At the Transitioning to Organic Farming Conference held at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center in Ithaca, Nebraska, experienced farmers shared insights on the benefits and challenges of organic agriculture. Tom Schwarz, a fifth-generation farmer from southern Nebraska, emphasized how organic farming has allowed his family to reinvest in their own future rather… [Read More]
Fossil Fuel Ban in Costa Rica at Risk: What’s Next for the Country’s Green Policy
For over twenty years, Costa Rica has maintained a ban on oil and gas exploration and production, set to run until 2050. However, this moratorium is based on a presidential decree, making it legally fragile, as any president can revoke it without parliamentary approval. Recognizing this vulnerability, the former government pledged in 2020 to codify… [Read More]
Refugee Rights and Justice: Protecting Lives in Crisis
Globally, crises such as wars, persecution, and natural disasters have forced millions from their homes, with the latest UNHCR report noting that 117.3 million people are displaced worldwide, including nearly 42.5 million refugees. For those uprooted, access to justice is crucial, providing protection against exploitation, statelessness, and violence while helping them secure housing, identity, and… [Read More]
UNDP Brings Solar Energy to Buin, Empowering Nurses and Healthcare Services
The Buin District Health Centre, a level 3 medical facility serving around 200 patients monthly, has long been a crucial lifeline for residents of Southern Bougainville. Built in the 1960s, the centre provides essential health and ambulatory care but has faced persistent challenges, particularly frequent power outages that disrupt daily operations, water supply, cold storage… [Read More]
How Community Empowerment Drives Sustainable Poverty Reduction
In Villa Rosario, Talugtug, Nueva Ecija, residents once relied on hand pumps that provided rusty, mud-tasting water, causing widespread illness from diarrhea and vomiting. Community members, with financial and technical support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), decided to prioritize and construct their own water supply system, ensuring safe and clean water… [Read More]
Hope in 2025: Positive Developments Despite a Difficult Year
Throughout 2025, the world faced record levels of conflict, climate crises, and humanitarian challenges, with millions at risk due to steep cuts in aid and rising digital violence against women and girls. Yet amid these crises, individuals and communities demonstrated resilience and courage, taking extraordinary actions to protect lives and promote well-being. From midwives delivering… [Read More]
$372 Million in Funding Greenlights GEF’s Next Phase of Global Environmental Initiatives
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved over $372 million in funding to implement 36 new programs and projects targeting urgent environmental challenges across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. These initiatives are supported through the GEF Trust Fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and… [Read More]
Sri Lanka and World Bank Collaborate to Boost Digital Services and Economic Growth
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a $50 million project to support Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, aiming to modernize government services, enhance accessibility, and make public services more responsive to the needs of citizens and businesses. The initiative will promote innovation and investment in the country’s digital sector while strengthening the foundations for… [Read More]
Famine in Gaza Pushed Back, Yet UN Warns Fragile Gains Could Reverse Without Aid
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have highlighted that, while famine has been temporarily averted in the Gaza Strip following the October ceasefire, the gains remain extremely fragile. Despite improved humanitarian and commercial access, the population continues to face widespread infrastructure destruction, collapsed… [Read More]
Funding Shortfall Pushes Ethiopia’s Refugee Response to Breaking Point
The Government of Ethiopia’s Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), UNHCR, and the World Food Programme (WFP) have warned that the refugee response in Ethiopia is on the brink of collapse. Without an immediate infusion of funds, essential services such as food, water, and healthcare for over 1.1 million refugees could cease within weeks. Ethiopia, the… [Read More]
Mongolia’s Grasslands to Benefit from ADB Pilot Project Supporting Carbon Market Development
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Mongolia have launched a pilot project aimed at restoring grassland carbon, strengthening ecosystem resilience, and developing a scalable pathway to sustain grassland services through international carbon markets. The Grassland Carbon Restoration Project seeks to generate carbon credits through improved livestock grazing and grassland management, which could… [Read More]
Sustainable Agriculture and Women’s Empowerment in Vietnam Supported by ADB and BIDV
