In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
India, along with the rest of the world, is facing significant social and economic challenges after implementing measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. To address these challenges, public and private sector leaders are considering short-term and long-term interventions to support economic recovery. In this context, India recently announced a …
Millions of children in Yemen could be pushed to ‘the brink of starvation’ due to huge shortfalls in humanitarian aid funding amid the COVID-19 pandemic – according to a new UNICEF report marking more than five years since conflict escalated in the country. The report shows that an additional 30,000 …
Global growth is projected at –4.9 percent in 2020, 1.9 percentage points below the April 2020 World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecast. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a more negative impact on activity in the first half of 2020 than anticipated, and the recovery is projected to be more gradual than …
Risk asset prices have rebounded following the precipitous fall early in the year, while benchmark interest rates have declined, leading to an overall easing of financial conditions. Swift and bold actions by central banks aimed at addressing severe market stress have boosted market sentiment, including in emerging markets, where asset …
The Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating already existing protection needs and unveiling new ones. In eastern Ukraine, already exhausted by the ongoing conflict, the vulnerabilities are particularly high due to the high proportion of elderly population, damaged infrastructure and deteriorating healthcare and water supply systems. A properly resourced and coordinated response …
In the ongoing laboratory testing for COVID-19 diagnosis by molecular diagnostic methods, clinical specimens or a subset of the clinical specimens may need to be retained for various purposes such as performing additional tests, for quality control purposes or for use as control materials to assess newer diagnostic tests. In …
Fewer than 10% of countries have laws that help ensure full inclusion in education, according to UNESCO’s 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report: Inclusion and education – All means all. The report provides an in-depth analysis of key factors that cause the exclusion of learners in education systems worldwide including background, …
The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) is the science policy interface of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which is, at the global level, the foremost inclusive and evidence-based international and intergovernmental platform for food security and nutrition (FSN). Even before the outbreak …
South Asia entered the COVID-19 crisis with a low level of preparedness: The COVID-19 outbreak hit South Asia at a time when the SDGs were gaining traction and countries had begun to make some progress. Gaps in public health infrastructure, basic sanitation facilities and access to broadband connectivity have been …
Global investment sentiment waned amid the sharp economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The governments and central banks of many economies launched fiscal stimulus packages and eased monetary policies to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. Emerging East Asian markets shifted to a more accommodative monetary environment, leading …
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a new policy report that provides governments with a set of recommendations to align immediate economic recovery efforts with long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. Post-COVID Recovery: An Agenda for Resilience, Development and Equality shows how …
A new report has shown that deaths from HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria could double if systems for health are overwhelmed, treatment and prevention programmes are disrupted and resources are diverted. The report titled ‘Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Countries Affected by HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria’ was released by the …
For several weeks now, Africa has been fighting against an invisible enemy: COVID-19. Although the spread in the continent is much lower than in other parts of the world today, it is not less worrying considering the limited capabilities and resources of African countries to mitigate the potentially devastating effects …
Global growth is projected at –4.9 percent in 2020, 1.9 percentage points below the April 2020 World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecast. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a more negative impact on activity in the first half of 2020 than anticipated, and the recovery is projected to be more gradual than …
Amid huge uncertainties, a disconnect between financial markets and the evolution of the real economy has emerged, a vulnerability that could pose a threat to the recovery should investor risk appetite fade.Other financial system vulnerabilities may be crystallized by the COVID-19 pandemic. High levels of debt may become unmanageable for …
According to the latest study released by CREA on behalf of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GHCA), the air pollution in Bengaluru has dropped by 28% during the Indian megacity’s coronavirus lockdown.
A post coronavirus recovery in Africa should address the fundamental causes of vulnerabilities and go beyond fiscal and monetary adjustments whose sole aim is to ensure the survival and perpetuation of the current system of production, consumption and distribution which is responsible for the climate crisis, according to a new …
The South Asian region is likely to have around 360 million children pushed into poverty and food insecurity within the next six months, according to a UNICEF report released on June 23, 2020. Over 240 million children in the region were already classified as poor, but with the novel coronavirus …
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food Industry Asia (FIA) released a regional survey of consumers and food and beverage businesses across South-East Asia that shows a significant disconnect between expectation and action on reducing plastic waste. The challenges of plastic pollution have only increased in the past few …
The COVID-19 pandemic, itself likely the result of unsustainable food, land and water systems, is exposing weaknesses in food systems, societies and economies around the world. The health risks of the pandemic, combined with the social and economic impacts of measures to stop the spread of the disease (e.g. social …
