Environment and Habitat

On Thursday (12 June), the United Nations issued a warning that parts of South Sudan’s Upper Nile region are on the brink of famine due to ongoing conflict between government forces and armed militias.

A wave of right-wing sentiment is gripping the world, not least in Europe where right-wing parties that until yesterday were considered to be on the fringe of the political spectrum, are now knocking on the doors of government, if they are not in government already. It is no longer possible to dismiss this movement, nor to ignore it. The question needs to be asked why people are flocking to these parties. Migration is often cited as a reason, but whilst a factor, on its own this is not an adequate explanation. Thousands of people, who until recently voted for the centre-left, or centre-right parties – in Europe usually associated with Social Democrats and Christian Democrats – are now supporting parties, some of who have a pedigree in fascism and nazism. Yet many who vote for far-right and populist parties are neither fascists nor nazis. They are mostly decent working people, and their families, who are disillusioned by the political class, often described as the political elite, and are in desperation seeking something different.

On Thursday (5 June), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warned that Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country since World War II, with over 139,000 square kilometres of land potentially contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. Speaking in New York on Thursday, UNMAS advisor Paul Heslop said that this contamination endangers lives and livelihoods, particularly in farming areas. Over six million people live near these dangerous zones, and more than 800 people have been killed or injured by landmines since 2022.

Today (4 June), more than 1.8 million Muslims began the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This holy pilgrimage presents one of the biggest logistical challenges for the country's authorities. This year, for the first time, the country is deploying drones and expanding the network of cooled roads to cope with the enormous crowds.

The South Caucasus remains one of the world's most landmine-affected regions, littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Although Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia each face this challenge in their own way, none has fully overcome it. For the three countries of the South Caucasus, winning this battle requires a holistic regional approach, something which has so far eluded them because of political circumstances and historical tensions. From October 2018 to March 2024, LINKS Europe Foundation, with the support of the European Union (EU), led the regional campaign ‘Landmine Free South Caucasus’, prioritising awareness raising and regional cooperation. The campaign was delivered in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the participation of demining agencies, official bodies and civil society organisations. Active simultaneously in all three countries and communicated in five languages, the campaign reached thousands of people and mobilised policymakers and opinion-shapers across the region.

Algeria, Tunisia, Austria, Germany and Italy have agreed to construct a hydrogen pipeline to bring clean fuel generated with renewable energy in North Africa to the European Union, in a move hailed as one of the bloc’s “most important renewable energy projects”. But analysis of Algeria and Tunisia’s green hydrogen strategies reveals that neither country is likely to be in a position to export the fuel in any meaningful quantity when the pipeline is due to start operating in 2030.

As the sun sets over the Caspian Sea, the world turns its gaze to the Azerbaijani capital for the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). This year, Baku isn't just a geographical meeting point; it's a symbolic crossroads where nations must decide our planet's future. At the same time, Azerbaijan finds itself at the intersection of traditional energy systems and climate imperatives. While slow progress in the transition away from fossil fuels is due to increased energy demand from a growing economy and population, the importance of COP29 cannot be overstated - it is a destiny date for climate action.