EPA Announces Intent to Regulate Nearly One Dozen 1,3-Butadiene Uses to Protect American Workers December 31, 2025 Contact Information EPA Press Office ( press@epa.gov) WASHINGTON – In compliance with a court ordered deadline, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a robust review of 1,3-butadiene using gold standard science. We used the best research, data, and testing available, along with input from the public and independent expert peer reviewers to complete this thorough evaluation. Our comprehensive scientific review found potential unreasonable health risks for workers who breathe in this chemical at their jobs in 11 specific industrial settings. Use of personal protective equipment, which is often used in industrial workplaces will help mitigate these risks. EPA did not find unreasonable risks to the environment, for consumers and to the general population including people living near facilities. As required by law under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA will now develop rules to protect workers from the risks we identified. This process will include meticulous consideration of health effects, exposure levels, economic impacts, and benefits of use, with extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure the resulting rules are both protective and practical. EPA is committed to radical transparency throughout the review and risk management process. The review process for butadiene has taken six years, with approximately 20,000 scientific studies considered during the review process for 30 different use cases. We improved our evaluation by incorporating real-world data and refining some conservative assumptions from our first draft, making our science more accurate and reliable. For example, EPA switched to a more detailed database (NEI) that includes specific details like how tall stacks are, what angle they release emissions at, and emission temperatures, which are not reported in TRI. This allowed our evaluation to move away from defaults to more accurate, facility-specific conditions. The NEI database also provides exact coordinates of where emissions are actually released, rather than just general facility locations. This geographic precision gives a more accurate picture of actual exposure risks. EPA also took into account additional feedback from peer reviewers recommending that we add together the risks from bladder cancer and leukemia. This resulted in a higher overall cancer risk estimate used in the risk evaluation. Regarding workplace exposures, which is where the highest risks occur, we followed robust scientific practices during our 1,3-butadiene evaluation to provide clear, reliable results. The final rules will give companies clear regulatory certainty while providing workers with necessary protections. Our safeguards will be tough and practical. We will ensure the protections we put in place are workable, taking additional action if new science emerges or conditions change. In addition to evaluating workplace exposures, we also thoroughly analyzed risk to the environment, to consumers, and to the general population. We are pleased to report that EPA did not find unreasonable risks to the environment, or for consumers or the general population, including people living near facilities. Background 1,3-butadiene is a colorless gas essential for manufacturing products Americans use every day, including car tires, adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, and automotive care products. Consumer products only contain tiny, safe amounts less than 0.001 percent. Unreasonable risks are found in industrial settings where workers could be exposed to much higher levels that could lead to health risks which may include reduced birthweight pregnancies, anemia, leukemia, and bladder cancer.

EPA Announces Intent to Regulate Dozens of Uses of Five Phthalate Chemicals to Protect Workers and Environment Agency's comprehensive risk evaluations find unreasonable risks requiring regulatory action December 31, 2025 Contact Information EPA Press Office ( press@epa.gov) WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it will move to regulate dozens of applications of five widely used phthalate chemicals to address environmental and workplace risks. This decision is based on final risk evaluations, released today, for each of these chemicals: Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP), Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Dicyclohexyl Phthalate (DCHP), Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP), and Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP), commonly used to make plastics more flexible in everything from building materials to industrial applications. EPA used gold standard science and tapped independent peer reviewers to reach its conclusions that all five chemicals it reviewed pose unreasonable risks to workers and to the environment. EPA's regulatory focus will target the specific uses that harm workers or threaten the environment. "Our gold standard science delivered clear answers that these phthalates pose unreasonable risk to workers in specific industrial settings and to the environment," said Administrator Lee Zeldin. "We'll work directly with stakeholders to develop targeted protections that keep workers safe and protect our environment. This is exactly what science-based environmental protection should look like." Phthalates have the potential to cause human health abnormalities that EPA is seriously concerned with, including hormone deficiencies and endocrine disruption. It’s also important to note that gold standard science also shows that these health impacts do not occur at all exposure levels. The key factor in determining risk is whether people are exposed to amounts above levels that could cause health problems. