News
2019 is proclaimed the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements
The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is more than just a guide or catalogue of the entire known atoms in the universe; it is essentially a window on the universe, helping to expand our understanding of the world around us. Next year will mark the 150th anniversary of its creation by Russian scientist Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev.
Access to safe water: Is the green revolution around the corner?
Nature-based solutions can play an important role in improving the supply and quality of water and reducing the impact of natural disasters, according to the 2018 edition of the UN World Water Development Report. The study, which will be presented by Director-General of UNESCO and Chair of UN-Water, at the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia, argues that reservoirs, irrigation canals and water treatment plants are not the only water management instruments at our disposal.
UNESCO reviews tsunami warning systems
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) will hold an international symposium from 12 to 14 February to take stock of lessons learned concerning tsunami preparedness over the past 13 years, and challenges ahead. The first meeting on the subject took place in March 2005, following the deadly Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2004.
11 February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Science and gender equality are both vital for sustainable development. Yet women and girls continued to be excluded from participating fully in science: less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women.
Despite the remarkable gains that women have made in education and the workforce over the past decades, progress has been uneven.
UNESCO-Japan Prize 2018 calls for outstanding projects in Education for Sustainable Development
UNESCO has launched the fourth edition of the UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Funded by the Government of Japan, the Prize annually rewards three outstanding ESD projects and programmes with US$ 50,000 each.
UNESCO launches a pioneering tool to monitor water quality
A new World Water Quality Portal, launched by UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP), provides information on freshwater quality at the global scale using remote sensing data. Water quality affects human health, as well as ecosystems, biodiversity, food production and economic growth.
Creation of the “UNESCO - POSCO 1 % Foundation” Fund
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, and Jeong-shik Kwak, Director-General of the South Korean Conglomerate “POSCO 1% Foundation”, signed a partnership framework agreement on 8 January 2018, establishing the “UNESCO-POSCO 1% Foundation” Fund.
Arctic forever changed by rapidly warming climate – UN weather agency
The Arctic continued in 2017 to warm at double the rate of the global temperature increase, resulting in the second warmest air temperatures, above average ocean temperatures, loss of sea ice, and a range of human, ocean and ecosystem effects, according to the United Nations weather agency.
