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.
UNDP
Rangelands cover more than half of the Earth's land surface and are essential to food security, biodiversity, climate resilience and the livelihoods of billions of people, including pastoralists and Indigenous communities. Yet these vast ecosystems remain undervalued and increasingly threatened by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable land use. Protecting and restoring rangelands is critical not only for conserving wildlife and storing carbon, but also for sustaining cultures, strengthening rural economies and building resilient landscapes that support both people and nature for generations to come.
Artificial intelligence is spreading at breathtaking speed, but access alone won’t determine who benefits. The real divide lies in who has the power to shape how AI is built, governed and used. As many countries race to adopt the technology, gaps in infrastructure, data, skills and local languages threaten to leave billions on the sidelines. Yet the future is far from fixed. Around the world, governments are laying the foundations for AI that serves people—not just markets. The choices made today will decide whether AI deepens inequality or becomes a force for more inclusive, human-centered development.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that the earthquakes in Venezuela's La Guaira region generated around 1.2 million tonnes of debris, creating a major obstacle to rescue, recovery, and reconstruction efforts. Clearing the rubble is essential to restore access to communities, reopen hospitals, schools, and other critical services, and allow displaced families to begin rebuilding their lives. UNDP is supporting authorities with technical expertise, debris management planning, and sustainable recovery strategies that prioritize recycling materials where possible and reducing environmental impacts. The assessment highlights the scale of the disaster and the importance of coordinated action to accelerate recovery.
Cambodia is integrating climate action into its development journey, investing in resilient communities, sustainable growth and forest protection to secure a prosperous low-carbon future.
Call it football or soccer—the World Cup reminds us that while we may be 8 billion people, we are one team united in helping every person thrive on a healthy planet.
HE[R]EAL is a global multimedia exhibition that challenges dominant narratives of war-to-peace transitions, offering another perspective: women as survivors, former combatants, family members of armed actors, caregivers, leaders and agents of change.
The ocean sustains life and livelihoods, producing at least half of Earth’s oxygen, supporting vast biodiversity, and providing food and jobs for millions. Yet overfishing and ecosystem decline threaten its future. In the Pacific, however, a different story has emerged. Through more than 20 years of collaboration among 14 Pacific Island nations, regional organizations, scientists, and development partners, Pacific tuna fisheries have become the world’s first major tuna fishery where all four key stocks are harvested sustainably. Science-based management, regional unity, and initiatives such as the Vessel Day Scheme have strengthened food security, generated billions in economic value, and supported thousands of jobs. The Pacific’s success demonstrates how cooperation, stewardship, and long-term investment can protect marine resources while advancing sustainable development.
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 UNDP 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.
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 UNDP-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, UNDP argues that investing in long-term development is essential to building resilience, reducing costs, and securing global peace and stability.