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluation process, EPA focuses specifically on uses regulated under the federal chemical safety law. EPA’s TSCA risk evaluation does not analyze exposures from food, food additives, food packaging, medical devices, cosmetics and other consumer products that are under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration or Consumer Product Safety Commission. For the consumer uses that are part of this TSCA risk evaluation, EPA found no products with exposure levels that are causing unreasonable risk to the general population. In pursuit of gold standard science, dermal modeling was enhanced based on peer review feedback and public comment, especially with the replacement of rodent data with actual human data. The agency's cumulative exposure analysis, which examined exposure to multiple phthalates simultaneously, was based on available data for individuals aged four years and older. While no national-scale biomonitoring data exists for children under four, EPA used conservative modeling approaches to specifically assess toy mouthing behaviors in infants (less than one year), as well as two- and three-year-olds, ensuring that even the most vulnerable young children were included and protected in the evaluation. EPA will next develop rules to eliminate the identified unreasonable risks to workers and the environment. The agency will conduct extensive consultation with workers, businesses, labor groups, and communities to develop targeted, practical protections that ensure worker safety and environmental protection. Personal protective equipment, engineering controls, and alternative approaches will be carefully evaluated to create effective, implementable solutions that protect those most at risk. BBP: Unreasonable risk to workers (2 conditions of use); environmental risks (7 conditions of use) DBP: Unreasonable risk to workers (5 conditions of use); environmental risks (1 condition of use) DCHP: Unreasonable risk to workers (2 conditions of use); DEHP: Unreasonable risk to workers (10 conditions of use); environmental risks (20 conditions of use) DIBP: Unreasonable risk to workers (4 conditions of use); environmental risks (7 conditions of use) When EPA determines whether a chemical poses unreasonable risk, the agency must consider several key factors: Health impacts: How the actual, real-world level of chemical exposure is affecting people's health, including cancer risks and other negative health impacts, based on how the chemical is being used Environmental impacts: How the chemical is affecting the environment and how much exposure is occurring in real-world conditions Who gets exposed: Which groups of people are being exposed to the chemical above levels that cause health impacts, paying special attention to vulnerable populations (like children, pregnant women, or people with existing health conditions) How dangerous the chemical is: The severity and type of harm it can cause What we don't know: Any gaps or uncertainties in the scientific data EPA considers all of these factors together when determining a chemical's risks.

This working paper explores the critical yet underrecognized role of environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) in global climate governance. Through a narrative review of 170 academic publications from 2015–2025, the authors analyze how identity groups—Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and local communities—act as environmental defenders through their stewardship of land, advocacy, traditional knowledge, and participation in climate policy processes. Although these groups are increasingly acknowledged within UNFCCC spaces, their concrete contributions to mitigation, adaptation, and governance integrity remain largely invisible in formal climate frameworks such as NDCs. The paper highlights how EHRDs reduce emissions through forest protection, strengthen adaptation through community‑based and ecosystem‑based strategies, and advance climate justice by promoting equity, participation, and human rights. The study also reveals significant gaps: the term “defender” is rarely used in climate literature, violence against EHRDs is underreported, and their participation in climate negotiations is often symbolic rather than substantive. The authors argue for a shift from identity‑based recognition to practice‑based inclusion, calling for stronger protection mechanisms, funding, and institutional reforms that embed EHRDs’ expertise into climate planning and implementation. Ultimately, the paper positions EHRDs as essential actors whose knowledge, advocacy, and lived experience are indispensable for achieving effective, equitable, and accountable climate action. Highlights Environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) are individuals and groups who protect the environment while defending fundamental rights. Their contributions to climate mitigation, adaptation, and governance integrity remain largely invisible in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) governance framework. The authors of this working paper conducted a narrative review of 170 peer-reviewed documents published between 2015 and 2025 to examine if and how EHRDs’ actions and contributions to climate outcomes are recognized across the UNFCCC policy literature. We traced the recognition of EHRD climate actions through the documented roles of four main identity groups—Indigenous Peoples (IPs), women, local communities (LCs), and youth—whose collective practices link human and environmental rights protection. EHRDs may advance mitigation through forest protection, sustainable land use, and emissions-reduction projects; adaptation via community- and ecosystem-based strategies such as agroforestry, water management, and local