In the media

Many developing countries may miss out on the benefits of the “green tech” revolution unless governments and the international community take decisive action now, the head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Thursday, releasing its latest report.

“We are at the beginning of a technological revolution based on green technologies,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said. “This new wave of technological change will have a formidable impact on the global economy.”

The 17 frontier technologies covered in UNCTAD’s Technology and Innovation Report 2023 have the potential to create market revenues of more than $9.5 trillion by 2030, about three times the size of India’s economy today.

According to the climate scenarios, although the total annual rainfall in this region is on an upward trend, the dry season will become increasingly extreme, and may be longer.  The region’s ability to retain water has also been weakened due to the ongoing deforestation, a significant part of which has been for coffee cultivation and hydroelectricity. 

“In rain-fed areas, the smallholder farmers in the Central Highland region, especially the poor and near poor, have been experiencing the increasingly acute shortage of irrigation water in the dry season,” said Dao Xuan Lai, the head of the Climate Change and Environment Division of the UNDP in Vietnam.

 “It’s the big picture that should be considered, not just export figures,” said Lai of the UNDP. “The current coffee price [currently at record levels] does not reflect the environmental and human costs.”

The island of Nonouti in Kiribati’s southern Gilbert group confirmed its readiness to welcome international travellers when it showcased its Community-Based Tourism (CBT) products to senior government officials and industry stakeholders. Over the last 12 months, the Kiribati Tourism Authority has made numerous trips to Nonouti to introduce the concept of Sustainable CBT to communities and local organizations on the island. These trips included scoping for potential CBT sites, soliciting community interest to participate in the initiative, and the provision of tourism support and training for these remote island communities. Supported by the project Enhancing National Food Security in the Context of Global Climate Change (known locally as 'LDCF -1') - funded by the Global Environment Facility-Least Developed Countries Fund through the UNDP and managed by the Environment and Conservation Division (ECD) under the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development - the initiative attracted the interest of three communities, local fishing guides, and support from the Nonouti Island Council.