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    Showing 9 of 2131 news items
    Young People Across Eastern Caribbean Seek a Bigger Role in Climate Decisions: New Study
    Culture & CommunityJuly 23, 2026

    Young People Across Eastern Caribbean Seek a Bigger Role in Climate Decisions: New Study

    A UNICEF-commissioned study finds that young people in Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Saint Lucia want to build careers in the green and circular economy, but face barriers to information, training and accessible employment. The research highlights strong climate awareness and a desire to contribute, alongside unequal access to the skills and opportunities needed to do so. UNICEF's regional representative called for greater investment in youth development and meaningful inclusion in decisions that shape young people's lives, so the findings can guide stronger climate, education and employment policy across the Eastern Caribbean.

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    Canary Islands' New Voluntary Tourist Tax Will Fund Local Sustainability Projects
    Tourism & Remote WorkJuly 23, 2026

    Canary Islands' New Voluntary Tourist Tax Will Fund Local Sustainability Projects

    The Canary Islands have launched RegNext, a voluntary and transparent contribution scheme designed to channel tourism revenue into environmental restoration and community projects. The archipelago welcomed 18.4 million visitors in 2025, and the initiative aims to ensure that tourism strengthens its ecological, social and cultural wellbeing. Initial pilots will support projects on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and a cross-island social project. Outcomes will be tracked through measures such as emissions reduction, habitat restoration, species recovery, landscape improvement, green jobs and poverty reduction.

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    The Real Mystery Behind Moana: After 1,700 Years, Why Did Polynesians Suddenly Sail East?
    Culture & CommunityJuly 23, 2026

    The Real Mystery Behind Moana: After 1,700 Years, Why Did Polynesians Suddenly Sail East?

    The story behind Moana draws on one of the great mysteries of Pacific history: why Polynesian voyagers resumed long-distance eastward settlement after roughly 1,700 years of relative stability in Samoa and Tonga. New climate evidence may help explain the shift. Between AD 900 and 1100, ancestral Polynesians embarked on a remarkable era of navigation in double-hulled canoes, reaching Hawai'i, Aotearoa and Rapa Nui within the following century. The spread of sweet potatoes across Pacific islands also suggests contact with the Americas. The research connects changing environmental conditions with the seafaring knowledge and cultural heritage that made this extraordinary expansion possible.

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    Coral Reefs in Mauritius are Turning Ghostly White. Can Nurseries Rescue Them From Climate Change?
    Ocean & BiodiversityJuly 23, 2026

    Coral Reefs in Mauritius are Turning Ghostly White. Can Nurseries Rescue Them From Climate Change?

    Mauritius has lost roughly half of its coral cover since the 1970s as ocean warming, bleaching events and pollution place intense pressure on reefs that support biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and coastal protection. A national restoration project, backed by the Adaptation Fund and UNDP, is using coral nurseries and both sexual and asexual reproduction to restore degraded reef areas in Blue Bay Marine Park. Researchers are growing fragments before transplanting them to the seabed, while also exploring coral spawning as a route to resilient new colonies.

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    A New Island Rose From the Sea in Iceland, But Everyone Except Scientists is Banned From Setting Foot. Here's Why.
    Ocean & BiodiversityJuly 14, 2026

    A New Island Rose From the Sea in Iceland, But Everyone Except Scientists is Banned From Setting Foot. Here's Why.

    A barren stretch of volcanic rock rising from the Atlantic Ocean may not sound like one of the world's most protected places, yet almost nobody is allowed to set foot on Iceland's Surtsey island. There are no permanent residents, hotels or tourist attractions, and even scientists need special permission to visit. Formed by an undersea volcanic eruption, Surtsey is one of the few places on Earth where researchers have been able to watch an ecosystem develop entirely from scratch.

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    Too Hot to Work? What Channel Island Laws Say
    Climate ActionJuly 14, 2026

    Too Hot to Work? What Channel Island Laws Say

    A union representing Channel Island workers says it supports the introduction of maximum temperature limits in workplaces to protect staff, as the islands experience their third heatwave of 2026. There is no law in Guernsey, Jersey or the UK that says a given temperature is too hot to work, although each place refers to guidance from the UK's Health and Safety Executive. Temperatures were forecast by Jersey Met to reach up to 34°C, a fortnight after Jersey experienced its hottest day on record at 39.3°C. Unions are calling for stronger protections, risk assessments and practical measures such as ventilation, drinking water, breaks, fans and air-conditioning.

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    Zanzibar Plans $560m Free Port Project
    Green Finance & EconomyJuly 14, 2026

    Zanzibar Plans $560m Free Port Project

    Zanzibar has unveiled plans for a major free port development at Mangapwani as the semi-autonomous island seeks to re-establish itself as a regional trade and logistics hub along East Africa's Indian Ocean coastline. The proposed project, valued at around $560m, would create a dedicated free port and logistics zone designed to attract international shipping, transhipment, manufacturing and distribution activities. Authorities believe the development could help position Zanzibar as a gateway for trade serving East Africa, the Middle East and the wider Indian Ocean region. The development is expected to include cargo-handling infrastructure, logistics parks, warehousing and associated industrial facilities.

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    Caribbean Leaders Clear Hurdles for Long-Delayed Aid Package to Cuba
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 14, 2026

    Caribbean Leaders Clear Hurdles for Long-Delayed Aid Package to Cuba

    Caribbean governments nearly a year ago promised to send an aid package to finance-starved Cuba but said international sanctions and other hurdles had prevented the region from making good on its pledge. Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley says those hurdles have now been cleared and the region is in a better position to assist Cuba. Cuba and the 15-nation CARICOM grouping have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations since 1972, including two-way trade and Cuban exports of thousands of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Mottley said financial sanctions had blocked attempts to send cash for baby formula and other essentials, forcing circuitous routes to deliver humanitarian aid.

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    From an Island to Shelves Around the World: the Story of Azorean Canned Fish
    Water & FoodJuly 14, 2026

    From an Island to Shelves Around the World: the Story of Azorean Canned Fish

    The island of Terceira in the Azores lies 1,500 km west of mainland Portugal, remote enough to make running a business complicated, let alone one built on delivering fresh fish to distant markets. Tibério Barbeito started TZT Flying Fish Azores in his twenties with exactly that ambition. Ten years later, with EU funding behind him, he has revived Terceira's canning industry, turning locally caught fish into gourmet canned products. He began experimenting with cold-smoking local fish species, then diversified into canning with support from Grater, the Fisheries Local Action Group. His canned products, sold under the brand Casa do Portinho, use fresh fish landed by the local fleet, including horse mackerel, Atlantic bonito, limpets, ray and barracuda.

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