monitoring; and climate policy by promoting gender equality, inter- and intragenerational equity, and participation in decision-making. Their practices often span direct participation in UNFCCC constituencies and platforms, indirect influence through litigation and consultations, and collective action through education, networking, and traditional ecological knowledge. Integrating EHRDs into formal climate governance frameworks could enhance effectiveness and accountability, strengthen rights-based participation, and bridge local realities with global climate ambition. EHRDs are central to climate action yet remain unrecognized in formal climate governance. They are individuals and groups who peacefully advocate for environmental protection as a human right to clean water, air, land, and biodiversity (UN General Assembly 2016), and include women, youth, IPs, and LCs who may not self-identify as defenders (Reisch 2023). EHRDs operate at the inter of human rights and environmental protection by defending traditional lands and livelihoods. EHRDs have been formally recognized by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC 2019) and climate governance frameworks like the Paris Agreement and Cancún Agreement that incorporate human rights language. Despite the recognition of identity groups within UNFCCC governance through constituencies since 2001—with achievements like the Gender Action Plan (COP20) and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (COP24)—their substantive contributions to climate action remain poorly understood and undervalued in policy frameworks, which often frame them as vulnerable to climate impacts rather than acknowledging their agency in climate solutions. Their informal roles in mitigation and adaptation remain largely invisible in climate planning mechanisms such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), reflecting broader exclusion from UNFCCC decision-making. Bridging human rights and climate governance is essential to advancing accountability as well as equitable and inclusive action. EHRDs face systemic violence, criminalization, and the impunity granted to those who use violence against them—especially in regions rich in natural resources—due to conflicts over land, mining, agribusiness, and logging, often facing violence and persecution for their environmental protection efforts. However, human rights frameworks and climate policy discourse continue to operate in separate spheres, with distinct offices and funding streams, which obscures both the contributions of and risks faced by EHRDs. Bridging these spheres is essential in a global context where climate threats are intensifying, and democratic spaces are shrinking. About this working paper This study applies a narrative literature review to map if and how climate governance under the UNFCCC reflects the actions and contributions of EHRDs. A total of 170 peer-reviewed documents published between 2015 and 2025 were analyzed through a two-stage review conducted on the EBSCOhost platform, using the Paris Agreement as a temporal anchor. The review examines intersections between UNFCCC mechanisms, environmental defense, and identity-based participation, using women, IPs, youth, and LCs as entry points to trace defender practices across mitigation, adaptation, and governance outcomes. The research aims to promote greater recognition of EHRDs in climate spaces and to support dialogue on their engagement within the UNFCCC process. The analysis draws on UNEP and UN Special Rapporteur frameworks to identify EHRDs using three criteria: intersectionality variables linked to frontline communities; references to climate-relevant actions or outcomes; and evidence of participation or advocacy aligned with environmental defense and human rights. Limitations include language bias, exclusion of gray and grassroots literature, and geographic imbalances that provide more evidence on literature regarding Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. This review is limited by its sole reliance on the EBSCOhost platform, which may have excluded relevant studies available through other databases or nonindexed sources. The exclusion of non-English sources, gray literature, and diverse terminology limited the dataset’s scope, potentially omitting grassroots perspectives, highlighting the need for future research that broadens linguistic, geographic, and methodological inclusivity in studying EHRDs. Findings Identity groups—particularly women and IPs in Latin America and Southeast Asia—are increasingly recognized as agents across UNFCCC climate literature. Fourteen percent of the analyzed UNFCCC governance literature focuses on Southeast Asian and 12 percent on Latin American regions (Figure ES-1). While the term “defender” appears rarely in UNFCCC literature, the actions of IPs (focused on in 58 percent of the literature), and women (53 percent), align closely with environmental defense. Agency is recognized across these groups—as well as others with less visibility, such as Afro-descendant Peoples and people with disabilities. The shift from identity to environmental defense shows that many climate actors act as EHRDs. The proposed operational definition of EHRDs is based on what they do and not only who they are, including concrete practices for climate protection and community resilience (Glazebrook and Opoku 2018). Across the reviewed literature, 62 of 170 studies describe identity group actions that meet defender criteria. Their collective organizing, policy advocacy, and local stewardship bridge identity-based recognition with practice-based defense. EHRDs contribute to mitigation, adaptation, and policy outcomes across scales. According to the reviewed literature, they contribute to reducing emissions and promoting human and