On December 12, 2022, a group of Azerbaijani environmentalists blocked the only road connecting Armenia with the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. The news went largely unnoticed by mainstream media, perhaps because it was difficult to understand. How could a group of so-called environmental activists block the free movement of people and basic supplies? And where, exactly, is […]

Chad is currently in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis due to persisting armed conflict, mass displacement, widespread hunger, natural disasters, and an overall lack of essential services. Due to security challenges from the Boko Haram militant group, millions of Chadians have faced decreased mobility as well as human rights violations including imprisonment, beatings, […]

It’s often said that we are what we eat. However, our diets are also a reflection on the health of our food systems, the environment and agricultural biodiversity. In the same way that our bodies need a range of nutrients for optimum health, the environment also benefits from systems that produce a variety of foods, […]

Small-scale fishers play a fundamental role in feeding people—they use sustainable methods of catching and processing fish products and are a significant force in the employment and livelihoods of millions of people internationally—yet, until now, they have been excluded from climate and biodiversity conferences. For the first time at COP 16, which closed in Cali, […]

What started as a broad attempt to allow women to live a more dignified life, an indigenous women’s organization, Masehual Siuamej Mosenyolchicauani, now aims to solve environmental and climate problems that others have created.

Linet Makwera (28) has a baby strapped on her back as she totters barefoot, picking tiny pieces of wood on both sides of a dusty and narrow road, peering fearfully at people passing by along the road in Chimanimani’s Mutambara area in Gonzoma village located in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province, east of the country. Her fears, […]

Imagine living with water up to your knees for half of the year, where homes are flooded, and people constantly fear that the sea might one day engulf the town and everyone in it. This is the reality for the sinking islands in the Philippines—a cluster of four island barangays in Tubigon located in the […]

  More durable than bronze, higher than Pharaoh’s pyramids is the monument I have made, a shape that angry wind or hungry rain cannot demolish, nor the innumerable ranks of the years that march in centuries. I shall not wholly die: some part of me will cheat the goddess of death. Thus wrote, not without […]

The Arab region is among the most water-scarce areas globally, as nearly 392 million people live in countries facing water scarcity or absolute water scarcity. So dire is the situation that, of the 22 Arab countries, 19 fall below the annual threshold for water scarcity in renewable resources, defined as 1,000 cubic meters per person. […]

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2024 Adaptation Gap Report has warned that adaptation actions are not keeping pace with the surging demands of a warming planet. Released ahead of the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the report—titled Come Hell and High Water—projected a bleak future where vulnerable communities bear the brunt of climate-induced hardships.  […]

“Farming is in my blood, and I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Mahim Mazumder, a farmer from Assam. “Even though the past three to five years have seen drastic changes—with temperatures rising so much that even sitting under a tree no longer offers relief—I will keep farming, even if it only yields a small […]

The small community of Ribeira stands out in the Northeast, the poorest region of Brazil. There is no unemployment here. One in five inhabitants make a living directly or indirectly from the Arteza Cooperative of Tanners and Leather Artisans. “An idea has the power to transform your world,” said in a philosophical tone Ângelo Macio, […]

The Head of Impact Assessment and Adaptation, Henry Neufeldt, UN Environment Programme Copenhagen Climate Centre, has called for increased climate adaptation funding, particularly for developing nations facing significant climate risks. UNEP’s latest report reveals an acute adaptation finance gap, with current international funding for developing countries at USD 30 billion—far below the USD 200 to 400 […]

Scientists warn of vastly higher impacts on billions of people’s livelihood and cost to the global economy by the accelerating losses in the world’s snow and ice regions, aka the cryosphere. Over 50 leading cryosphere scientists released an annual report on the status of the world’s ice stores on Tuesday (November 12) at the UN […]

When the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, orbited the Earth in 1963, there were only three active Earth observation satellites. Today, the number is 114 times greater. With more and better satellites, the impacts of advances in the space sector are particularly evident in agriculture, where space data improves insights into the individual components […]

The nation which more than any other caused the climate crisis will leave it to the rest of the world to sort out the mess. That is a takeaway from the US election last week. The numbers are clear: US emissions up to today are 8 times the Chinese, 25 times the Indian and the […]

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties on climate change has officially kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the promise of striking yet another historic global climate deal and finance adaptation, gender responsive action and financing, and forgotten issues such as food waste are top on the agenda as every action is as […]

Lolita Abril urged the CHR to conduct an independent investigation into the killing of her husband Ronel Abril and another coconut farmer Roger Clores last September 26. The two were allegedly killed by elements of the 2nd Infantry Battalion (2nd IB) in an “armed encounter.”

"If Cumpio and Domequil who have voices to speak for being a journalist and a church worker respectfully are already being persecuted by weaponized laws, how can an ordinary Filipino seek justice for himself?"

Karapatan said that the quadcomm hearings revealed the involvement of Duterte’s people in perpetrating human rights violations against activists and human rights defenders.

“We were not hiding anything,” Cumpio said during the hearing. “We would have allowed them in because we have nothing illegal to hide,” she said, referring to the Feb. 7, 2020 raids.

“We’re ready to testify before the QuadComm as victims of extrajudicial killings,” Rosenda Lemita said, stressing that they want Duterte and those responsible to face investigation. For these families, the government’s “nanlaban” excuse is not just for the drug war but also for silencing activists.

“Frenchie has finally had an opportunity to take the stand to defend herself. It has taken the government nearly half a decade to prepare a case against Frenchie and during this long period, this young woman has been left to languish in detention. That itself raises serious questions about the fairness of the process."

