Foresight Briefs

Foresight Briefs highlight a hotspot of environmental change, feature an emerging science topic, or discuss a contemporary environmental issue. They provide a systematic way of examining possible alternative futures and outcomes of emerging environmental issues that can support strategy and policy and also inform decision-making today. UNEP's Foresight Briefs aim to present emerging issues, systemic insights and possible policy solutions on a wide range of topics related to our environment in a short readable publication.' 

Recently Published Foresight Briefs

The 33rd edition of UNEP’s Foresight Brief looks at how to apply circular principles to water management, and how circularity in water management is key to addressing both the triple planetary crisis and a global water crisis.

Water as a Circular Economy Resource

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The role of remote sensing and social research in monitoring the environmental impact of refugee/ Internally Displaced Persons camps

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Sustainable production and consumption: Design for disassembly as a circular economy tool

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Charcoal as a global commodity: is it sustainable?

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Plastics in agriculture - an environmental challenge

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The shrinking Arctic Sea Ice

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The growing footprint of digitalisation

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People's livelihood and cities -
building back greener

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Working with plants, soils, and water

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“Sargassum: Brown tide or golden jewel?”

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Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Challenges

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Desert locusts’ upsurges: A harbinger of emerging climate change-induced crises? Arabic

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The need to eliminate lead paint globall

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Food loss and waste in the
Sustainable Development Goals’ nexus

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Blockchain technology and environmental sustainability Chinese | Spanish

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Unveiling plastic pollution in oceans

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Challenges for the growth of the electric vehicle market Chinese | Spanish

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Seagrasses, the forgotten ecosystems

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Growing popularity of alternate food systems for environment and health

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Building a digital ecosystem for the planet

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Putting Carbon back where it belongs - the potential of carbon sequestration in the soil

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Environment, climate change and security

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We are losing the Little things that run the world

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Alternatives for the use of glyphosate

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Revisiting ocean acidification, food security and our earth system

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Faith for earth

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Smoke-haze: A transboundary air pollution issue in Southeast Asia

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Hacking economics for people and planet

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Emerging sponge cities

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Lake Urmia: Signs of recovery

4 / 33

The Changing Aral Sea

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Marine plastics litter and microplastics

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Saving Lake Faguibine

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All foresight briefs