environmental well-being through forest protection, sustainable land use, and opposition to harmful extractive and infrastructure projects; strengthening adaptation through locally led and ecosystem-based strategies such as agroforestry, watershed management, and community monitoring; and shaping climate policy and finance by advancing gender equality, inter- and intragenerational equity, and participatory decision-making litigation. Their influence spans direct, indirect, and collective mechanisms that connect local realities with multilateral climate policy. Direct participation occurs through UNFCCC constituencies and platforms; indirect influence occurs through litigation, consultations, and monitoring; and collective action is catalyzed through education, networks, and traditional ecological knowledge. Together, these practices link local human rights struggles with global climate governance, strengthening accountability and the legitimacy of climate action. Recommendations Environmental defense is best understood as a dynamic, relational practice rather than a fixed identity. It spans diverse roles, including, for instance, Indigenous defenders protecting ancestral territories from extractive industries; youth advocates advancing climate action through strikes, litigation, and education; and women and gender-diverse defenders leading efforts in food sovereignty, care, and resilience. Recognizing EHRDs as agents of climate governance requires shifting from identity-based acknowledgment to practice-based inclusion, ensuring that their actions are integrated into planning, monitoring, and implementation processes. Governments and multilateral institutions must institutionalize mechanisms for participation, protection, and funding, embedding EHRD contributions into national reporting and climate finance frameworks. Aligning human rights and climate goals within governance structures means recognition of the legitimacy, equity, and effectiveness of EHRDs’ climate action, positioning them as codesigners and implementers of durable climate solutions.

WHO research shows COVID vaccines still crucial in preventing severe illness 31 December 2025 Health Up-to-date vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent severe COVID-19 illness, new research from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows, even as the pandemic has officially ended. Although COVID-19 no longer causes the widespread disruption seen during the global health emergency, the virus continues to hospitalize and kill people across Europe and neighbouring regions. Studies led by the WHO Regional Office for Europe confirm that people who receive timely booster doses are far less likely to develop severe disease, require intensive care or die. The findings are based on data from the European Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Vaccine Effectiveness (EuroSAVE) network, which monitors respiratory infections in hospitals across parts of Europe, the Balkans, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Important findings “The studies highlight that, while COVID-19 is not leading to the widespread disease we saw during the pandemic, it has still been causing a considerable number of hospitalizations and deaths,” said Mark Katz, a medical epidemiologist at the WHO regional office. Between May 2023 and April 2024, nearly 4,000 patients were hospitalized with acute respiratory infections in countries covered by the network. Almost 10 per cent of those cases were caused by COVID-19, despite the pandemic having been declared over. Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, just 3 per cent had received a vaccine dose within the previous 12 months. The consequences were often severe: 13 per cent of COVID-19 patients required admission to intensive care units, and 11 per cent died. Comparative research also showed that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were more likely than those with influenza to need oxygen, intensive care or to succumb to the illness. Vaccines offer strong protection By contrast, vaccination offered strong protection. One EuroSAVE study found that an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine received within the past six months was 72 per cent effective at preventing hospitalization and 67 per cent effective at preventing the most serious outcomes, including ICU admission and death. A separate multi-country analysis found vaccines reduced COVID-related hospitalizations by about 60 per cent. ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices. COVID-19 vaccination

Health advances marked 2025 as wars and funding cuts strained systems By Vibhu Mishra 31 December 2025 Health From eliminating deadly infections to expanding access to lifesaving vaccines, 2025 delivered meaningful progress for global health, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), offering cautious optimism at the close of a year marked by both breakthroughs and strain. Even as funding cuts, conflict and climate shocks strained health systems worldwide – disrupting essential services in many countries – governments and partners still recorded notable gains in disease control, prevention and preparedness. The UN health agency says the mixed picture of progress and pressure in 2025 underscores both what is possible through evidence-based cooperation and what is at risk if momentum and financing are not sustained. Victories for disease control Several countries reached historic milestones in eliminating infectious diseases. Maldives became the first country to achieve “triple elimination” of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, while Brazil eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV, making it the most populous country in the Americas to reach that goal. Progress was also recorded against neglected tropical diseases. Burundi, Egypt and Fiji eliminated trachoma; Guinea and Kenya eliminated sleeping sickness; and Niger became the first African country to eliminate river blindness. Since 2010, the number of people needing treatment for a neglected tropical disease has fallen by nearly one-third. Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) continued to decline, particularly in Africa and Europe, which recorded reductions of more than 45 per cent over the past decade. Still, the disease claimed an estimated 1.2 million lives in 2024, underscoring persistent risks linked to HIV, undernutrition and other factors. Malaria control also advanced. Georgia, Suriname and Timor-Leste were certified malaria-free, while seven additional African countries introduced malaria vaccines in 2025. Combined with newer tools, including improved mosquito nets, these efforts helped prevent an estimated 170 million cases and one million deaths in 2024. © UNICEF/Rabik Upadhayay A doctor examines a newborn at a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Global health cooperation Beyond disease-specific gains, 2025 also marked important advances in global health cooperation. Countries adopted the world’s first Pandemic Agreement and strengthened the International Health Regulations (IHR), laying the groundwork for faster, fairer responses to future health emergencies. World leaders endorsed a historic political declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health. New evidence-based guidance were also issued covering areas from maternal care and meningitis to diabetes in pregnancy and child-friendly cancer medicines. Healthier lives, uneven progress WHO’s World Health Statistics 2025 report found that 1.4 billion more people are living healthier lives, driven by reduced tobacco use, cleaner air and improved water and sanitation. Immunization remained central to these gains. Global vaccination efforts have cut measles deaths by 88 per cent since 2000, saving nearly 59 million lives. In 2025, several countries expanded vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), bringing the world closer to eliminating cervical cancer. Yet challenges persist. Twenty million children missed essential vaccines due to conflict, supply disruptions and misinformation. Maternal and child deaths are also not declining fast enough to meet global targets, underscoring the need for greater investments in primary healthcare and safe childbirth programmes. © UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih Children and adults suffering from cholera receive treatment at an isolation centre in a hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. Funding pressures, crisis response Funding cuts in 2025 disrupted services including maternal care, vaccination, HIV prevention and disease surveillance, with WHO warning that reduced financing could reverse hard-won gains. Despite these pressures, WHO supported rapid responses to health emergencies and crises across 79 countries and territories, including Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, providing emergency medical support and helping contain outbreaks. It delivered medicines, helped keep hospitals open, joined vaccination campaigns and made sure people could still access regular health services – “because babies still need to be born, heart attacks still need to be avoided, and diabetes still needs to be treated, even during an emergency.” Looking ahead As it looks to 2026, WHO points to the adoption of the first Pandemic Agreement and strengthened International Health Regulations as signs of renewed global commitment to preparedness. It emphasizes that it remains guided by the principle set out at its founding in 1948: that the highest attainable standard of health should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for a few. “Together,” WHO stresses, “with science, solutions and solidarity, we can build a healthier, safer, and more hopeful future for everyone.” © UNICEF/Bashir Ahmed Sujan A baby is held by its mother and entertained by its grandfather at a community clinic in northern Bangladesh. ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices. public health Noncommunicable diseases mental health

Poleward migration of Northwest Pacific typhoons brings severe impacts on East Asian high-latitude cities, yet early typhoon climate prediction remains a long-standing scientific challenge. Here we reveal a seemingly-familiar-yet-strange climate oscillation phenomenon, which we name Tropical-leaning Atlantic Oscillation (TAO). Statistical results show that springtime TAO can explain 56% of the variance in a dominant dipole mode of typhoon track variations during July–September of 1979–2023, suggesting that it possesses a robust predictive skill of peak-season typhoon tracks four months in advance. Specifically, springtime TAO is characterized by a sea-level pressure seesaw between the tropical North Atlantic and the Hudson Bay-Davis Strait, relating to the meridional shift of North America-Atlantic subtropical jet stream. It generates cross-seasonal North Atlantic-and-Pacific surface seawater temperature anomalies, thereby triggering Northwest Pacific cyclonic steering flows that tempt (obstruct) typhoons toward East Asian high-latitude (low-latitude) cities during July–September. Climate models project an increasing frequency of positive TAO events. This may potentially contribute to a poleward migration of typhoon activity toward East Asian high-latitude cities as climate warms, yet uncertainty remains due to model biases in simulating tropical surface seawater temperature patterns. Our results highlight an overlooked impact of an emerging internal climatic oscillation on the enhancing typhoon risks toward high-latitudes.

