Nitrogen is a double-edged sword. The element is a key component in fertilizers and helps fuel the growth of essential crops like wheat and maize. But too much nitrogen can pollute the air, decimate soils and create lifeless “dead zones” in the ocean.

Deepika Hemrom’s parents pay her school fees with plastic. Not Master Card or Visa but actual plastic waste.

For the better part of the last month the Flipflopi, a boat cobbled together from recycled plastic, has been circumnavigating Africa’s biggest lake, braving high winds and torrential rain to shine a light on pollution.

Last week, that journey came to an end as the 10-metre long vessel pulled into Mwanza, Tanzania, the last stop on a three-country, 850-kilometre voyage across Lake Victoria.

For much of the last three weeks, the Flipflopi, a dhow made from recycled plastic, including a helping of old sandals, has been calling into ports across Lake Victoria. The crew of the 10-metre-long vessel is on a mission to raise awareness about a tide of plastic choking Africa’s biggest lake – and to demonstrate that trash can be turned into treasure.

The Republic of Korea has recently turned to some high-tech devices in its ongoing fight against air pollution.

Last month, 5G-enabled autonomous robots began rolling through an industrial complex in the country’s south to monitor air quality. This week, thousands of miles above them, a Korean satellite began offering real-time air quality data to the public.

At least 155 states recognize their citizens have the right to live in a healthy environment, either through national legislation or international accords, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Hidden in and around the muddy depths of the Mekong River is a wondrous animal world.

Here you can find catfish that weigh up to 300 kilograms and measure almost the length of a car. You might come across a dolphin that is known to communicate with humans to coordinate fishing expeditions. Or you could stumble upon something completely unknown: between 1997 and 2014, over 2,000 new species were discovered in the Lower Mekong Basin.

Globally, over 3 billion people are at risk of disease because the water quality of their rivers, lakes and groundwater is unknown, due to a lack of data.

World Water Day recognizes the value of water and the role it plays in sustaining life.

In 2018, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) joined forces with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to tackle what environmental experts call one of the world’s most dangerous addictions: single-use plastics.