It presents an update on the progress on the implementation of the Pollution Action Plan adopted at UNEA-4 in resolution 4/21, including some highlights in implementing the specific deliverables identified in the Plan. The Plan aims to build synergies across the work of UNEP and to provide the glue across …
an internationally binding treaty could save millions from dying of mercury pollution exposure. This was the track recently taken by Global Mercury Assess ment Working Group of the United Nations Environment Prog ramme (unep). Among other things, the group has urged unep member nations to strengthen cooperation on information sharing, …
Unspolit land totalling an area larger than North America is likely to be damaged by human activity in the next 30 years, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme's (unep) report on the degradation of global environment. The report, Global Environment Outlook-3, predicts that by the year 2032, more …
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently announced the launching of a coordinated plan for surveying and managing sturgeon stocks by Caspian Sea countries. The programme will pave the way for a resumption of the US $100-million caviar industry. "For the first time, the Caspian Sea's wild sturgeon populations are …
Trade controls will be imposed on potentially dangerous pesticides and asbestos under a treaty aiming to protect workers in poor countries from hazardous exports. This was stated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently. The UNEP statement said that an experts' committee had recommended three pesticides to be added …
The recently published World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity estimates that every week the world loses two of its valuable domestic breeds. The document, issued by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is the result of 10 years of data collection in 170 countries …
Over the next 50 years, harvests of staple crops like rice, maize and wheat may be reduced by one- third due to global warming. This has been revealed by a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report published recently. The document brings to the fore the fact that rising temperature adversely …
During the past years, there have been calls to move the tasks of sustainable development at the international level to a new independent body, often labelled a World Environment Organisation (weo) or International Environmental Organisation. Advocates of weo include academics and expert commissions as well as international civil servants, politicians, …
A new range of substances to replace ozone-depleting substances like chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons, which are banned under the Montreal Protocol, are doing more harm than good. These alternative substances, such as n-propyl bromide and halon-1202, may also have the potential to damage the ozone layer. Although these alternative chemicals, used …
The number of coral reefs in the world is far less than what scientists had believed. They are also shrinking fast due to pollution, climate change and fishing. This was revealed during the most comprehensive mapping of the corals done by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The mapping showed …
International forests conservation activities should target 15 countries that have the best prospects for continued existence of their green cover, states a recent report of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). "Short of a miraculous transformation in the attitude of people and governments, the Earth's remaining closed-canopy forests and their associated …
At least 80 per cent of the Arctic will be damaged by 2050, if industrialisation continues at current rates, claim scientists of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Activities such as mining, oil and gas exploration and construction of roads are threatening the Arctic's rich and abundant wildlife, with birds …
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has proposed to set up a US $98 million fund to help the world's least developed countries (LDCs) improve the safety and quality of their food products. The fund would be set up with voluntary contributions from bilateral and multilateral donors, officials of …
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) recently launched the first ever online halon trading scheme. Halons are gaseous halogen compounds used to extinguish fires and they are three to 10 times more damaging to the ozone layer than chlorofluorocarbons. The online service seeks to promote responsible management of these chemicals on …
Growing global concerns over environmental issues has once again underlined the need for an effective and vigilant environmental forum with a valid mandate that would provide concrete guidance to all nations. While the number of environmental forum and institutions have proliferated over the years yet concrete policy decisions along with …
Fauna and Flora International and the United Nations Environmental Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, have jointly launched a Global Trees Campaign programme in an attempt to save more than 8,000 tree species, which are on the verge of becoming extinct. One in ten of all tree species are in danger of …
to help various countries assess the complexity of the hazards posed by persistent organic pollutants ( pops) , the United Nations Environment Programme recently held a meeting in Moscow, Russia, from July 11-14, 2000. The meeting specifically focused on the problems faced by the Commonwealth of Independent States, Estonia, Latvia …
A recent study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that environmental degradation is posing a great threat to human health. The study, An Assessment of Risks and Threats to Human Health Associated with the Degradation of Ecosystems, aims at providing a rational basis for environmental policy making. It …
A study sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank has sent out clear signals that human beings will eventually pay the price for over exploitation of the world's natural resources. "For too long, in both rich and poor nations, …
