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My grandfather would routinely remove debris from the water’s surface and unclog the outlet as part of maintenance for ensuring an unrestricted flow of surface water, which would later be treated and stored by the water utility. This impressed upon me the value of environmental protection and conservation for supporting vibrant ecosystems and keeping good surface water quality.

At the heart of coastal communities, where the rhythmic waves meet the whispers of the wind, a profound initiative is taking root—a symphony of restoration aimed at revitalizing our oceans and nurturing the sustainable blue economy. The Fisheries Refugia Concept unfolds as a beacon of hope amid declining fish stocks and habitat degradation plaguing marine ecosystems.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organic compounds that used to be produced worldwide but are now banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a global treaty aiming to eliminate or restrict the production, use and trade of chemicals that are recognized as persistent, bio-accumulative and harmful to human and environmental health.

The rhythmic sound of voices singing in harmony floats across Mozambique’s Limpopo River as several women stand ankle deep in the sticky mud along its banks.

In a well-rehearsed routine, one woman scoops up sediment with a hoe while another buries a fragile mangrove sapling in the void.

The joyous songs of the women obscure the difficulty of their job.

This quarter's

15 countries have united behind the GEF-funded Plastics Integrated Program to transition to a circular economy in the food and beverage sector and combat plastic pollution from single-use plastic packaging

$107-million program is the largest global investment in tackling plastic pollution to date

West Africa’s six Volta River Basin countries launch initiative to reduce socioeconomic pressures on the basin's natural resources $7-million project aims to reverse ecosystem and water resource degradation in one of Africa’s fastest-growing regions Currently home to 29 million people, the population of the Volta River Basin is expected to top 68 million by 2046

International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8th, is a day dedicated to recognizing the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It is also a time to raise awareness about women's ongoing struggles and inequalities and to renew the call for gender equality and women's rights. 

This day has been observed since the early 1900s and continues to be a powerful symbol of the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done to create a more just and equal world for all women.

Contracting Parties and Observers at the Sixth Meeting of the Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (STAC)  to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources (LBS) and Activities in the Wider Caribbean, have reiterated the urgent need to protect our very valuable but fragile and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems from the negative impacts of marine pollution. The Virtual Meeting, held from February 1-3,  was hosted by the UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat as part of its mandate under the Convention to support governments in protecting the Caribbean Sea.

 

When you think of a forest, chances are you picture trees rising high above you, leaves crunching underfoot. But there are some very different types of forest - in and under the water -  that are just as beautiful and just as precious. While they don’t all contain trees, these so-called blue forests are essential to life on this planet, say experts.

For many locals and tourists, Praslin Island in Seychelles is synonymous with paradise. From the white sands of Anse Lazio, frequently voted as one of the top beaches in the world, to the endemic species of the jungle, to the colorful coral reefs in Curieuse Marine Park, Praslin is filled with both beauty and biodiversity.

But, as events at one site on the northwest side of the island demonstrate, this paradise is precarious.

Under the theme, Life and Livelihoods, this World Oceans Day (8 June 2021) launches a decade of challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, by 2030.

Ile aux Aigrettes, or Egret Island, is just one of the many small islands off the coast of Mauritius named after birds. There’s also Common Noddy Island, Shearwater Island, Lesser Noddy Island, Bird Island, Bird Rock and Flamingo Island.

There is just one thing missing from all these islands with avian appellations.

Large populations of seabirds.

Tuna salad. Tuna sandwich. Tuna bake. Tuna pizza. Tuna sushi. Grilled, fried or raw. There is no doubt tuna is popular. Tuna, which is rich in Omega-3, minerals, proteins and vitamin B12, has seen its nutritional success lead to it being overfished.

On January 20, 2021, the day of the inauguration of American president Joe Biden, two ducks named “Joe” and “Kamala” took flight from a remote wetland near Negril, Jamaica. And, like their namesakes, the fowl will be the focus of international attention.

The coast of South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal province looks like it was pulled from a postcard, with wide, sandy beaches stretching for some 600 kilometres. International and local tourists flock here in normal times, drawn to the warm Indian Ocean waters for surfing, relaxation, and glimpses of spectacular wildlife, like loggerhead turtles.

Fishing is big business in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. The industry supports millions of people in the region and accounts for some 10 per cent of global fisheries production every year.

But the region’s success as a seafood exporter has come at a cost – the depletion of local fish stocks, environmental damage and, ultimately, a decline in food security and livelihood opportunities for local communities.

Water, essential to all life, plays a particularly important role in the lives of Tanzanians living near Mbarali River, part of the larger Rufiji River basin in southern Tanzania.

Creating the conditions for sustainable seagrass restoration in Maputo and Inhambane bays 

“People can’t think of Inhaca without thinking about seagrass,” says Salamao Bandeira of Maputo’s Eduardo Mondlane University, knee-deep in the shallow waters on the seaward side of Maputo Bay, as he points at the shores of Inhaca Island.

“The smell alone when you cross the bridge tells you something’s wrong,” says Renison Ruwa, deputy director of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.

The bridge in question is Mtwapa bridge, which straddles Mtwapa Creek in Mombasa, Kenya. And the smell to which Ruwa is referring stems from this very creek, into which waste from the nearby Shimo la Tewa prison—and indeed many other places—is directly dumped.

They call them ‘blue forests’—and they are among the most productive and valuable habitats on Earth.

The environmental interest in nitrogen (N2), an essential component of the air we breathe, focuses on the conversion of N2 into other chemically reactive forms. Some are vital for life itself and some cause costly and dangerous nitrogen pollution.

When a proven ecosystem restoration method also helps reduce poverty and build economic resilience, governments will often back them as a win-win solution.

UN Environment has been working with a broad range of partners to better assess the health of lake ecosystems in India, Kenya and the Philippines.

Economic activity in and around Lake Naivasha, and the rapidly growing population, have placed mounting environmental pressure on this important source of freshwater in central southern Kenya.