As the planet warms, the fallout from climate change – from droughts, to floods, to superstorms – is getting worse. But not everyone has felt the pain equally. This imbalance is tied to longstanding inequalities: women often shoulder more domestic care responsibilities, have less access to resources, such as land or credit, and are underrepresented in decision-making spaces. 

But in recent years women have worked to flip that script, emerging as drivers of community efforts to adapt to climate change. In rural and urban areas women are spearheading initiatives to better manage water, farm more sustainably, and prepare for disasters.  

The growing wave of female-led adaptation demonstrates that climate action can also support gender equality and more secure livelihoods. For International Women’s Day on 8 March, we look at five women leading adaptation efforts in their communities.  

Marine Baponampoze, Rwanda

In Rwanda, extreme floods and droughts are hitting harder than ever. For years, deforestation has made these impacts worse by limiting the land’s ability to absorb water and recharge groundwater supplies. With support from the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, local communities in the Kirehe District came together to launch beekeeping businesses –which are less reliant on rainfall – and conserve forests. Leading the charge is Marine Babonampoze. As a team leader in the local beekeeping cooperative, she shows beekeepers how to use modern equipment to increase production. Having restored over 600 hectares of ecosystems to provide foraging ground for the bees, the project is simultaneously reducing the impacts of flood and drought while increasing honey yields. 

“In general, cooperative members work together and care for one another, and everything becomes better when we unite,” she says

Ahumwire Justine, Uganda 

In southwestern Uganda, banana farmer Ahumwire Justine lost 300 trees and two cows during a devastating hailstorm a few years ago. With no insurance, she faced food shortages, unpaid school fees and an uncertain future. Now, a new digital crop insurance system, introduced by NDC Action Project, offers protection. Farmers use smartphones to document healthy banana plants and submit damage photos after storms, allowing quick assessments by agroeconomists. Justine, a ‘champion farmer,’ shares this tech with fellow smallholders—nearly half of whom are women—boosting resilience and productivity. This innovative approach provides financial security and fosters hope across Uganda’s growing network of banana farmers. Bananas are integral to Uganda’s economy, with 47 per cent of farmers involved in their cultivation in 2019, according to Uganda’s statistics bureau. 

Louise Mabulo, the Philippines 

When Typhoon Nock-ten ripped through the Philippines in 2016, chef Louise Mabulo noticed cacao trees still standing amid the wreckage. It was at that moment that she realized cacao trees were relatively resilient to storms and she launched “The Cacao Project”, training over 200 farmers in agroforestry and planting more than 150,000 trees. By focusing on cacao’s climate resilience and high market value, her initiative combats deforestation, revitalizes farmland and empowers communities to withstand future storms, which are expected to become more common as the climate changes.  Recognized as a Young Champion of the Earth, Mabulo was said to exemplify how women’s leadership can transform adversity into opportunity. 

Anti Rohey Ceesay, the Gambia   

In Gambia, climate change is causing more severe flooding. Fishers in the countryside sometimes lose their lives because they lack reliable forecasts and receive no alerts of when to avoid open water. Anti Rohey Ceesay, a forestry expert from the Central River Region, decided to take matters into her own hands a few years ago. After nine weather stations were built in her district with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Ceesay was able to gather weather alerts and travel via motorbike from village to village sharing vital warnings. In Ceesay’s culture, knowledge is often passed on through song and dance, so she organized ‘climate theatre’ performances in villages to educate her community about climate change and how to adapt. Since Ceesay began providing advanced warnings, the number of deaths from climate impacts has fallen in her community, Ceesay said. 

Vivienne Rakotoarisoa, Madagascar 

On Madagascar’s southeast coast, climate change has led to erratic and unpredictable rainfall. For rice farmer Vivienne Rakotoarisoa, floods and droughts devastated her family’s harvests. Determined to adapt, Rakotoarisoa now cultivates rambo—a drought-resistant reed—and transforms it into hats, mats and baskets. Although the plant is not edible, it’s more resilient than rice and its popularity as a weaving material makes it a valuable crop. With funding from GEF, Rakotoarisoa and hundreds of villagers gained new skills, providing them with alternative, climate-resilient incomes. Weavers would traditionally forage for rambo in the wild, but now they can sustainably farm and sell the reed, which maintains a steady income even if the rice harvests fail. 