By-elections were seen as an indicator of the two main parties' prospects at a time when voters are struggling with high inflation, strikes and rising mortgage rates.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will not be able to ignore its arch-foe the United States and needs to “handle its enemies with forbearance”, state media reported on Tuesday, a week after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. “Whether we like it or not, we will have to deal with the U.S. in […]

He is one of the most famous composers of our time. His compositions are heard in the greatest music halls in the world and now, the chamber music studio The Symphonians, is bringing Ludovico Einaudi’s music to life in Limassol. A special concert is planned for November 20 as Pattichio Theatre welcomes an ensemble to […]

The town planning department on Tuesday signed a contract for the demolition of two apartment buildings in the government housing settlement of Platy in Aglandja, Nicosia, as part of the government’s Ktizo plan, which aims atimproving living conditions in refugee estates. According to a statement released by the interior ministry, the agreed cost for the […]

What they are, why we should care and what we can do about the problems they cause The term invasive alien species (IAS) is used to describe organisms that are introduced accidentally or deliberately into a natural environment where they are not normally found, and which have severe negative consequences for their new environment. Alien […]

Wall Street firms are expected to pay heftier bonuses for this year, the first increase since a bumper year in 2021, according to a report by compensation consultancy Johnson Associates. Payouts will probably rise after financiers benefited from several factors in recent months: a recovery in dealmaking, the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates and equity […]

British wage growth excluding bonuses fell in the third quarter to its lowest in over two years, official data showed on Tuesday, potentially boosting the Bank of England’s confidence that inflation pressures will continue to ease. Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, were 4.8 per cent higher in the three months to the end of September […]

The Bank of Cyprus (BoC) on Tuesday reported a profit after tax of €401 million for the first nine months of 2024, representing a 15 per cent increase year-on-year. According to the bank’s latest financial results, €131 million of this amount was generated during the third quarter. “We continue to generate strong financial and operational […]

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Elon Musk to a role aimed at creating a more efficient government, handing even more influence to the world’s richest man who donated millions of dollars to helping Trump get elected. Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran has been picked for the post of secretary of state. […]

A 15-year-old was seriously injured while riding a moped overnight in the Famagusta district. According to the police, the accident happened around 9pm on Tuesday in Xylophagou, when a 35-year-old woman driving on Anastassi Manoli Street, under circumstances that are being investigated, ran over and injured the 15-year-old boy. The 15-year-old was initially taken by […]

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos met his Azeri counterpart on the sidelines of COP29, the first such contact from the state. Kombos had a bilateral meeting with Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, in Baku, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis posted on X. Letymbiotis said the two ministers had discussed issues of mutual interest in a frank exchange […]

The United States stressed at the United Nations that “there must be no forcible displacement, nor policy of starvation in Gaza” by Israel, warning such policies would have grave implications under U.S. and international law. The remarks by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield came just hours after Washington said its ally Israel was […]

“Cyprus has gone from zero to over 330 licensed investment entities managing €9 billion in assets in just a decade,” according to Maria Panayiotou, president of the Cyprus Investment Fund Association (CIFA). Speaking at the 5th Fund and Asset Management Conference in Athens, Panayiotou attributed this growth to “relentless effort and strategic vision.” She added […]

By Danielle Broadway Actor and director John Krasinski was named People magazine’s “sexiest man alive” for 2024 on Wednesday, taking over the mantle from “Grey’s Anatomy” actor Patrick Dempsey. “Just immediate blackout, actually. Zero thoughts,” Krasinski told People in reaction to the news. The actor is perhaps best known for his sardonic nice guy role […]

The Asian Development Bank has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) to support the Philippines’ transformation in the next 6 years. It is designed to ensure sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth in the face of climate challenges.

Uncovering crucial gaps in climate change data systems reveals how these deficiencies hamper our understanding of climate impacts on vulnerable populations in developing Asia. How can we empower national statistical systems in collecting and analyzing data they need to effectively tackle climate change?

Opening remarks by Roberta Casali, ADB Vice-President for Finance and Risk Management, at the 2024 Asian Regional Forum on Investment Management of Foreign Exchange Reserves, 25 September 2024, Japan

Understanding the roots and complexities of fragility helps ADB meet the challenges facing many countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Remarks by Masatsugu Asakawa, President, Asian Development Bank, at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Independent Accountability Mechanisms of Multilateral Banks and International Financial Institutions, 1 October 2024, ADB headquarters, Manila, Philippines

The Mortgage Market Sector Development Program aims to transform the government’s housing financing approach to a market-based mortgage system that can provide long-term and affordable housing loans to low- and middle-income households, with specific consideration to home ownership by women.

The Asian Development Bank is ramping up investment in technical and vocational education and training in Bhutan, which is helping to train thousands

Decision makers need to analyze, exchange, and disseminate statistical information effectively in today’s data-driven world. See how Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange (SDMX) standards are helping create robust data links across the globe.

ADB sought to understand what improving transport meant for the community. Prior to project design, consultations were conducted with residents in Ulaanbaatar’s ger areas. Design decisions were tested back to ensure that mobility pain points were addressed.

The Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific, or IF-CAP, is a multi-donor financing partnership facility with the goal of scaling-up finance for accelerated action against climate change in Asia and the Pacific.

This video introduces a new publication presenting five case studies of projects in the People's Republic of China that illustrate how effective solutions to environmental and social problems have been applied in different contexts.

ADB recently launched the Georgia Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Monitor. Helen Steward, Principal Markets Development Advisory Specialist in ADB’s Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships, explains what the PPP Monitor is all about.

Developing Asia’s outlook remains upbeat, with falling inflation and solid growth driven by strong domestic demand and exports. But risks remain, including geopolitical tensions and rising protectionism. How can the region remain resilient?