The financing needs to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are substantial for the Asia-Pacific countries in special situations, which comprise the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) of the region.
At this writing, eighteen months have passed since the Covid-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by WHO. It has tested the responsiveness of governments and the resilience of economic systems everywhere; it has changed social behaviour and personal habits in ways previously unthinkable. The dedication of essential workers has shone through dark times, while the scientific community has harnessed the power of collaborative research and public money to develop a vaccine at breakneck speed.
Part I of the report addresses how the current expansive mode of development degrades and exceeds the Earth’s finite capacity to sustain human well-being. The world is failing to meet most of its commitments to limit environmental damage and this increasingly threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The theme of International Youth Day 2021, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”, highlights the success of such a global effort will not be achieved without the meaningful participation of young people.
Guyana is extremely susceptible to hydro-meteorological hazards such as flooding and droughts which often have a devastating impact on the country’s primary industry – agriculture. The unequal participation in agriculture between women and men is linked to gender-based access to land, resulting in gendered occupational segregation, higher vulnerabilities, risks, and disaster impacts.
States affected by fragility, conflict or violence face growing threats to state security, the economy, and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Major challenges such as a turbulent economy or surges of violence are causes of human insecurity altering people’s way of life. Satellite Earth Observation (EO) technology has major potential to inform and facilitate international development work in a globally consistent manner.
The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) has been implementing training and capacity development activities to strengthen the capacities of regional and national authorities for Disaster Risk Reduction for over 15 years. Thanks to the support from the regional liaison office in Bangkok hosted at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the training teams have been able to develop and deliver tailored trainings in the Asia Pacific, a region prone to seasonal floods and tropical cyclones.
Small island nations are on the frontline of Climate Change’s devastating impacts. With most of their population living on low-laying land, they are specially vulnerable to the threat of rising sea levels, degrading their coastlines, their communities, and their livelihoods. Through the IPP CommonSensing, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, are developing geospatial analysis capacity and are able to set new standards for requesting and reporting on climate funds.
The FAO elearning Academy supports Member Countries, through capacity development interventions and elearning courses.