Michelle Delgado, Mexico 

With precipitation patterns changing in Xalapa, Mexico, local homemaker Michelle Delgado once believed restoring forests was “for men.” But through a project funded by the GEF and implemented by UNEP, workshops were organized to teach women how to plant and nurture tree species. Alongside other participating women, Delgado reforested the riparian forest of the Arroyo Papas stream, helping protect communities from landslides and floods while building a more sustainable future. Women collect native seeds, germinate them, and distribute trees to households—“one tree for every home”. Now called “guardians of the forest” by their communities, these women’s efforts are dismantling gender stereotypes and empowering them to shape decisions that build resilience and curb climate impacts. 

Read more: www.unep.org

How many millions of people will be forced to leave their homes by 2050? This documentary looks at the so-called hotspots of climate change in the Sahel zone, Indonesia and the Russian Tundra. Lake Chad in the Sahel zone has already shrunk by 90 percent since the 1960s due to the increasing heat. About 40 million people will be forced to migrate to places where there is enough rainfall. Migration has always existed as a strategy to adapt to a changing environment. But the number of those forced to migrate solely because of climate change has increased dramatically since the 1990s. It is a double injustice: after becoming rich at the expense of the rest of the world, the industrialized countries are now polluting the atmosphere with their emissions and bringing a second misfortune to the inhabitants of the poorer regions. One of them is Mohammed Ibrahim: as Lake Chad got hotter and drier, he decided to go where the temperatures were less extreme and there was still a little water, trekking with his wife, children and 70 camels from Niger to Chad and then further south. The journey lasted several years and many members of his herd died of thirst. Now he and his family are living in a refugee camp: they only have seven camels left. Mohammed is one of many who have left their homelands in the Sahel – not because of conflict and crises, but because of the high temperatures. He’s a real climate refugee.

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The control of water sources in the Middle East represents a central element in the geopolitical dynamics of the region. The Israeli offensive in southern Syria, culminating in the control of six major water sources in the area, including the Al-Mantara and Al-Wahda dams, highlights how this resource is a key objective for Israel not only from a security perspective but also for its economic and political survival.

For decades, Israel has pursued a water strategy that combines technological innovation, territorial control, and international negotiations. However, direct control over water resources beyond its borders marks a significant escalation. Currently, 30% of Syria’s water sources and 40% of Jordan’s are under Israeli control, a reality that reshapes the region’s balance of power. Just think that from November 1964 to May 1967 over control of water sources of the Jordan River there was “Battle over Water” between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

For Israel, these resources are not only vital for domestic consumption or agricultural irrigation but also hold strategic value in geopolitical negotiations. Controlling water means wielding a tool of leverage against countries like Jordan, with which Israel shares a peace treaty, and Syria, a longstanding adversary. In the context of growing water scarcity due to climate change and population growth, the ability to manage and distribute water becomes a source of power that transcends national borders.

The importance of these resources is particularly evident in occupied areas like the Golan Heights. Here, Israel not only controls part of the Yarmouk River’s water reserves but also uses these resources to reinforce its presence and legitimize the annexation of contested territories. Israeli agricultural communities in neighboring areas directly benefit from these sources, while Syrian and Palestinian populations face restricted or denied access, exacerbating their hardships.

Photo: map of the Jordan River and Yarmouk River

However, Israel’s water control extends beyond domestic security concerns. Through advanced technologies such as the Ashkelon desalination plant and widespread use of wastewater recycling, Israel has become a global leader in water management. This technical expertise is also used as a soft power tool, with Israel offering assistance and know-how to other countries, thereby strengthening its international position.

Photo: Ashkelon desalination plant, Israel

Nevertheless, this strategy is not without its controversies. For many observers, Israel’s control over Syria’s and Jordan’s water sources represents yet another form of territorial expansion disguised as necessity. The humanitarian implications are significant, as entire communities see their access to this vital resource diminished, fueling resentments that add to existing tensions stemming from territorial conflicts.

Thus, water is not merely a matter of survival but a central element in Israel’s security and power strategy. Controlling it ensures not only the future of the country but also determines the destinies of neighboring nations. In a Middle East marked by conflict and instability, control over water resources could become the decisive factor shaping the next chapter of regional history.

In other terms, the approach Israel is implementing falls within what international scholars call “hydrowarfare.”Hydrowarfare refers to the strategic use of water as a weapon or a lever of power in geopolitical, military, and economic conflicts.

