Because we owe our planet everything

May 27, 2021

Around 14,000 farmers from provinces in east and west Azerbaijan are participating in a joint initiative between the governments of Iran and Japan and UNDP to restore Lake Urmia. Photo | UNDP Iran/Sadaf Nikzad

Click here to read the global UNDP Annual Report 2020. 

The pursuit of balance between people and planet is a thread that runs through all of UNDP’s work. Our 2020 Human Development Report included a new planetary pressures-adjusted Human Development Index, which offers a future-focused way to quickly assess a country’s progress that places the planet’s well-being at the heart of advancing human development.

From 2018 to 2020, UNDP partnered with different entities and with sister UN agencies to promote an inclusive green economy approach to building forward better from COVID-19.

In the I.R. of Iran, around 14,000 farmers from provinces in east and west Azerbaijan are participating in a joint initiative between the governments of Iran and Japan and UNDP to restore Lake Urmia through the use of modern irrigation techniques. To date, water usage has decreased by 35% in pilot sites as a result of this project.

Given how infinitely indebted we are towards our damaged planet, ignoring our environmental responsibilities is no longer an option.

Click here to read the global UNDP Annual Report 2020.