In Harmony with Nature. What do lush tea fields, spicy wasabi, and floodplains that double as community parks have in common? They’re all part of a global movement where people and nature thrive together! In this lively, globe-trotting article from UNDP Nature, you’ll meet the passionate locals and Indigenous leaders behind COMDEKS — an initiative that blends age-old traditions with modern smarts to protect biodiversity and boost livelihoods. Follow their journey from the forests of Costa Rica to the satoyama heartlands of Japan, and discover how sustainable farming, clever land management, and a whole lot of community spirit are turning everyday places into pockets of ecological magic. It’s proof that saving the planet can start right in your backyard—and yes, it can be delicious too.

The ocean, vital for food, clean air, and livelihoods, is increasingly threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

The path of giants: In the dense forests of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve (DNBR), the deep imprint of an elephant's foot is inscribed in the soft earth. These giant wanderers, part of Viet Nam's wild heritage, move with the memory of lands that once stretched unbroken. But their forests have changed, as fences and roads cut through the land like ribbons of steel. As these great animals wander their shrinking world, their struggle reflects a pressing question: can conservation evolve to match the vast, borderless world these giants evolved to inhabit? Read how, thanks to UNDP and partners, the DNBR is becoming a model for “conservation without borders” where both people and wildlife can thrive. Photo: A lone Asian elephant roaming the vast expanses of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve.

People everywhere wish to live in peace and dignity, free from fear and from want. Yet today we face multiple overlapping crises that impact billions of lives and undermine our collective well-being. Identifying threats to human security is our first step towards a future of peace and prosperity. Play the game and see if you can spot the development challenges hidden in the scene.

High in the Peruvian Andes, the resilient community of Culta — perched over 3,800 metres above sea level near Lake Titicaca — is turning climate crisis into a story of hope and heritage. As rain and frost wiped out crops and droughts dried up springs, local women leaders, like Pascuala Pari and Fanny Ninaraqui, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Their secret weapon? Seeds! Through colorful seed banks and clever exchanges — think bartering quinoa like Pokémon cards — they’re reviving ancient crops such as the cañihua [an heirloom crop related to quinoa], oca [a traditional root vegetable], and multi-colored quinoa. Backed by UNDP, GEF’s Small Grants Programme, and Peru’s Ministry of Environment, these women-led groups are not just planting food; they’re sowing resilience, reclaiming lost biodiversity, and leading the charge for sustainable farming with sprinklers, savvy, and spirit. With each harvest, they’re proving that agrobiodiversity isn’t just about crops; it’s about culture, climate action, and a whole lot of courage.

Performance-based climate finance ties the flow of financial resources directly to the achievement of specific, measurable and independently verified climate results. This clear connection between funding and outcomes increases transparency, which in turn builds trust among all stakeholders involved – from governments and donors to frontline communities working on climate action. Performance-based climate finance also sparks innovation. Since finance depends on the achievement of results, implementers are keen to find the most effective and efficient ways to deliver impact. UNDP is a key enabler of performance-based climate finance worldwide, with extensive experience on climate mitigation.

Sustainable transport is a systems-based approach that reduces emissions and environmental impacts while improving safety, equity, and access across all modes of mobility.

In Sasmuan, Philippines, women sustain their families and ecosystems by fishing, weaving nets, and processing crabs. Facing pollution and declining fish stocks, they diversify incomes through crab paste and pickled sea purslane. Along the Mabuanbuan alley, women of all ages gather each morning to untangle crabs from the nets. On average, families harvest around 10 kilos of crabs per day. The UNDP-backed Integrated River Basin Management Project, executed by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility aids in watershed conservation and women's empowerment.

UNDP uses AI and inclusive digital initiatives to empower women, Indigenous peoples, and refugees, transforming online spaces into safer, more inclusive platforms that counter hate speech and amplify marginalized voices.

Every year, the world loses at least 100 million hectares of healthy land — a swath the size of Egypt, becoming unable to support people, animals and plants. As soil turns to dust and vegetation withers, the ripple effects are massive: 1.3 billion people see their livelihoods threatened and the global economy loses an estimated US$878 billion annually, nearly 2% of what we produce in a year. Restoring health to soils and life to land is one of the smartest economic moves we can make. By restoring one billion hectares of degraded land (the current global target), we could unlock up to $1.8 trillion in value every year for people around the world. And the return on investment goes beyond economic gains.

Safety and security are essential for our daily lives, impacting our well-being, relationships, and opportunities. They are crucial for fostering progress, as individuals who feel secure are more likely to engage in education and community contributions. To create safe environments, it is important to enhance rights protection, deliver justice, and strengthen the rule of law. A strong, people-centered police force is vital for community security. Through its Global Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports police and security sector reforms in various countries, promoting community policing to rebuild trust between communities and law enforcement.

In the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, Mexico, communities face increasingly unreliable rains and severe droughts, worsened by climate change. The drought of 2022 was notably harsh, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to adapt to the changing climate. With support from the Global Environment Facility and UNDP, the local organization Alternativas y Participación Social developed a mobile solar-powered water pump to address water scarcity. This pump can be used across different wells to store and irrigate drought-resistant amaranth crops, a drought-tolerant grain and ‘superfood’ native to Mexico. The project produced 20 units for local cooperatives and provided training on their use and maintenance.

Christina Perrine is a woman whose early environmental awareness led her to take action locally. In 2023, she became a Plastics Ambassador for the Mauritius Plastic Challenge. Using her solar-powered bicycle, she visited rural villages to collect discarded plastic bottles and educate the community on recycling and reducing plastic use. The initiative, supported by Mission Verte and the GEF Small Grants Programme, trained six ambassadors, engaged over 4,000 citizens, and collected more than five tonnes of plastic waste. The project also organized clean-up campaigns, assisted small businesses in minimizing single-use plastics, and reached nearly 1,800 students with educational programs.

Our future isn't predetermined; we have choices amidst conflict, climate change, and inequality. By harnessing the creativity of 1.45 billion young people, we can pursue financially rewarding and transformative pathways. However, the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals is nearing, necessitating fresh approaches and global cooperation that are urgently needed due to escalating challenges like declining development assistance and a deepening debt crisis. The Hamburg Sustainability Conference serves as a vital platform for leaders to address interconnected crises, reaffirm commitments to inclusive systems, and protect future generations, especially in Africa and Asia.

Small Island Developing States are taking bold action to safeguard ocean biodiversity, despite contributing less than 1% of global emissions.