Hydrowarfare manifests in various forms, including the control of strategic water sources such as rivers, lakes, dams, or aquifers, which allows states or groups to exert pressure on other nations or populations. This can occur through the disruption of water access, the diversion of natural watercourses, or the construction of infrastructure that alters the water balance. It can also take the form of the direct use of water as a weapon, through intentional flooding, the destruction of infrastructure, or even the deliberate poisoning or contamination of water supplies.

Additionally, water can be used as a tool of political and economic leverage, particularly in regions where river basins are shared by multiple states, such as the Jordan River, which flows through Lebanon, Syria,Palestine, Israel, and Jordan, or the Nile, shared by Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt.

Hydrowarfare represents a new frontier in global conflicts, where the control of water becomes as strategic as that of energy resources or territorial borders.

Over 3,300 delegates – including Members representing more than 170 nations and Observers from more than 440 organizations – have been meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, since 25 November for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5). Through the week, Members negotiated two documents by the INC Chair, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, before agreeing on the closing day to transmit the Chair’s Text to the resumed session.

“The world’s commitment to ending plastic pollution is clear and undeniable. Here in Busan, talks have moved us closer to agreeing on a global legally binding treaty that will protect our health, our environment, and our future from the onslaught of plastic pollution,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). 

“This week’s meeting has made good progress towards securing the deal the world demands. Through the Busan talks, negotiators have reached a greater degree of convergence on the structure and elements of the treaty text, as well as a better understanding of country positions and shared challenges. But it is clear there is persisting divergence in critical areas and more time is needed for these areas to be addressed.”

“At UNEA 5.2, the world promised to tackle plastic pollution. Now, at the next round of talks, the world will have the opportunity to finally make that a reality. An opportunity we cannot afford to miss,” she added. 

Following INC-5, the Committee is expected to request the Executive Director of UNEP to inform delegations of the venue for the resumed fifth session. 

“Our mandate has always been ambitious. But ambition takes time to land. We have many of the elements that we need, and Busan has put us firmly on a pathway to success,” said Ambassador Vayas. “I call on all delegations to continue making paths, building bridges, and engaging in dialogue.”

“Let us always remember that our purpose is noble and urgent: to reverse and remedy the severe effects of plastic pollution on ecosystems and human health,” he added. 

In March 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), a historic resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The instrument, according to the resolution, is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal.

“We have tested the resilience of this planet to its limit, now is the time for us push our own limits and honour the trust placed in us – we have no choice but to succeed. You have the INC Secretariat’s and my unwavering support to get this done,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat.

INC-5 follows four earlier rounds of negotiations: INC-1, which took place in Punta del Este, in November 2022, INC-2, which was held in Paris in June 2023, INC-3, which happened in Nairobi in November 2023, and INC-4, held in Ottawa in April 2024. 

About the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee

United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an intergovernmental negotiating committee, to begin its work during the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024. The INC is tasked with developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, which could include both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.

The call came as Environment Ministers concluded the 10th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) with the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration  on 6 September, which made the call for a drought management protocol and expressed deep concern over the environmental challenges Africa faces – particularly rising temperatures and land degradation – and stressed that inaction weakens social and ecosystems resilience across African countries. 

“Prolonged droughts are resulting in adverse consequences, including loss of livelihoods, food and water insecurity, conflicts, and forced displacement. These challenges undermine poverty eradication efforts and threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union Agenda 2063,” said Seyoum Mekonen Hailu, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Planning and Development (in charge of Environment and Climate Change) and President of the special AMCEN session.

Ministers highlighted the integral work of the Africa Groups of Negotiators as they engage in several upcoming international conferences and negotiations and noted that the special session provided a clear mandate and solidly endorsed the common African positions, as well as strengthened global and regional partnerships involving governments, international organizations, civil society, academia, local communities, and the private sector. 

H.E. Robert Beugré Mambé, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating: “The survival of our economies and people is at stake. In times like these, it is essential for Africa to work in synergy to tackle climate challenges. Together, we are strong.”

“Africa is a continent of solutions. Solutions to renewable energy in the form of vast solar, wind and hydro resources, and critical minerals. Solutions to food security, with fertile lands and competent farming communities. Solutions for innovation, as Africa has both youth and experience in a population eager to put its shoulder to the wheel for growth, prosperity, opportunity and development,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

Ahead of international meetings – Conferences of the Parties (COPs) – on biodiversity, climate, desertification, and plastic pollution negotiations later this year, UNEP’s Executive Director rallied the African Ministers to unite as they seek to address the growing impact on the continent of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste.

