News

In our all-too-hectic urban lives, a city park is a great place to unwind. Trees and green spaces have mental health and well-being benefits, on top of being great for relaxation and recreation.

A few years ago, a team of scientists and engineers speculated in a documentary series what might become of Earth if humans suddenly disappeared. They predicted events beginning one day after the disappearance of humankind to one hundred years into the future, and explored the ways man-made structures might collapse, while nature replenished.

  Geneva, 11 May 2019 – Decisions on plastic waste have been reached today in Geneva, as approximately 180 governments adopted a raft of decisions aimed at protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of hazardous chemicals and waste.

Every year, birds make epic journeys across the world to survive. Over millions of years certain species of birds have become hard-wired to seek food and nesting sites along routes.

Through collective action, environmental protection can be achieved. This is what the Kalinga indigenous people in the Philippines demonstrated to the world when they stopped the famous Chico River Dam Project from being constructed, and it is what inspired Joan Carling to make her lifelong mission fighting for human rights in land development.

From Lagos and Lahore to London, it’s the poorest people who are most affected by air pollution. The poor tend to be priced out of the leafy suburbs where there are fewer highways and air quality is better.

As the sun beats down on a traditional loom in Burkina Faso’s morning heat, a curious shiny material starts to emerge. Not your usual cotton texture, the weft criss-crosses over-and-under, and the woven product is smooth and sparkling.

An asthma attack is a frightening experience, threatening to deprive you of your ability to breathe, and life itself. According to World Health Organization estimates, 235 million people suffer from asthma, which is the most common chronic disease among children. Over 80 per cent of asthma deaths occur in low and lower-middle income countries.

Burning plastic smells awful. It also gives you that choking feeling… which is no surprise when you know that plastic is basically made of oil and gives off toxic fumes when it burns.

Did you know that several countries, such as the Maldives, Malta and the Bahamas, meet all their water needs through the desalination process—that is, they convert seawater to freshwater?

In winter, Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, is not for the faint-hearted—below-zero temperatures are not uncommon and snowfalls are frequent and sometimes heavy. With an average temperature of -1°C, January is the coldest month, with occasional drops to -25°C. Located at a high altitude of approximately 1,800 m above sea level, in a narrow valley between the Hindu Kush mountains, Kabul is one the world’s highest capitals.

Hundreds of thousands of children across the world took to the streets in March to demand that governments move faster to protect the environment. The unprecedented “youthquake” seemed to signal a new era and world leaders sat up and paid attention.

Erupting volcanoes, earthquakes, dust storms and meteorites smashing into the Earth’s crust are natural phenomena that can cause climate change and air pollution: dinosaurs may have met their end after a giant meteorite kicked up so much dust that it blocked out the sun for decades, reducing photosynthesis and preventing the growth of plants.

The smell of exhaust fumes is unpleasant and unhealthy, and the gases are known for affecting happiness, intelligence and overall human well-being.

Marine biologists will tell you that fish species such as tuna and swordfish, known as the deep-water divers of the ocean for hunting at depths of 200 metres, are today repeatedly coming to surface view.

World Health Day on 7 April is a reminder that effective wastewater management and sanitation systems are vital for human health. The volume of sewage in the world is set to rise in line with population growth. Furthermore, the growth in global wealth means our wastewater, including sewage, contains increasing amounts of dangerous chemicals, toxic substances and the debris associated with modern consumer lifestyles.

Air pollution isn’t a new problem. We’ve been worried about smog for centuries, from the infamous “pea souper” smogs of 19th century London to the hazes that regularly engulf cities from Beijing to Delhi in the present day. What is new, however, is the awareness of exactly how bad it is for our health.

“Sometimes bad things have to happen before the good things start,” says Ali Ghnaim.

An interview with Francesca O'Hanlon, founder of Blue Tap This year’s World Water Day on 22 March celebrates water for all. It is a human right to have access—without discrimination—to sufficient, safe, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use.  

Ahead of global climate strikes on March 15, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke at the 4th UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, calling on the world to act, and fast.  

Fashion today is about obsession with outward image and appearance.

Nairobi, 11 March, 2019 – The global fight against plastic pollution comes into sharp focus at the Fourth UN Environment Assembly this month in Nairobi, Kenya, with the launch of three reports each addressing different aspects of, and solutions for, the growing impact of plastics on the world’s marine environments.

The size of the global chemical industry exceeded US$5 trillion in 2017 and is projected to double by 2030. The benefits of action to minimize the adverse impacts of chemicals have been estimated in the high tens of billions of United States dollars annually. International treaties and voluntary instruments have reduced the risks of some chemicals and wastes, but progress has been uneven and implementation gaps remain.

Getting 193 United Nations Member States to see eye to eye on a range of pressing environmental issues is not easy. While the world is “getting smaller”, and technology is bringing us together as never before, political, cultural and linguistic barriers remain significant.

Washington, D.C. 6 March 2019 – UN Environment has teamed up with the nonprofit REVERB to engage music fans to take action for the environment on tours across several countries this year. Harnessing the power of live music and working with artists committed to doing their part to tackle pressing environmental issues, the partnership will encourage individual actions at concerts and beyond.