The findings of this study indicate that the complete implementation of decarbonisation strategies could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from the existing residential stock by up to 95% compared to 2020. The embodied emissions from the renovation measures are minor compared to the energy savings gained. In the Estonian context, the overall success of building decarbonisation is closely tied to the carbon intensity of grid electricity. If the current fuel mix in electricity and district heating production persists, comprehensive renovation may paradoxically result in higher emissions than the baseline.

As 2025 draws to a close, one lesson stands out from a year of conflict, climate shocks and economic turbulence: food systems now sit on the frontline of social protection and global stability. When people cannot rely on safe, affordable and nutritious food, the consequences are immediate and far-reaching. This year showed how fast societies can be shaken when prices spike, supply chains falter or safety nets fail to keep up. In Gaza and across the Sahel and Horn of Africa, food was often the first service to collapse and the last to return. Climate extremes – droughts, floods and heatwaves – further strained harvests and pushed already fragile systems closer to the edge. These shocks revealed how vulnerable many national food systems remain and how closely food security links with governance, health, debt and social cohesion. Countries facing the world’s worst food crises are already spending nearly twice as much on debt service as on health – a choice that weakens resilience long before famine is declared. “ Preventing future food crises is within reach. Countries have set clear pathways and communities are driving solutions that fit their realities. The tools exist. What matters now is whether governments act with the urgency this moment demands. Yet food is still rarely treated as strategic. Governments focus more on energy security or trade routes than on staple grain flows or school meals, while the wider costs of agrifood systems – from malnutrition to environmental damage – are estimated at roughly US$12 trillion a year. Financing continues to fall short of this scale of risk. In 2025, price volatility, export limits and fertiliser shortages kept food systems under constant strain, with local markets remaining unstable even when global prices eased. For low-income and fragile states, rising import costs collided with limited fiscal space, while major grain export curbs triggered fast regional ripple effects and stretched social protection systems even further. Bridging the gap A widening food resilience divide became unmistakable: wealthier and better-prepared countries invested in climate-resilient crops, diversified supply chains and early-warning systems, while others faced the same shocks with fewer resources each time. Amid this turbulence, governments did not stand still. The UN Food Systems Summit +4 – the global stocktake four years after the 2021 summit – showed that more than 150 governments are advancing their national food systems pathways, many aligning them with climate and biodiversity strategies. The COP30 climate talks reinforced this direction by giving food and land use greater prominence in adaptation discussions. Several countries expanded school meal programmes, adopted right-to-food legislation or redesigned subsidies to support healthier and more sustainable production. These steps reflect a wider shift: food is increasingly understood as a foundation for stability, health and economic opportunity. The task for 2026 is to turn this momentum into protection for the people and communities most exposed to shocks. Three priorities stand out for 2026. First, treat food systems as strategic infrastructure by securing supply chains, diversifying import sources, strengthening local markets and supporting the workers who keep food moving. Social protection must guarantee regular access to nutritious diets, especially for children and people in crisis-affected areas. Second, finance resilience before emergencies hit. Funding still leans heavily towards crisis response rather than prevention. Investments in climate-smart agriculture, resilient storage, early-warning systems and local food economies reduce long-term costs and protect communities. Debt swaps for food and climate, resilience bonds and blended finance can help shift capital towards prevention. Third, embed food into climate, trade and security agendas. Climate processes should integrate food and agriculture across mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Trade discussions should consider nutritional outcomes and smallholder livelihoods alongside market access. Early-warning systems should treat food stress – from failed rains to export shifts or sharp price spikes – as a signal of rising fragility. Progress is possible If 2025 showed anything, it is that societies are only as strong as the systems that feed them. Food shapes health, productivity, environmental sustainability and political stability. The year also showed that progress is achievable. Investments in resilient crops, school meals, diversified supply chains and fairer markets delivered visible gains. But without sustained commitment, the pressures seen in 2025 will intensify and governments will struggle to absorb climate extremes. Preventing future food crises is within reach. Countries have set clear pathways and communities are driving solutions that fit their realities. The tools exist. What matters now is whether governments act with the urgency this moment demands. Strengthening food systems is one of the clearest ways to improve daily life and build a more secure and equitable future. The real test in 2026 is whether we reinforce the foundation that supports everything else. This story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit https://www.context.news/. Like this content? Join our growing community. Your support helps to strengthen independent journalism, which is critically needed to guide business and policy development for positive impact. Unlock unlimited access to our content and members-only perks. Find out more and join us. → Find out more and join us. →