“African nations can go to these COPs with a strong position on land. Link land restoration, land management and land productivity to climate pledges and to national biodiversity strategies and action plans,” she added. “Public and private finance needs to ramp up. Food systems need to reform. And pollution needs to be addressed. In this last regard, African nations can help deliver a strong instrument to end plastic pollution at the final round of talks in Busan at the end of this year.”

Speaking at the special session, Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of UNCCD, highlighted the need to revise development policies to address the root causes of land degradation.

“The land must not be seen only as a source of extraction: extraction of agricultural products, extraction of minerals, and extraction of water resources. Nor must the land be seen only through the lenses of exploitation,” he said. “As the land is our most precious asset for our food, our clothes, our fuels, and our animals’ feed, we need to adopt a managerial rather than an exploitative attitude. An asset — especially such a precious asset — ought to be managed, with a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach.”

The Abidjan Declaration also emphasized the need for innovative financing models to unlock the USD 1.2 trillion required to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2023, over $400 billion was spent on clean energy projects globally, but only $2.6 billion reached African nations.

“In Africa, as in all regions, the climate crisis is an economic sinkhole, sucking the momentum out of economic growth. It is African nations and people who are paying the heaviest price. But it would be entirely incorrect for any world leader — especially in the G20 — to think that although this is all incredibly sad, ultimately, it’s not my problem” said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

As the international community looks ahead to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary called for a new international climate financial goal, firmly grounded in the needs of developing countries. 

“COP29 must signal that the climate crisis is core business for every government, with finance solutions to match,” he added.

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), highlighted the growing leadership of African nations in establishing effective coordination bodies that support the alignment of various Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

“We have seen a number of African countries set up coordination bodies that support dialogue and alignment across various Multilateral Environmental Agreements. These experiences should be replicated across the continent and beyond,” she said, emphasizing the importance of collaborative approaches in environmental governance.

Requested by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment at its 17^th ordinary session, UNEP and the African Development Bank also presented a teaser of the soon to be launched Africa Natural Capital Atlas during this special session in Abidjan; the Atlas highlights Africa’s rich natural resources and the urgent need for its sustainable management. Africa holds 8% of the world’s natural gas, 12% of its oil reserves, and 30% of global mineral deposits. Its fisheries are valued at over $24 billion, and it contains more than 60% of the world’s undeveloped arable land. 

Ministers also endorsed an Omnibus decision on advancing Africa’s common positions at Conferences of the Parties and other meetings. 

The 10^th Special Session of AMCEN, held on 5 and 6 September, followed a Regional Consultative Meeting of UNEP Major Groups and Stakeholders and an Expert Group Meeting focusing on the severity of droughts due to rising global temperatures and land degradation. 

About AMCEN

The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) sets the environmental agenda in Africa. Established in 1985, the Conference brings together African governments, institutions and development partners to craft polices aimed at tackling the continent’s most pressing environmental issues. Its mandate is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa; to ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner; to ensure that social and economic development is realized at all levels; and to ensure that agricultural activities and practices meet the food security needs of the region.

The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment holds its ordinary sessions once every two years and special sessions between ordinary sessions when necessary. The Africa Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) serves as the secretariat for the Conference.

About UNEP

The United Nations Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

“If I go into the garden, if I open the gate, I enter with joy,” Sambou said while taking a break from drawing water from a well. “I never thought I could do all the things that I have done here.” 

Sambou is one of tens of thousands of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa who have established tree-dotted “forest gardens” with assistance from Trees for the Future (TREES), a non-profit group. The initiative, say those involved, is helping to diversify food and income sources, making families more resilient, and pushing back against land degradation. 

In recognition of its benefits for people and nature, the initiative was recently designated a United Nations World Restoration Flagship. The award, part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, is designed to showcase efforts that are reviving the natural world. 

“Initiatives like TREES are playing an important role in reversing decades of ecosystem degradation, especially across the Sahel, pushing back desertification, increasing climate resilience and improving the well-being of farmers and their communities,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP coordinates the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration along with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 

Building resilience 

Land degradation – referred to as desertification in drylands – affects communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Falling soil fertility is undermining crop yields and livelihoods, and the ability of countries to feed their fast-growing populations. Amid alarm that climate change will intensify the problem, Africa is fighting back, including through restoration initiatives like TREES and the sweeping Great Green Wall project. 

