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Climate Change
Global Issues:
Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of our time. It worsens climate change and causes economic losses. It knows no borders 鈥 everyone has a responsibility to protect our atmosphere and ensure healthy air for all. By collaborating across borders, sectors, and silos, we can reduce air pollution through collective investments of time, resources and efforts. This International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (7 September), we call upon everyone to Invest in #CleanAirNow. By tackling air pollution proactively, we can achieve transformative change and secure healthy air for all.
Extreme heat affecting the health of 70% of the global workforce. Shifting weather patterns damaging our harvests. Rising sea levels increasing the chances of catastrophic floods. The impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Since the 1800s, , primarily through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly. We are at a defining moment to change the path of humanity.
Climate change impacts are becoming more severe, with increasing droughts, floods, and extreme heat. We have a crucial two-year window to influence countries' third generation of and keep global warming below 1.5掳C.
teams in the Caribbean are assessing the devastating aftermath of , providing crucial humanitarian aid to communities severely impacted by the storm's destructive force.
How much do you know about degraded land, deserts and droughts?
Small-scale farmers in Southern Madagascar find themselves on the front lines of climate change, facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and environmental degradation. Erratic rainfall and prolonged droughts have become common, severely affecting agricultural productivity and food security.
Healthy land provides most of our food, clothing, shelter, jobs, and livelihoods, and protects us from worsening droughts, floods, and wildfires. Yet desertification, land degradation, and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with up to 40% of the world鈥檚 land already considered degraded. The theme of this year鈥檚 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June), 鈥淯nited for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future,鈥 spotlights the future of land stewardship 鈥 our most precious resource to ensure the stability and prosperity of billions of people worldwide.
In her coastal home in Mokha, Zahara is busy cooking and caring for her husband, who is in frail health, and her extended family. Zahara's family, along with three other households, is a close-knit community united by family ties and mutual support. Over a year ago, the International Organization for Migration () provided them with a new transitional shelter that provides physical protection, security, and privacy. With their new shelter, they have found a haven from Mokha's strong winds and torrential floods, as well as the privacy they have longed for amid the bustling life of communal living.
"" highlights ILO's efforts to protect Mexican greenhouse workers from climate-induced excessive heat.
Food systems are collapsing due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem destruction, but by empowering rural communities to lead sustainable management practices, we can restore ecosystems and ensure food security.
As the world struggles with global challenges such as climate change, health crises, food insecurity and human displacement, knowledge integration has become crucial. The statistical, data science, geospatial, and modeling sectors are tasked with providing integrated knowledge to shed light on these problems. The aim of the (Bilbao, Spain; 10 -14 June) is to address these emerging issues and share knowledge by collaborating with partners across sectors to inform climate change and sustainable development policies with integrated data.
In the isolated expanse of the Arctic, amidst freezing sea ice and dwindling daylight, a sailor's reflections reveal the intricate dance of survival, adaptation, and changing landscapes in the face of climate shifts and cultural narratives.
Safeguarding future generations in a world at a crossroads. With that goal in mind, the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research () is organizing a three-day (May 14-16) in Maputo, Mozambique. The event will be attended by renowned researchers and policy experts who will discuss the greatest development challenges of our time -climate change, persistent inequalities, and growing political instability- and what action is needed now to best protect future generations.
Climate change negatively affects family health and well-being through increased pollution, extreme weather events, disruptions to agriculture and food systems, and economic impacts. Empowering families for environmentally friendly decision-making, supporting community initiatives and integrating family-centered and intergenerational approaches into policies can ensure more meaningful and effective climate action. The 2024 International Day of Families (15 May) aims to raise awareness of climate change impacts on families and promote family and community initiatives for climate action.