Global Issues News Headlines for “Natural Disasters”

Cleaning Up the Fields: Across Africa and Asia GEF is Helping Farmers Rewrite Their Pesticide Story

2026-05-07T11:04:22-07:00

LILONGWE & VIENTIANE, May 7 (IPS) - For decades, pesticides have been a quiet pillar of Malawi’s agriculture, guarding crops against pests, improving yields, and sustaining millions of livelihoods. But beneath this success story lay a troubling reality: weak regulation, unsafe handling practices, and growing threats to human health and the environment.

Read the full story, “Cleaning Up the Fields: Across Africa and Asia GEF is Helping Farmers Rewrite Their Pesticide Story”, on globalissues.org →

Africa’s Youth are Shaping the Continent’s Climate Future

2026-05-05T06:13:48-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 (IPS) - Africa is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, warming faster than the global average and facing disproportionate climate impacts, despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the full story, “Africa’s Youth are Shaping the Continent’s Climate Future”, on globalissues.org →

Famine in South Sudan Projected to Worsen Without Humanitarian Intervention

2026-05-01T08:37:36-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (IPS) - In 2026, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan has taken a considerable turn for the worse, with widespread food shortages, ongoing disruptions to food production systems, and rising rates of malnutrition affecting over half of the population. Compounded by the vast scale of needs and an overwhelming lack of access to basic services, humanitarian experts warn that nationwide levels of hunger are projected to worsen to catastrophic levels if urgent intervention is not secured.

Read the full story, “Famine in South Sudan Projected to Worsen Without Humanitarian Intervention”, on globalissues.org →

Clean Energy, Digital Technologies Are Coming at a Human Cost, UN Report Warns

2026-04-30T08:55:29-07:00

SRINAGAR, India, April 30 (IPS) - A newly released United Nations report has raised urgent concerns that the world’s push toward clean energy and digital technologies is driving a hidden crisis in some of the planet’s most vulnerable regions, where mining for critical minerals is depleting water supplies, damaging health, and deepening inequality.

Read the full story, “Clean Energy, Digital Technologies Are Coming at a Human Cost, UN Report Warns”, on globalissues.org →

The Ocean Also Has Memories: From Our Territories to the Global Seafood Marketplace

2026-04-30T04:12:16-07:00

LLANCHID ISLAND, Hualaihué, Chile, April 30 (IPS) - Coming from an island in southern Chile, where the sea is not an industry—but it is daily life, work, food and memory. Growing up in a family that is part of an artisanal fishers’ cooperative. Learning from a young age how to cultivate oysters, work with mussels, and understand the rhythms of the sea.

Read the full story, “The Ocean Also Has Memories: From Our Territories to the Global Seafood Marketplace”, on globalissues.org →

Pacific Islanders Combat Mercury Poisoning of the Environment

2026-04-29T07:37:54-07:00

SYDNEY, Australia, April 29 (IPS) - It is an invisible contaminant that has been found in fisheries, an essential part of the food chain for many Pacific Islanders. Mercury, emitted from fossil fuel power generation and other industrial processes around the world, has now penetrated marine ecosystems in the Pacific Islands with detrimental consequences for people’s health and wellbeing.

Read the full story, “Pacific Islanders Combat Mercury Poisoning of the Environment”, on globalissues.org →

Addressing the Mental Health of Ukrainian Children living on Frontlines of War

2026-04-28T16:40:52-07:00

BRATISLAVA, April 28 (IPS) - “What’s important is to make sure that you can immerse yourself in an environment that is positive for your mental health and wellbeing,” says Olena*.

Read the full story, “Addressing the Mental Health of Ukrainian Children living on Frontlines of War”, on globalissues.org →

Inside GEF-9: What it is and Why it Could Define the Next Four Years of Environmental Action

2026-04-27T13:09:53-07:00

SAINT LUCIA, April 27 (IPS) - The gap between global environmental ambition and real-world progress is widening, with less than five years left to meet key climate and biodiversity targets.

Read the full story, “Inside GEF-9: What it is and Why it Could Define the Next Four Years of Environmental Action”, on globalissues.org →

Africa Faces Mounting Risks Just as Growth Gains Take Hold

2026-04-27T08:17:30-07:00

WASHINGTON DC, April 27 (IPS) - Sub-Saharan Africa’s economies entered 2026 with significant momentum. The region had notched its fastest growth rate in 10 years—4.5 percent in 2025—buoyed by reduced macroeconomic imbalances, rising investment levels, and a generally supportive external environment.

Read the full story, “Africa Faces Mounting Risks Just as Growth Gains Take Hold”, on globalissues.org →

Santa Marta Summit Aims to Push Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as Indigenous Voices Demand Urgent Action

2026-04-24T13:08:22-07:00

SRINAGAR, April 24 (IPS) - A high-stakes international summit in Colombia starting today (April 24) is expected to sharpen global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, as governments, scientists and Indigenous leaders warn that the world is running out of time to avert irreversible climate damage.

Read the full story, “Santa Marta Summit Aims to Push Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as Indigenous Voices Demand Urgent Action”, on globalissues.org →