News

Along Libya’s Mediterranean coastline, marine ecosystems support fisheries, food security and local livelihoods. Yet strengthening Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) requires more than ecological data — it demands inclusive governance, community trust, and gender-responsive approaches.

“When we are diving and fishing, we find a lot of fish stuck—turtles, crabs, all stuck inside the plastic,” says fisherman Sir Sinho from Salvador, Bahia.

Along Brazil’s extensive coastline, fishing, tourism and marine life exist side by side. In Bahia, one of the country’s most ecologically rich coastal regions, the ocean supports local livelihoods while reflecting the imprint of everyday choices made on land.

Lebanon’s Damour region is taking important steps toward a more resilient, climate-smart future through the GEF-funded, UNEP-implemented, UNEP/MAP-executed MedProgramme. With pressures on land, water and coastal ecosystems increasing, stakeholders from across the country recently came together to advance an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) that embraces a holistic source-to-sea vision for the Damour River Basin.

Cambodia’s coastal landscape is a mosaic of vital ecosystems: mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and wetlands. These habitats are the lifeblood of the region, providing food security and livelihoods for millions; protecting them is central to the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand Large Marine Ecosystems (LME).

As the Mediterranean is celebrating Coast Day, the future of the region is more challenging than ever: rising sea levels and coastal erosion are already affecting many shores, while communities and authorities must also deal with increasing extreme weather events, pollution and biodiversity loss.

Yet one thing is clear: when people understand the risks and feel empowered to act, they become a powerful force for change.

On July 24, 2025, an awareness workshop on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was held in Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria. Bringing together public institutions, technical experts, civil society, and local communities, the event highlighted the urgent need to address the mounting pressures on water resources in the Niger Basin and the Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (ITTAS).

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The GEF funded Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme) is more than a collection of projects; it’s a powerful force for change, bringing together countries, partners, and sectors to drive environmental progress.

At the Third Annual Stocktaking Meeting (ASM) in Istanbul, Türkiye, participants gathered to reflect on achievements, share knowledge, and explore new ways to amplify impact under the theme “The MedProgramme: Greater than the Sum of its Parts”.

In the heart of the Indian state of Rajasthan, two farmers - Devaram from Jeoli village, Nechwa, and Hanumana Ram from Sulkhaniya village, Ratangarh - are leading the way in conserving traditional landraces of pearl millet.

In memory of tropical scientist Gustavo Fonseca and his contributions to biodiversity conservation, the Global Environment Facility has established the Fonseca Leadership Program. Named in honor of the GEF’s long-serving Director of Programs who passed away in 2022, the program builds on partnerships with several existing institutional programs dedicated to producing and supporting the next generation of conservationists.

“If there is one lesson from 2023, it is that we have no time to lose. The GEF is working to quickly and efficiently deploy all resources that donors have entrusted to us for the 2022-2026 period so that we can generate maximum benefits for our recipient countries and for the planet." 

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO and Chairperson

As an Assistant Task Manager within UNEP’s GEF Chemicals and Waste Unit, Yolanda Cachu is dedicated to ending the harm caused by toxic chemicals and waste.

In an interview, we sat down with her to discuss her work and how she came to work on Small-Island Developing States (SIDS).

What do you do in the Chemicals team?

As an Assistant Task Manager within UNEP’s GEF Chemicals and Waste Unit, Inaki Rodríguez is working to end the harm caused by toxic chemicals and waste.

In an interview, we sat down with him to discuss his work and how he came to work on artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

What do you do in the Chemicals team?

    An innovative partnership is advancing a simple and effective solution to clearing plastic waste from waterways and turning it into a key element of a circular economy.

This quarter's

"Plastic kills, and the damages of plastic pollution have no borders. We cannot beat plastic pollution if we don’t tackle climate change, environmental loss and food crises at the same time.” 

UNEP joins the international conservation community in mourning the passing of our friend and colleague Ziad Samaha.

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.

 

UNEP has been announced as the leader of four new high-impact global Global Environment Facility (GEF) integrated programs to accelerate action on nature, climate and pollution. 

UNEP joins the Global Environment Facility in mourning the loss of renowned tropical scientist Gustavo Fonseca, its long-standing Director of Programs, who passed away on August 31, 2022. 

Gustavo spent his career staring down the planet’s biggest environmental challenges with his optimism and pragmatism intact, an approach that won him friends and accolades the world over. 

Miguel Van Der Velden explores how tourism operators can spark sustainable innovation - including in sound chemicals and waste management - worldwide.

If there is one scene that exemplifies the last half century in human societal development better than any other, it might well be holiday-goers on a white sandy beach. In the background, a sprawling resort rises like a palace. Palm trees sway in the wind, while children play in the azure waters.