A major upgrade to the Patawalonga Lake System’s south gates is complete, helping to maintain a healthy environment for marine life and support recreational activities along the lake. The gates allow fresh seawater to circulate through the 1.6-kilometre-long Patawalonga Lake System and flow back out to sea via the Barcoo Outlet – using the tides to flush the lake to keep it healthy and clean. The gates also play an important role in controlling water levels in the lake and diverting urban stormwater to reduce flood risk in surrounding areas including Glenelg and the Adelaide Airport. Department for Environment and Water Manager, Assets and Operations, Tom Campbell was thankful for community assistance. "This has been a large project, and the Department for Environment and Water would like to thank the local community for their patience throughout construction," Mr Campbell said. "The new control system is a significant enhancement for managing the Pat, offering improved functionality for system operators to support ongoing, reliable operations." The $17.3 million project involved replacing all eight steel gates, lifting components and electronic control system which had reached the end of their serviceable life. The new stainless-steel gates will have a lifespan of up to 50 years without the need for major refurbishment. The upgraded electronic control system – responsible for automatically opening and closing the gates – features new inlet and outlet sensors to provide real-time, high-sensitivity data to monitor and manage water levels, including in severe weather. Several waterways and drains flow into the system – known locally as ‘The Pat’ – including the Sturt River, Brown Hill Creek, Keswick Creek, Patawalonga Creek and the Adelaide Airport drain. These waterways flow from a catchment area of more than 230 square kilometres, with most water coming from the Sturt River and Brown Hill Creek catchments. The lake is a key refuge for the local population of bottlenose dolphins, including frequent visitor ‘June’. Green Adelaide has provided support to create the Patawalonga Dolphin Trail, a walking trail recognising the area’s unique wildlife. Works completed will also ensure a quality marine environment for popular community activities like fishing, kayaking and other water sports. Located at the Glenelg Marina, the south gates structure comprises the motor-driven lift gates, a walkway connecting Glenelg and Glenelg North, and a boat lock. McMahon Services Australia delivered the works, which began in August 2024. For more information, visit the Department for Environment and Water website. The gates allow fresh seawater to circulate through the 1.6-kilometre-long Patawalonga Lake System and flow back out to sea via the Barcoo Outlet – using the tides to flush the lake to keep it healthy and clean. The gates also play an important role in controlling water levels in the lake and diverting urban stormwater to reduce flood risk in surrounding areas including Glenelg and the Adelaide Airport. Department for Environment and Water Manager, Assets and Operations, Tom Campbell was thankful for community assistance. "This has been a large project, and the Department for Environment and Water would like to thank the local community for their patience throughout construction," Mr Campbell said. "The new control system is a significant enhancement for managing the Pat, offering improved functionality for system operators to support ongoing, reliable operations." The $17.3 million project involved replacing all eight steel gates, lifting components and electronic control system which had reached the end of their serviceable life. The new stainless-steel gates will have a lifespan of up to 50 years without the need for major refurbishment. The upgraded electronic control system – responsible for automatically opening and closing the gates – features new inlet and outlet sensors to provide real-time, high-sensitivity data to monitor and manage water levels, including in severe weather. Several waterways and drains flow into the system – known locally as ‘The Pat’ – including the Sturt River, Brown Hill Creek, Keswick Creek, Patawalonga Creek and the Adelaide Airport drain. These waterways flow from a catchment area of more than 230 square kilometres, with most water coming from the Sturt River and Brown Hill Creek catchments. The lake is a key refuge for the local population of bottlenose dolphins, including frequent visitor ‘June’. Green Adelaide has provided support to create the Patawalonga Dolphin Trail, a walking trail recognising the area’s unique wildlife. Works completed will also ensure a quality marine environment for popular community activities like fishing, kayaking and other water sports. Located at the Glenelg Marina, the south gates structure comprises the motor-driven lift gates, a walkway connecting Glenelg and Glenelg North, and a boat lock. McMahon Services Australia delivered the works, which began in August 2024. For more information, visit the Department for Environment and Water website. Share: