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Japan Today
22-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Guardians of the ocean: How SIDS are leading the 1.5°C agenda and what the world must do next
By Shafraz Rasheed Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are at the leading edge of the climate crisis. Threatened by rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and fragile marine ecosystems, these nations face existential risks to their economies, cultures, and ways of life. However, the vast oceans surrounding them offer more than just vulnerability they hold the key to resilience and global climate leadership. The ocean is not only a victim of climate change; it also plays a vital part in the solution. When approached sustainably, the "blue economy" can enhance climate resilience, reduce emissions, and sustain livelihoods in SIDS. The real challenge lies in unlocking this potential amid growing environmental threats and limited resources. The Blue Economy: Beyond Resource Extraction For many SIDS, the ocean is central to their territory and economic sustainability. Fisheries, tourism, shipping, and marine biodiversity are essential for development and food security. However, overexploitation, pollution, coral degradation, and uncontrolled coastal development have driven marine ecosystems to the edge. A sustainable blue economy prioritizes responsible utilization of the ocean to drive economic growth, social equity, and environmental conservation. Restoring mangroves and coral reefs, expanding marine protected areas, and promoting sustainable aquaculture represent nature-based solutions that capture carbon, safeguard biodiversity, and create jobs. U.N. Trade and Development (UNCTAD) states that climate initiatives based on oceans could provide more than 20% of the required emissions reductions by 2050 to restrict global warming to 1.5°C. SIDS are uniquely situated to lead this shift, but they require financial support, technology transfer, and equitable market access. Toward Ocean-Positive Development The United Nations Development Program's (UNDP's) "ocean-positive" development approach requires a fundamental shift in perspective. Instead of perceiving the ocean solely as a resource to exploit or a delicate ecosystem to protect, this approach combines climate initiatives, economic resilience, and social advancement. This demands a recalibration of global policies from the World Trade Organization to COP (the decision-making body of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change)to prioritize ocean health as an indicator of climate progress. For island nations, it includes expanding ocean-based renewable energy sources (such as offshore wind and tidal energy), creating marine-sector jobs for women and youth, and building climate-resilient infrastructure. Initiatives like the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) bring together public and private stakeholders to finance coastal resilience through blue bonds, insurance schemes, and blended finance. Innovative Solutions: Solar-Powered Mobility A recent article from Japan Times (June 2025) highlights an emerging breakthrough: solar electric vehicles (solar EVs). These self-charging vehicles, equipped with solar panels, provide eco-friendly, cost-effective transit perfect for island environments. Solar EVs offer a compelling solution for SIDS, many of which face high transport emissions and dependence on fossil fuel imports. These vehicles are already being piloted in island nations, especially in marine tourism zones and port cities. Solar ferries and marine logistics systems powered by microgrids are also being tested, complementing wider efforts to decarbonize transport and strengthen energy independence. When integrated with blue economy initiatives, solar mobility systems reduce emissions, support sustainable tourism, and create new jobs in the green tech sector. From Vulnerability to Visionary Leadership Despite their size, SIDS have played a significant role in international climate diplomacy. They championed the 1.5°C target in the Paris Agreement, advocated for ocean conservation in U.N. forums, and pioneered financial instruments such as Seychelles' Blue Bond and Fiji's Green Bond. The Maldives is phasing out single-use plastics and adopting nature-based coastal protections. Samoa is investing in sustainable fisheries and renewable energy. Through alliances like AOSIS, Caribbean and Pacific nations are promoting climate-smart marine policies. These efforts prove that with appropriate assistance, small islands can become hubs of innovation and resilience, offering lessons for coastal areas globally. What the World Must Do Next To unlock the full potential of SIDS in leading the ocean and climate agenda, the global community must act decisively. First, climate finance must become more accessible, predictable, and tailored to island contexts through simplified procedures, concessional loans, and public-private investment models. Second, innovation must be fast-tracked in key areas including solar EVs, blue energy, sustainable fisheries, and ocean carbon markets. Third, ecosystems must be protected and restored through expanded marine protected areas, habitat conservation, and stricter anti-pollution and anti-overfishing measures. Fourth, trade systems must be reformed to ensure SIDS gain fair value for their marine exports and can build resilient, inclusive economies. Finally, stronger regional governance, maritime monitoring, and policy coordination will help secure the ocean commons for future generations. SIDS are more than climate victims. They are visionary leaders showing the world how to build a just, sustainable future rooted in ocean stewardship and resilience. Their success is our shared success. If we want to safeguard the planet, we must start by standing with its smallest defenders who are proving to be among its strongest. Shafraz Rasheed is a Maldivian diplomat serving in Japan. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations from China Foreign Affairs University. His research focuses on climate diplomacy in Asia and the Pacific, and the role of small states in shaping global climate and ocean governance. © Japan Today
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Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Graphic News] S. Korea places 20th in UN quality of life ranking
South Korea ranked 20th out of 193 countries in the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index, which evaluates the quality of life in each country. According to the UNDP's 2025 Human Development Report, South Korea achieved an HDI score of 0.937 for 2023, up from 0.928 the previous year. Despite the increase, the country slipped one spot in the global ranking, from 19th to 20th. Iceland topped the list, followed by Norway, Switzerland and Denmark. Among neighboring countries, Japan rose one place to 23rd, while China fell three spots to 78th. The HDI is a composite index that quantifies a country's quality of life by factoring in life expectancy, expected years of schooling, average years of schooling and gross national income per capita.