TREES’ “forest garden” model combines agroforestry – which incorporates trees and shrubs into agricultural systems – with sustainable farming practices. The goal is to build soil fertility and boost the yields of smallholder farmers. Experts say that is crucial to countering poverty and helping communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, floods and storms. 

Over a four-year period, families participating in a TREES programme receive training, seeds and tools to help them establish forest gardens on their often-small plots of land. 

Since 2014, the initiative reports that it has supported 50,000 households in Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. 

As a World Restoration Flagship, TREES will now be eligible for technical and financial support from the UN. TREES officials say they are aiming to restore 2,290 square kilometres by 2030. 

Since trees scrub carbon dioxide from the air, the initiative is also expected to capture 80 million metric tonnes of the greenhouse gas over 20 years. 

Stable supplies 

In Fatick, a region about 120 kilometres southeast of Dakar, TREES reports that is has helped more than 1,000 families, including Sambou’s. 

Many farmers in Fatick depend on a single growing season for rain-fed crops, such as peanuts and millet, leaving them vulnerable to the vagaries of both the climate and market prices. 

Forest gardens are designed to provide families with a year-round supply of fruits, vegetables and other resources, including timber and firewood, for their own use and for sale. 

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By regreening the landscape, the gardens offset local deforestation. They also contribute to global efforts to conserve biodiversity, counter climate change and improve the health of soils. TREES says its projects have already planted 100 million trees around the world. 

According to Fatoumata Diehiou, the regional coordinator for TREES in Fatick, the initiative is also helping to stem the migration of young people from Senegal’s rural communities. 

“Someone who finds work in their own region, in their country, will not go elsewhere,” Diehiou said. 

Life insurance 

In the beds of her neatly laid out garden, Sambou grows vegetables including cabbage, potatoes and onions as well as hibiscus – a red flower widely used in West Africa to flavour jellies, jams and drinks. 

“I don’t buy any more onions, capsicum or other vegetables. The forest garden has given us everything,” she said. 

It’s not all been plain sailing. In the first year, hungry livestock broke through Sambou’s fence and destroyed her crops. Now she reinforces the boundary with thorn-laden branches cut from acacia trees, whose leaves and roots also deliver nutrients to her soil. 

“I take care of my garden like I take care of my children,” she said. 

The skills that her family has acquired have become a form of insurance against whatever the future may bring. 

“Everything I do in the garden, my children know about it,” Sambou said. “So, today or tomorrow, if I am not there, my children will not suffer.” 

About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration  

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.

Source: www.unep.org

In June 2014, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power. Since then, Egypt’s government has shifted from considering climate issues as a nonissue to organizing the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November 2022.

However, the reality is that the Egyptian government does not prioritize climate change, including its political, social, and economic dimensions, as an essential policy. Instead, it uses climate issues as a potential means to secure foreign funding.

Egypt’s most significant pledged reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is from the oil and gas sector, targeting a 65 percent reduction by 2030. Yet, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), between 2000 and 2021, the use of gas rose by over 300 percent, while oil use increased by 61 percent.

In February 2024, Egypt’s fiscal policy prioritized expansion and growth over the wellbeing of its people, including environmental and climate concerns.

Describing its economic growth model as “colonial,” Egypt allows foreign oil companies to operate due to the need for immediate foreign currency and the country’s tight economic situation caused by external debt.

Sisi’s administration continued the National Solid Waste Management Program, an Egyptian-German collaborative project aimed at enhancing and strengthening Egypt’s solid waste management. The program focuses on improving Egypt’s public service governance.

The government’s reports in 2019 unified data on waste volume in each of the country’s 27 governorates, as well as data on existing waste management equipment and their conditions.

This was a positive step, but aside from pilot projects in Assiut, Kafr Al Sheikh, and Qena, these masterplans were never implemented nationwide.

Since 2017, the government has discussed plastic pollution at a very surface level, despite it being estimated at 3.6 million tons annually. The government has been reluctant to enforce any form of regulation, only supporting some cleanup efforts, such as removing waste from the Nile, and creating a few alternatives. That’s it!

The government has not been willing to delve deeper into the plastic pollution issue and continues to follow outdated waste management practices across the country, including open-air landfills, improper garbage segregation, and burning.

