opinions have been requested by the UN General Assembly. 

    As a rule, organizations and States authorised to participate in the proceedings submit written statements, followed by written comments on the other statements submitted if the court considers it necessary. 

    The court will decide whether to hold oral proceedings, after which the advisory opinion is delivered following a sitting of the court.   

    4.Why is this case so significant?

    This case is the largest ever seen by the world court, with 91 written statements filed with the court’s registry alongside 62 written comments on these statements submitted by the court’s extended deadline of 15 August 2024. 

    A similar record number of 97 States and eleven international organizations are scheduled to participate in the oral proceedings. These hearings are a chance for countries and organizations to elaborate on their written statements and testify directly. 

    The proceedings have particular importance for the small island developing States which initially pushed for the opinion. Significantly, they are taking place just one week after developing nations criticised a deal at COP29 to provide $300 billion a year in climate finance by 2035, calling the agreement “insulting” and arguing it did not give them the vital resources they require to truly address the complexities of the climate crisis.

    “We are literally sinking,” one representative said following COP29, pointing out the agreement highlighted “what a very different boat our vulnerable countries are in, compared to the developed countries”. 

    With small island developing States already facing some of the worst impacts of climate change, these hearings are vital to establish a stronger framework of accountability that sets clear international legal obligations for climate action.

    UN Photo

    The towers and gables of the Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

    5.What effect can an advisory opinion have? 

    Unlike judgments in contentious cases, the court’s advisory opinions are not binding. They clarify legal questions. The requesting organ, agency or organization – the General Assembly in this particular case – remains free to decide, as it sees fit, what effect to give to these opinions.  

    However, while not binding, advisory opinions have “an authoritative value and cannot be neglected”, according to the ICJ Registrar in a recent interview with UN News. They carry great moral authority by what is considered the world’s highest court and the principal judicial body of the UN. 

    This opinion on climate change can help inform subsequent judicial proceedings such as domestic cases, influence the diplomatic process and will likely be cited in thousands of climate-driven lawsuits around the world, including those where small island States are seeking compensation from developed nations for historic climate damage, according to one media source. 

    The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has stated that such an opinion will help the General Assembly, the United Nations and Member States to “take the bolder and stronger climate action that our world so desperately needs”.

    “It could also guide the actions and conduct of States in their relations with each other, as well as towards their own citizens. This is essential,” he emphasised. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Indian Ocean tsunami anniversary: A call to safeguard future generations

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, unleashing a massive tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean.

    Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) inundated communities in Aceh, Indonesia, with flooding extending up to five kilometres (three miles) inland.

    The devastation spread across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India, with tsunami waves travelling at speeds of 800 kilometres per hour (500 miles per hour). The impacts extended to Somalia and Tanzania, and waves reached as far afield as Mexico, Chile and even the Arctic.

    In addition to the lives lost, more than 1.7 million people were displaced, and the economic toll reached an estimated $10 billion. Children bore a particularly heavy toll, with thousands killed or orphaned.

    A wake-up call for humanity

    Philémon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly, described the tsunami as “the first global disaster of the 21st century and one of the most devastating in recent history.”

    He urged nations to reaffirm their resolve to protect future generations and integrate disaster preparedness and resilience into sustainable development strategies.

    Kamal Kishore, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, called the tsunami a “wake-up call for humanity”.

    “It really showed us how such low-frequency, high-impact hazards, can have impacts that will ripple across the entire global system and across multiple geographies,” he said.

    Progress through global collaboration

    The tragedy also catalysed unprecedented global collaboration.

    “Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, it was evident that transboundary problems require solutions that reach across borders,” emphasised Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

    In the two decades since the tragedy, working together the international community has made significant strides in disaster preparedness.

    In 2005, nations convened under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) to establish the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS). Today, 27 national tsunami warning centers can issue alerts within minutes of seismic events.

    Compared to just 25 per cent in 2004, over 75 per cent of coastal communities in high-risk areas now have access to tsunami early warning information, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

    Furthermore, UN initiatives like the Tsunami Ready Programme and the Tsunami Project continue to empower local leaders and communities with life-saving knowledge and resources. Similarly, the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness is developing vital early warning systems for all.

    ESCAP Video | Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness

    Climate change amplifying risks

    However, challenges have also grown more complex.

    Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, often cascading with and compounding geophysical events like earthquakes and volcanoes.

    ESCAP estimates that 68 million people in 43 Asian and Pacific countries, along with $2.3 trillion in infrastructure along coasts, remain at significant risk. In the Indian Ocean basin alone, over 2,600 educational facilities, 1,200 ports, and 140 power plants are vulnerable.

    We must do more

    Mr. Kishore underscored the need for sustained awareness and preparation.

    “We have to continue to keep the awareness of Tsunami risk high,” he said.

    “It is crucial that we do not forget the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and continue to do everything we can to protect ourselves, our children and our future generations from the impact of future tsunamis.”

    Indian Ocean tsunami: Survivors recall the fateful day

    MIL OSI United Nations News –