Middle East
03-05-2025
- Science
- Middle East
OPEN// Nigeria: UNDP trains teachers, pupils on green energy technologies
ABUJA, May 1 (MENA) - The United Nations Development Program's Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (UNDP GEF SGP) said it has trained no fewer than 200 teachers and 1,000 pupils across Nigeria on green energy technologies. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ibironke Olubamise, coordinator of UNDP GEF SGP said Nigerian teachers and pupils were trained on green energy technologies and applications using the Green Energy STEM Portal. The Green Energy STEM Portal is an artificial intelligence-based learning management tool for training STEM educators and pupils, she added. 'Couple of projects supported by the UNDP GEF Small Grants Program have adopted some digital tools for project implementation to enhance climate and environmental education; and built the capacity of students to address climate change in schools,' Olubamise said. 'Projects have adopted the use of Canva for creating infographics, social media posts, and presentations on environmental related climate topics for ease of understanding by the students and teachers,' she added. According to her, students and teachers use videos/YouTube videos during trainings and eco club meetings on how to install simple solar system and others on simple waste recycling techniques. 'They have also used the WhatsApp platform to form a group of all the eco club mentors (matrons/patrons) where they share climate and environmental information,' Olubamise said. She added that the UNDP GEF Small Grants Program is always very mindful of the youth, women, and the physically challenged when reviewing proposals for possible funding support. 'Thus, any project that specifically targets any or a combination of this group of people will always get more attention and be considered for possible support,' she noted. 'The program usually requests to know the population (disaggregated) of beneficiaries to be sure the marginalized and vulnerable are not overlooked in project design, support, and implementation,' she pointed out. (MENA) I S N/R G E
Asharq Al-Awsat
29-04-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lacking Aid, Syrians Do What They Can to Rebuild Devastated Aleppo
Moussa Hajj Khalil is among many Syrians rebuilding their homes from the rubble of the historic and economically important city of Aleppo, as Syria's new leaders struggle to kick-start large-scale reconstruction efforts. Aleppo, Syria's second largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was deeply scarred by more than a decade of war between government and opposition forces, suffering battles, a siege, Russian air strikes and barrel bomb attacks. Now, its people are trying to restore their lives with their own means, unwilling to wait and see if the efforts of Syria's new government to secure international funding come to fruition. "Nobody is helping us, no states, no organizations," said Khalil, 65, who spent seven years in a displacement camp in al-Haramain on the Syrian-Turkish border. Impoverished residents have "come and tried to restore a room to stay in with their children, which is better than life in camps," he said, as he observed workers repairing his destroyed home in Ratyan, a suburb in northwestern Aleppo. Khalil returned alone a month ago to rebuild the house so he can bring his family back from the camp. Aleppo was the first major city seized by the opposition when they launched an offensive to topple then-leader Bashar al-Assad in late November. Assad was ousted less than two weeks later, ending a 14-year war that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions and left much of Syria in ruins. 'DOING WHAT WE CAN' While Syria lobbies for sanctions relief, the grassroots reconstruction drive is gaining momentum and providing work opportunities. Contractors labor around the clock to meet the growing demand, salvaging materials like broken blocks and cement found between the rubble to repair homes. "There is building activity now. We are working lots, thank God!" Syrian contractor Maher Rajoub said. But the scale of the task is huge. The United Nations Development Program is hoping to deliver $1.3 billion over three years to support Syria, including by rebuilding infrastructure, its assistant secretary-general told Reuters earlier this month. Other financial institutions and Gulf countries have made pledges to help Syria, but are hampered by US sanctions. The United States and other Western countries have set conditions for lifting sanctions, insisting that Syria's new rulers demonstrate a commitment to peaceful and inclusive rule. A temporary suspension of some US sanctions to encourage aid has had limited effect, leaving Aleppo's residents largely fending for themselves. "We lived in the camps under the sun and the heat," said Mustafa Marouch, a 50-year-old vegetable shop owner. "We returned and are doing what we can to fix our situation."