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) have signed a $250 million syndicated finance package to support sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture and expand access to finance for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (WSMEs) in Viet Nam. The package includes $100 million from ADB’s… [Read More]
African Development Bank Appoints New Representative in Chad and Advances Energy, Climate Initiatives
Francis Dogo officially assumed his role as the African Development Bank (AfDB) Country Manager for Chad on 12 December 2025 in N’Djamena, after presenting his credentials to Fatimé Aldjineh Garfa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Chadians Abroad. During the meeting, the Minister commended… [Read More]
Millions in New Funds to Boost Frontline Environmental Projects
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved a new funding package of US$67 million to support frontline action on biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change. With the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) providing support, the funds will be allocated to nine projects across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa, targeting… [Read More]
ECJ Finds Denmark’s Ghetto Law Potentially Unlawful, Strengthening Human Rights
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that Denmark’s law on parallel societies, commonly known as the “ghetto law,” is potentially incompatible with the EU directive on equal treatment. Dina Hashem, Senior Legal Advisor at Amnesty International Denmark, described the ruling as a significant step in protecting human rights and ensuring equality for all… [Read More]
EU Policy Changes on Asylum and Safe Countries Undermine Refugee Rights
Olivia Sundberg Diez, EU Advocate on Migration and Asylum at Amnesty International, has criticized recent agreements between the European Parliament and Council on new EU asylum rules, describing them as a serious attack on the foundation of refugee protection. She emphasized that these changes occur within a broader context of punitive deportation measures still under… [Read More]
Attention Civil Society Organizations: Opportunities to Get Involved
The Small Grants Programme (SGP) is a flagship initiative of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1992. Operating in over 125 countries, the SGP supports community-based innovation, capacity development, and the empowerment of local civil society organizations through sustainable development projects. Its focus areas include biodiversity conservation,… [Read More]
$21.9 Million African Development Bank Grant to Strengthen São Tomé and Príncipe’s Blue Economy
The African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved a $22 million grant to fund the Blue Economy and Fisheries Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Maintenance Project (BEFIRM) in São Tomé and Príncipe. The project aims to harness the archipelago nation’s vast maritime potential while addressing pressing food security challenges. The financing package combines resources from… [Read More]
Five Years of Open Mapping in Asia–Pacific: Progress, Lessons, and the Road Ahead
As HOT’s inaugural Asia–Pacific Regional Director, Nama Budhathoki reflects on five years of building a regional open mapping hub from the ground up as he prepares to step down in January 2026. When the role began, the hub model was largely conceptual, with no established teams or templates. Today, the Asia–Pacific Hub has grown into… [Read More]
IFC Investment in Scotiabank Mexico Boosts Housing Finance Access for Women
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has announced an investment of up to US$250 million in Scotiabank Mexico to expand access to housing finance for women. The initiative aims to address Mexico’s significant housing deficit while reducing the gender gap in mortgage access, supporting broader economic growth and social… [Read More]
AI for Humanitarian Action: Insights, Trends, and Opportunities for 2026
The upcoming humanitarian AI webinar, scheduled for 29 January 2026 from 12:00 to 13:30 UTC on Zoom, will explore current trends and considerations in the adoption of AI within the humanitarian sector. Participants will hear directly from expert practitioners about what strategies are effective, which approaches face challenges, and key lessons that can inform future… [Read More]
Strengthening Community Resilience: Insights from the CORE Project’s Final Multi-Stakeholder Meeting
The CORE Project’s final multi-stakeholder workshop, held on 5 December 2025, explored how community-led health responses can survive and adapt amid shrinking health funding, contracting civic space, and declining political attention to HIV. The event brought together 50 participants from across Europe, including community leaders, civil society organisations, UN agencies, EU institutions, academia, and regional… [Read More]
€1 Million Boost for Assistive Technology Backed by DFI
The announcement by Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, Norma Foley TD, of over €1 million in funding for digital and assistive technology (AT) projects marks a significant investment in supporting people with disabilities. Delivered through the HSE’s CREATE III initiative—Cooperative Real Engagement for Assistive Technology Enhancement—the funding aims to address unmet needs… [Read More]
