Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean but support over 25% of all life in it—the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet. Protecting coral reefs is an existential imperative for Small Island Developing States like Mauritius, which depend heavily on these rich but delicate ecosystems for fisheries, tourism and coastal protection. Despite their immense value, coral reefs are at the brink of collapse. In 2020, an oil leak from a damaged ship caused the worst environmental disaster in Mauritius’ history. The local communities most affected by the disaster stepped up to lead the recovery and take their future into their own hands. The initiative supported by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP engaged local residents to collect pieces of broken coral from the reef hit by the ship and move them to a nursery. By May 2026, around 25,500 corals from over 3,400 mother colonies had been transplanted back to the affected area.
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Double-landlocked in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is dominated by an arid climate. Almost half of the country is covered by rangelands that sustain the livelihoods of pastoralists, small-scale herders, ranchers and farmers. But with the escalating impacts of climate change and land degradation this territory and the local communities who depend on it are under unprecedented pressure. Yet, it is within these local communities that the most powerful solutions are being forged, with support from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, including a shift away from water-intensive, traditional farming towards a more resilient model.
In the Solomon Islands, the Kira tribe has secured a landmark victory for Indigenous-led conservation after years of resisting destructive logging and fighting to protect their ancestral rainforest. Led by community leader Andrew Taraha, the tribe combined traditional knowledge, grassroots organizing, and scientific biodiversity research to establish the Kira Forest Biodiversity Conservation Area in 2023 — the first protected tribal land in Malaita province. Supported by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP-backed Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, the initiative safeguards nearly 700 hectares of rainforest, endangered species, freshwater sources, and sacred cultural sites while inspiring neighboring communities to pursue their own conservation efforts
Across the high Andes, Indigenous communities protect vicuñas and fragile grasslands through chaku, preserving culture, biodiversity, and balance.
Nepal has launched its first sign-language-based trekking guide training programme, empowering deaf guides to build inclusive tourism careers and open the country’s famous trekking routes to deaf travellers worldwide.
The concept of just transition refers to integrating social justice and equity principles, processes and practices in climate action. As countries move away from fossil fuels to fight climate change, some jobs and communities are at risk of being left behind. A just transition focuses on protecting workers, creating new green jobs, and helping communities adjust. It calls for training, social support, and clear plans so people can find new work and build better lives. This approach also gives communities a voice in decisions that affect them. By putting people at the center, a just transition makes climate action fairer, stronger, and more likely to succeed for the long term.
As conflict rises and aid declines, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP argues that investing in long-term development is essential to building resilience, reducing costs, and securing global peace and stability.
In Salvador, Neojiba helps young people build careers through luthiery, turning music education into jobs, skills, and social inclusion.
Third-generation NDCs are national climate plans under the Paris Agreement that strengthen emissions targets, adaptation measures, and implementation pathways.
To protect low-income households, small businesses, farmers and vulnerable communities from financial risk,
Women in Malaysia’s Kedah River Basin play vital roles in sustaining communities as the river supports fishing, agriculture, and livelihoods. Artisans like Zanariyan Binti Azizan show how local economies are shaped by the river. Yet water scarcity and pollution place disproportionate burdens on women, who manage household water needs. Centering women in water governance leads to more equitable, resilient systems essential for food security and climate adaptation.
Women bear the burden of global water scarcity, and empowering their leadership in water management promotes health, education, and peace.
Danish actor and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau shares stories about the people he met and the human innovation, resourcefulness and creativity he saw while visiting Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP’s programmes around the world and filming his documentary An Optimist's Guide to the Planet.
For institutions to be effective, accessible and truly responsive to people’s needs, they must reflect the societies they serve. When more women sit on the bench, entire societies benefit.
Across fragile regions, women restore forests, manage scarce resources, and rebuild livelihoods, showing how climate resilience and peace grow stronger when communities empower women.