Asharq Al-Awsat
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Fleeing Pakistan, Afghans Rebuild from Nothing
Pushed out of Pakistan where she was born, Nazmine Khan's first experience of her country, Afghanistan, was in a sweltering tent at a border camp. "We never thought we would return to Afghanistan," said the 15-year-old girl, who has little idea of what will become of her or her family, only that she is likely to have fewer freedoms. "When our parents told us we had to leave, we cried," added Khan. Having nowhere to go in Afghanistan, she and six other family members shared a stifling tent in the Omari camp near the Torkham border point. Islamabad, accusing Afghans of links to narcotics and "supporting terrorism", announced a new campaign in March to expel hundreds of thousands of Afghans, with or without documents. Many had lived in Pakistan for decades after fleeing successive wars and crises but did not wait to be arrested by Pakistani forces before leaving, seeing their removal as inevitable. Since April 1, more than 92,000 Afghans have been sent back to their country of origin, according to Islamabad, out of the some three million the United Nations says are living in Pakistan. Khan's family fled Afghanistan in the 1960s. Her four brothers and sister were also born in Pakistan. "In a few days we'll look for a place to rent" in the border province of Nangarhar where the family has roots, she told AFP, speaking in Pakistan's commonly spoken tongue of Urdu, not knowing any Afghan languages. In the family's tent there is little more than a cloth to lie on and a few cushions, but no mattress or blanket. Flies buzz under the tarpaulin as countless children in ragged clothes come and go. - 'Already suffering' - When it comes to her own future, Khan feels "completely lost", she said. Having dropped out of school in Pakistan, the Taliban authorities' ban on girls studying beyond primary school will hardly change the course of her life. But from what little she heard about her country while living in eastern Pakistan's Punjab, she knows that "here there are not the same freedoms". Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban authorities have imposed restrictions on women characterized by the UN as "gender apartheid". Women have been banned from universities, parks, gyms and beauty salons and squeezed from many jobs. "It is now a new life... for them, and they are starting this with very little utilities, belongings, cash, support," said Ibrahim Humadi, program lead for non-governmental group Islamic Relief, which has set up about 200 tents for returnees in the Omari camp. Some stay longer than the three days offered on arrival, not knowing where to go with their meager savings, he said. "They also know that even in their area of return, the community will be welcoming them, will be supporting them... but they know also the community are already suffering from the situation in Afghanistan," he added. Around 85 percent of the Afghan population lives on less than one dollar a day, according to the United Nations Development Program. "We had never seen (Afghanistan) in our lives. We do not know if we can find work, so we are worried," said Jalil Khan Mohamedin, 28, as he piled belongings -- quilts, bed frames and fans -- into a truck that will take the 16 members of his family to the capital Kabul, though nothing awaits them there. - 'Still don't understand' The Taliban authorities have said they are preparing towns specifically for returnees. But at one site near Torkham, there is nothing more than cleared roads on a rocky plain. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) believes "greater clarity" is needed to ensure that the sites intended for returnees are "viable" in terms of basic infrastructure and services such as health and education. It's important that "returnees are making informed decisions and that their relocation to the townships is voluntary", communications officer Avand Azeez Agha told AFP. Looking dazed, Khan's brother Dilawar still struggles to accept leaving Pakistan, where he was born 25 years ago. His Pakistani wife did not want to follow him and asked for a divorce. "When we crossed the border, we felt like going back, then after a day it felt fine," said the former truck driver. "We still don't understand. We were only working."