Half of Egypt’s waste management sector is controlled by informal workers—laborers not officially hired by the government or a private, taxable entity.

These informal workers dominate waste management in large urban areas, such as Cairo’s Zabbaleen (Garbage City), where there is a lack of health and safety standards, especially affecting women and child laborers.

Informal workers provide a wide range of services, creating thousands of jobs for disadvantaged community members. As a result, Egypt’s informal waste management sector is considered irreplaceable.

This influence extends to other sectors, such as urban planning. However, instead of improving the quality of life in slum areas, the government is focusing on building the New Administrative Capital.

Egypt aims for a 7 percent reduction in GHGs by 2030 from the waste management sector. However, officials have not addressed how they plan to manage emissions in crowded areas or how to start creating low-emission zones.

The country’s ambition to become a regional gas hub and a major exporter of liquefied natural gas has been suspended, as a shortage of gas to supply its power plants has led to severe power cuts across Egypt.

Meanwhile, real estate expansion is causing significant environmental harm, according to urban researchers. This expansion is driven by investment purposes rather than addressing housing needs, resulting in a surplus of units and the creation of “ghost” cities.

The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics reported 12.8 million uninhabited units in Egypt.

Such profit-driven urban expansion includes areas like the New Administrative Capital, New Alamein, New Sphinx, New 6th of October, and Al-Shurouk, among other “fourth-generation cities.”

The number of uninhabited units is enough to house a third of Egypt’s population, which is roughly equivalent to the number of Egypt’s poor.

The Egyptian government’s focus on real estate investment exacerbates environmental issues rather than addressing them.

The extraction, transportation, and manufacturing of construction materials such as cement, steel, and chemicals are highly taxing on natural resources and the environment. Construction and demolition processes consume large amounts of energy and water, generating emissions and waste.

In addition to profit-driven urban expansion, Sisi’s regime has faced criticism for continuously cutting down trees from the country’s already limited green spaces, an act publicly described as a “green massacre.” According to Global Forest Watch, Egypt saw a reduction of approximately 5,060,000 square meters of green spaces and tree cover between 2013 and 2023.

The per capita share of green spaces has decreased from 17 square meters to just 9 square meters per person. Warming rates in Egypt’s urban areas have significantly increased due to tree cutting and road expansion.

Air pollution was responsible for 90,000 premature deaths in Egypt in 2019, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Egypt does not yet have a clear emissions reduction target and has not implemented any basic rules for the long-term 2050 National Climate Change Strategy.

The governance of the country needs to take urgent and serious action.

World Environment Day, which Baku will host on 5 June 2026, is the largest global platform for environmental engagement and action. Established by the UN General Assembly in 1972, the Day inspires and is celebrated by millions of people across the world, who participate in online and in-person activities and events around the world aimed at accelerating environmental progress for people and planet. With Azerbaijan as hosts, World Environment Day 2026 will focus on climate change.

“Like almost every corner of the Earth, Azerbaijan is facing devastating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. To fend off these challenges, World Environment Day fills the world with millions of reasons for hope,” said Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and COP29 President-Designate. Azerbaijan is set to host a landmark UN Climate Change Conference in November, almost double our renewable energy sources by 2030, grow forests, and reach zero-waste through state-of the-art facilities. Hosting World Environment Day is a natural choice, grounded in our solidarity for a green world.”

Recent years have seen nations working closer than ever to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution and waste. The UN Climate Change Conference COP28 saw countries agree to new commitments on renewable energy, efficiency, and methane amongst others, as well as signal the end of the fossil fuel era. The UN Biodiversity Conference COP15, in 2022, ended with the landmark Global Biodiversity Framework, which is now being implemented to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, and the world adopted a historic treaty to protect life in the high seas.

“Governments, businesses, civil society and people across the world are calling for change – from ending the fossil fuel era, to restoring degraded nature, reducing pollution and demanding the right to a healthy environment,” said Ms. Andersen. “World Environment Day is the platform to bring global action together and I look forward to working with the Republic of Azerbaijan to drive progress on the climate crisis through World Environment Day 2026.”

By the end of this year, critical progress on climate finance is expected at COP29, along with countermeasures on desertification at the Convention to Combat Desertification COP16 and three years of international negotiations are expected to culminate in a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.

Next year, World Environment Day will be hosted by the Republic of Korea with a focus on ending plastic pollution. World Environment Day 2024 was hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.

