SDGs

The gulper shark controversy in the Maldives encapsulates a broader global tension: how to steward oceanic biodiversity amid competing economic interests. For a nation once celebrated as a conservation pioneer, the unfolding debate raises hard questions about identity, priorities and legacy.

With the right policy signals and investments, reducing air pollution could become one of the most powerful levers for inclusive prosperity in the coming decade.

Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division described the combined investments as a “strategic offensive” to support Bangladesh’s transition to upper-middle-income status.

Sri Lanka's “Policy for Digital Transformation of Education,” introduced in 2023, targets high-speed internet and devices in all schools by 2025. With international partnerships like UNESCO and Huawei, the nation aims for an inclusive digital economy, though balancing rapid change with safeguards remains key.

Sri Lanka is gearing up to apply for $25 million from the United Nations' Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD). The application is intended to support recovery efforts.

The financial turmoil is already rippling through UN agencies, with humanitarian work bearing the brunt. BBC investigations show that agencies rarely receive full funding for crises, but the past year has been exceptionally grim.

Nepal faces international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce stunting to 15 per cent, wasting to four per cent, and underweight rates to 10 per cent by 2030 – targets that appear increasingly challenging, particularly in remote and underserved regions like Sudurpaschim.

Unchecked, these impacts could deepen conflicts and stall sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 6 on water and sanitation.