Surviving a crisis is only the beginning. A child still needs a school, a farmer safe land and a family a place to call home. Yet more than 160 million people lack the support they need to rebuild their lives. ĢƵDP is working to close the gap between emergency relief and long-term recovery, restoring services and livelihoods while crises are still unfolding. From clearing dangerous land in Ukraine and Syria to supporting businesses in Afghanistan and housing in Gaza, the goal is to help communities regain stability, rebuild local economies and prepare for a future beyond crisis.
Economic Development
In Saint Lucia, solar power helped a fishers’ cooperative survive financial strain after Hurricane Beryl. In Georgia, Shorena Chapurishvili says electricity has brought life and hope back to her remote village. And in Belize, women solar engineers are bringing clean power to homes and businesses. These are among thousands of locally led projects supported by the GEF Small Grants Programme. More than 30,000 grants over three decades have put resources into communities’ hands, helping them protect forests, embrace clean energy and strengthen livelihoods. The lesson: small investments can give local knowledge the power to create lasting change.
For farmers in Armenia’s Ararat Valley, families in Uzbekistan’s drought-strained Aral Sea region and communities relying on glacier-fed rivers in the Kyrgyz Republic, climate change is reshaping the water they depend on every day. Retreating glaciers, erratic rainfall and drought threaten crops, electricity, health and livelihoods. With the United Nations Development Programme support, the three landlocked countries are putting water at the heart of climate adaptation—improving irrigation, protecting river basins, strengthening water management and planning for future shortages. The goal is practical: safeguard the water that keeps communities, farms and economies going.
A loan helped Yahia open a kiosk in Egypt. Training and solar-powered equipment enabled Jayalakshmi to start a tailoring business in India. In Cuba, Caridad turns goat’s milk into cheese alongside her daughters, while in Malawi, Emmanuel is developing technology to make rural electricity more affordable. Around the world, the United Nations Development Programme supports people with the tools they need to build livelihoods, from grants and microloans to training and equipment. These stories show that decent work is about more than earning an income: it can bring dignity, independence and opportunity, strengthen families and communities, and help people build their own path out of poverty.
A new expands economic measurement beyond GDP, tracking well-being, equity, inclusion, sustainability, resilience, and data gaps worldwide.
Across the Global South, countries are sharing innovative solutions to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. On 12 September, the International Day for South-South Cooperation highlights this growing solidarity and marks the launch of the , a voluntary, ĢƵ-facilitated platform for more inclusive and innovative development. Watch the launch of the Global Alliance today at 10 a.m. (New York time).
In rural Haiti, IFAD’s blue economy investments strengthen coastal livelihoods, restore mangroves, support sustainable fishing and help local entrepreneurs build resilience amid climate and economic crises.
For Enkhjin Gereldash and her family, cashmere is both a way of life and a vital source of income. Born into a herding family in Mongolia, Enkhjin grew up helping her parents manage their livestock and sustainably harvest cashmere from hundreds of goats each year. Their story reflects a sector that supports around 190,000 herder households but faces mounting pressure from land degradation and climate change. Through partnerships connecting herders, processors and international markets, efforts are underway to build a more sustainable cashmere supply chain. Enkhjin now works for a Mongolian processing company, pursuing her ambition to help make Mongolian cashmere a globally recognized brand.
The World Bank’s finds that artificial intelligence could help meet the jobs needs of 1.2 billion young people in developing countries by boosting productivity and services, but warns that without deliberate action, it could deepen inequality and exclusion.
On 6 August, we mark the International Day of Awareness of the Special Development Needs and Challenges of Landlocked Developing Countries. Home to over 600 million people, the 32 LLDCs often face high trade costs, limited diversification, and infrastructure shortfalls that impact growth. Through the Awaza Programme of Action (2024–2034), the ĢƵ seeks to ensure trade better facilitation, structural transformation, transport connectivity, technology, climate resilience, and support. Its goal is to align national-level actions, regional integration, and policy frameworks to put LLDCs on a resilient path to sustainable development.
In Burkina Faso, women in the Sabari Kadi cooperative are strengthening their livelihoods by producing soumbala, a traditional fermented seasoning made from African locust beans. Through ĢƵFPA-supported training, they have improved harvesting practices, adopted natural pest control, strengthened hygiene standards and gained skills in financial management and online marketing. These changes have enhanced the quality of their products, expanded market opportunities and increased incomes, while promoting sustainable use of forest resources. By combining environmental stewardship with entrepreneurship, the training is creating new opportunities for women and building resilience against climate-related challenges.
The world faces overlapping crises, including climate shocks, geopolitical tensions, poverty, and economic uncertainty, making progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals increasingly urgent. The (HLPF) will bring the international community together from 7–15 July to assess progress and develop solutions to accelerate action.
Global is forecast at 3.0% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027, while stalled disinflation and geopolitical risks continue to challenge policymakers.
Fighting for and believing in change is in Jorge Moreira da Silva’s blood. Now Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (ĢƵOPS), the former Portuguese minister is helping to improve lives. From restoring roads and repairing power plants to running health centres and constructing renewable energy mini-grids, ĢƵOPS implements projects in more than 130 countries – often in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
“It's about providing social basic human needs. We have found a way to provide livelihoods to 15 million people in Afghanistan...rehabilitating roads, streets, water canals, paying men and women to do the job.”
In this episode of Awake at Night, Jorge Moreira da Silva reflects on the practical and political challenges of delivering projects in complex environments – from funding gaps to lack of political will. He also shares how releasing an Iberian lynx and earning his pilot’s license have to do with keeping hope alive through dark times.
Since this interview was recorded, the ĢƵ Secretary-General has appointed Jorge Moreira da Silva to lead the ĢƵ task force for the Strait of Hormuz.
Rural communities are where food systems begin and resilience takes root. Home to many of the world’s poorest people, they face the harsh edge of food insecurity, climate disruption and migration pressures. Yet within these landscapes lies extraordinary promise. With sustained investment, stronger value chains, access to finance and closer links to markets, rural people can transform vulnerability into opportunity, strengthen food security and build more stable futures. To invest in rural areas is to invest in the first mile of a more secure and sustainable world.