About World Environment Day

World Environment Day is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Held annually since 1973, the Day has also become a vital platform for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. With the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the helm, over 150 countries participate each year. Major corporations, non-governmental organizations, communities, governments, and celebrities from across the world adopt the World Environment Day brand to champion environmental causes.

About the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Republic of Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the central executive authority responsible for implementing state policy in environmental protection. It oversees the organization and efficient use of natural resources, including groundwater, mineral raw materials, and surface natural resources. The Ministry also manages their restoration, as well as the observation and forecasting of hydrometeorological processes within the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the section of the Caspian Sea belonging to Azerbaijan.

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

The Forum, which brought together over 1,400 participants in the French capital, was dedicated to the decarbonisation and climate resilience of buildings. According to the latest Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, released this week by UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), the building and construction sector represents over a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. The report indicates that in 2022, the sector accounted for 37 per cent of global operational energy and process-related CO2 emissions.

In the Declaration de Chaillot, the signing ministers recall that with the acceleration of climate change, buildings will increasingly be exposed to climate-related risks, particularly affecting developing countries and cities. Moreover, by 2050, 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas, and global demand for raw materials is expected to double by 2060.

The signatory ministers of the Declaration de Chaillot emphasize the still inadequate volume of renovations and constructions of sustainable buildings, widening the gap between the sector’s trajectory and the goal of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming below 1.5°C by 2100. They also denounce the continued investment in systems and buildings with excessive carbon intensity and the overexploitation of natural resources for construction material production, which contributes to biodiversity and environmental degradation.

In the face of the climate emergency, a swift transition of the buildings sector is a direct requirement to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement. However, it is essential to construct this transition with all stakeholders, with a shared vision of cooperation and coordination, considering the specificities of each state.

The ministers committed to:

• Implementing roadmaps, regulatory frameworks, and mandatory building and energy codes to move towards carbon-neutral buildings;
• Implementing an appropriate financial framework with financial and fiscal incentives, and regulatory tools to increase the share of resilient, near-zero emission, and affordable buildings;
• Promoting the adoption of labels, standards, and certifications;
• Leading by example by adopting ambitious policies regarding public procurement;
• Promoting the production, development, and use of low-carbon, durable, and cost-effective construction materials;
• Promoting collaborative value chains, as well as research and development of innovative solutions;
• Improving skills by strengthening local know-how, considering mitigation and adaptation strategies;
• Developing multi-level governance, coordination among different stakeholders, and a more participatory approach to ensure coordination of implementation;
• And developing tools and regulatory frameworks to collect and share data and best practices.

To ensure the implementation of these commitments, the ministers pledge to utilise all international forums such as the G7, G20, G77, and climate COPs to further incorporate the specific issues of construction and buildings. They announce the establishment of an “Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate” coordinated by the GlobalABC to facilitate and monitor the implementation of the goals and means of the Declaration.

The Declaration de Chaillot represents a decisive step in the operational implementation of the Paris Agreement. For the first time, government representatives have agreed on a common declaration to engage an entire value chain of the sector in the transition. The participation of over 1800 stakeholders from this value chain at the first-ever Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris on 7 and 8 March is the first tangible translation of this unprecedented mobilisation.

“For the very first time, 70 governments from all continents commit to a concrete, operational roadmap with a monitoring mechanism to address the challenges of decarbonisation, resilience, and transition in the buildings and climate sector,” said Mr. Christophe Béchu, France’s Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion.   “Along with all stakeholders in the value chain, they pledge to strengthen frameworks, mobilise financing, and share solutions from around the world to implement the Paris Agreement, for a sector that accounts for 21% of greenhouse gas emissions and 55% of global wealth. This is a significant moment for diplomacy and climate action.”

“The Declaration de Chaillot will boost cooperation and strengthen the implementation of local, national, and international climate action in the buildings and construction sector to support the goals of the Paris Agreement. The next round of National Determined Contributions (NDCs), to be submitted by early 2025, will offer a great opportunity to move from ambition to action and accelerate the transformation we need,” said Ligia Noronha, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNEP, New York Office.

