World Oceans Day began in 2009 and is to celebrate the role of the oceans in our everyday life and inspire action to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources. The 2021 celebration of this day is significant as it is the first year of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Proclaimed […]
Gastronomy -- the art of food -- refers to local food and cuisine. Sustainability means not being wasteful of natural resources (with agriculture, fishing and food preparation) and continuing into the future without being detrimental to our environment or health. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), sustainable gastronomy is […]
The Earth's tropics lie roughly in the middle of the globe between the latitude lines of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; and include the Equator and parts of North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Tropical locations are typically warm, experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature and have high […]
International shipping, transporting more than 80 per cent of global trade, is the most efficient and cost-effective method of international transportation for most goods. It is dependable and a low-cost means of transporting goods globally, and facilitates commerce and economies. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is responsible for the safety and security of shipping and […]
Women and girls play a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing. Accounting for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labour force, including informal work, females perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households in rural areas and make significant […]
Cities occupy 2% of the world's total landmass, but contribute to 70% of the world's economy (GDP), 60% of its energy consumption, 70% of its greenhouse gas emissions, and 70% of the world's waste. Urbanization provides the promise -- oft not fulfilled -- of social inclusion, access to services and new opportunities. However, inequality and […]
Damage to the environment through war includes the pollution of water wells, the torching of crops, deforestation, soil poisoning and the killing of animals. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources ( […]
First celebrated in 2002, World Science Day for Peace and Development is to highlight the significant role of science in society and to: strengthen public awareness of the role of science for peaceful and sustainable societies; promote national and international solidarity for shared science between countries; renew national and international commitment for the use of […]
Industrialisation is social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian to an industrial society through economic reorganisation for the purpose of manufacturing. The key factors for industrialisation are: (1) natural resources and raw materials that can become goods; (2) capital to pay for the production of goods and stable currency; (3) […]
Home to 15% of the world´s population, mountains host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots and provide freshwater to half of humanity. Of the 20 plant species that supply 80% of the world's food, six originated and have been diversified in mountains: maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes, and apples. Climate change and overexploitation (unsustainable […]