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The Declaration on Water for Climate Action, a COP29 Presidency Initiative, together with its Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action, will reinforce the close connection between water and climate change.
The declaration, already endorsed by more than 50 countries and more organizations…
On the heels of her engagement for climate action at COP29, UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean visited Brussels this week to share insights from UNECE support for sustainable water management and to discuss joint priorities with high-level representatives from the European Commission.…
Transboundary waters around the world face significant pressures due to population growth, increasing water demand and the impacts of the triple-planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Results from the third reporting exercise on SDG indicator 6.5.2 highlight a lack of…
At its 29th session in Geneva from 6 to 8 November 2024, the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy successfully peer-reviewed and adopted the recommendations from the fourth Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) of Montenegro and Tajikistan.
The delegations of the reviewed countries presented…
Best available techniques (BATs) have emerged as a key policy tool to prevent and control the emission of industrial pollutants, and thereby to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. Applying BATs to different sources is a key requirement for Parties to the latest three…
Sound emission inventories are the first step for designing effective clean air policies as they provide information about the main sources and the most acute air pollution problems in a country.
Under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention), UNECE has…
Turkmenistan is a landlocked developing country in Central Asia with a population of some 6.4 million people, with 49% living in urban areas. In 2022, 95% of the population used a safely managed drinking water service.
On 3 October UNECE and the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/…
Addressing the Plenary of the Summit of the Future during the UN General Assembly, UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean noted that with its strong normative footprint, UNECE is fully dedicated to leveraging and adapting its tools, expertise, and partnerships to reinvigorate the implementation…
With its mining industry set to expand, Uzbekistan is taking steps to strengthen the safety of Tailings Management Facilities (TMFs), thanks to practical training organized by UNECE. The 3-day training session this week brought together representatives from national authorities, mining operators,…
Uzbekistan, the most populated Central Asian country with some 35 million people, faces water stress and inefficient water use. In addition, as a major producer of gold and uranium with its rapidly developing mining industry, the country is exposed to increasing environmental and health risks…
While nitrogen is vital for plant growth, excessive and inefficient use of this nutrient means up to 80% of it leaks into the environment, mostly in various polluting forms of nitrogen: ammonia and nitrogen oxides, which are harmful air pollutants; nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas; and…
After Morocco (2022) and Mauritania (2023), the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews (EPR) continue to reach beyond the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Mongolia has requested UNECE to undertake its second review, following the first in 2017.
Today, a…
Following the decision of Parties to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) to revise the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone (Gothenburg Protocol), which is expected to further strengthen efforts to reduce air pollution in…
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation and a landlocked country in Eastern Central Africa, is situated in the middle of the basin of the Nile River, Africa’s longest river. Sharing significant transboundary wetlands, experiencing annual catastrophic floods and droughts and facing immense…
Civil society plays a vital role in addressing major environmental challenges. To fully harness this potential, ongoing efforts are essential to uphold the public rights to promote effective and inclusive environmental governance and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
To tackle…
Taking part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York (8 – 17 July), UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean presented UNECE regional perspectives on SDGs localization, climate action, energy, transport, water and engaged with civil society, youth, and the private…
Mapping air pollutant emission sources in a country helps experts and decision-makers identify the most effective policies. Understanding the regional distribution of emissions is crucial for effective policy implementation.
Spatially allocating—or gridding—emissions is technically…
Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, lies entirely within a total of five transboundary river basins (Buzi, Limpopo, Pungwe, Save and Zambezi) and one international lake (Kariba) while the number of transboundary aquifers is yet to be ascertained. These transboundary basins create…
Representatives from countries across Central Asia and experts on the climate and clean air came together in Astana, Kazakhstan this week (11-13 June 2024) for the Sub-Regional Workshop on Integrated Planning for Climate and Air organized by the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)…
Mediterranean countries come together to increase climate resilience of water and sanitation sectors
The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average and for every 1-degree global temperature increase, it would warm up by at least 1.5-2 degrees. This is severely impacting water and sanitation and the health and well-being of the region’s population. According to the World…
In a ground-breaking decision in December 2023, Parties to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention) agreed to revise the Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-Level Ozone, as amended in 2012 (Gothenburg Protocol), which is expected to…
In an important move to secure the supply of essential raw materials, the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) entered into force on 23 May 2024. This legislation is a cornerstone in enhancing the EU's capabilities in sourcing, processing, and recycling critical raw materials (CRMs), which…
In the face of global crises, progressing towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16—promoting peaceful, inclusive societies, justice for all, and accountable institutions—is a cross-cutting enabler for the 2030 Agenda. SDG16 intertwines with the other SDGs, underscoring the importance of…
With its strong mining industry, mountainous areas and high seismic hazards, prevention and preparedness for disasters and climate change adaptation are high on Tajikistan’s agenda. In particular, the increasing frequency and severity of weather events due to climate change can undermine the safety…
The technology associated with low-cost sensors (LCS) to monitor air quality has seen rapid developments over the past few years. While their use becomes more widespread and some are promoting them as silver bullet for air pollution science and control, experts have advised caution.
It is…