“As Minister of State for Cities, I would like to express our support for the Declaration of Chaillot. Although the commitments listed in this important Declaration go beyond the scope of the Ministry of Cities, we are committed to doing our part and supporting the Brazilian government in whatever is within our purview so that they can be achieved,” said Jader Barbalho Filho, Brazil’s Minister of Cities. “To go further, we are examining the possibility of holding a ministerial meeting during COP-30 to continue the discussions initiated in this Forum. And finally, we would like to announce that we will be suggesting and supporting a specific working Group to address the decarbonization of the buildings and real estate sector within the G20 framework.”

Countries Declaration

United Arab Emirates – H. E. Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure:

“Decarbonizing buildings and ensuring their resilience to climate change risks are key priorities on the world’s agenda. The UAE endorses the Ministerial Declaration that will be an effective tool for achieving these priorities.”

Gabon – H.E. Mr Ludovic Megne Ndong, Minister of Housing, Town Planning and Land Registry:

“As a pioneer in Equatorial Africa on climate and sustainable development issues, Gabon intends to seize the opportunity of the first World Forum on Building and Climate and the Chaillot Declaration to be the driving force behind sustainable design practices, technological innovations and solutions in this sector, and to highlight the breakthrough for buildings as a complementary initiative in the service of the international collaboration needed to decarbonise and make buildings resilient on a global scale.”

United Kingdom – Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance:

“The UK has a record to be proud of when it comes to net zero, having become the first major economy to halve its emissions.

But we know climate change doesn’t respect national borders, so we need to work together with our international partners and friends to meet this challenge head on.

Signing the Déclaracion de Chaillot today is another important step, helping to ensure our nation’s buildings are fit for a low-carbon future, while also supporting the goals of the new Buildings Breakthrough.”

Türkiye – Ms Fatma Varank, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change:

“The declaration will contribute to provide green transformation and construction sector to achieve climate goal by believing all out strategy is required to combat climate change.”

UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 – Razan Al Mubarak:

“Business, industry, and city leaders are already taking action to unlock the climate solutions of the buildings sector. We welcome the enabling role this forum plays in further unlocking collaboration at an international level, through initiatives like the Buildings Breakthrough.”

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. 

About the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC)

Founded at COP21, hosted by UNEP and with 291 members, including 42 countries, the GlobalABC is the leading global platform for all built environment stakeholders committed to a common vision: A zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector.

The report reveals a major gap in forest protection, management and restoration in current NDCs, which outline plans to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Analyzed by climate experts at UNEP, the report shows that current NDC pledges submitted between 2017–2023 do not meet the global ambition to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. Forests play a key role in achieving the Paris Agreement on climate change, as they have the potential to contribute one-third of the emissions reductions required to close the 2030 mitigation gap. 

While 11 of the NDCs contain quantified targets relating to afforestation and, reforestation, mitigating climate change requires reducing deforestation first, as it takes many years to capture the carbon lost through deforesting an equivalent area through afforestation and restoration. 

To further harmonize national efforts, it is also crucial for NDCs to integrate existing national strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, which 15 of the 20 countries have adopted.  

Given the role of forests in regulating hydrological cycles, buffering temperature extremes, preventing extreme weather events, and protecting biodiversity and human health, the ambition to end deforestation is essential for humanity to avoid tremendous risks to us, our planet and the life it supports. Yet, the report released today shows that global deforestation rates continued to increase, notwithstanding a recent decline in Brazil. 

“After the 2020 goal by world leaders to halve forest loss was not met, we must ensure that the 2030 goal doesn’t meet the same fate,” said Dechen Tsering, Acting Director of UNEP’s Climate Division. “Climate action plans, due in 2025, need to have ambitious, consistent, detailed, targeted, and actionable goals for forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use. This includes building on existing national environmental policies, while enhancing support for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who are the frontline stewards of forests .” 

The report calls for urgent international collaboration to enhance NDC ambition. As countries prepare for the submission of the next round of NDCs for COP30 — known as NDCs 3.0, with a timeframe extending to 2035 — the report urges countries, especially those with extensive forest cover, to include concrete, measurable targets on forests in their revised NDCs.   

Increased NDC ambition must be accompanied by strong and immediate action. Predictable financial support at scale for forest-rich countries will be needed to take these steps.   

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.  

About UN-REDD  
The UN-REDD Programme is the flagship UN knowledge and advisory partnership on forests and climate to reduce forest emissions and enhance forest carbon stocks. It is the largest international provider of REDD+ assistance, supporting its 65 partner countries to protect their forests and achieve their climate and sustainable development goals.  

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News and Media Unit, UN Environment Programme