Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka in late November 2025, caused an estimated US$4.1 billion in direct physical damage to buildings, agriculture, and critical infrastructure, equivalent to around 4 percent of the country’s GDP. The cyclone affected nearly 2 million people, including 500,000 families across all 25 districts, disrupting livelihoods, essential services, and the broader… [Read More]
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Thailand to Enhance Job Creation and Biodiversity with World Bank Support
The World Bank’s Board approved the US$140.76 million Thailand Resilient Transport and Irrawaddy Dolphin Conservation Project (TRIP) to enhance flood- and storm-resilient transport links while supporting biodiversity conservation. The project aims to create job opportunities and improve economic access for 350,000 people, while safeguarding a critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin sub-population in Songkhla Lake. Co-financed with… [Read More]
Innovations Bringing Safe Water to 1.9 Million People Worldwide
In 2021, the Safe Water initiative set out to provide professional, sustainable, affordable, and safe water services to 1 million people in low-income households, health facilities, and schools across sub-Saharan Africa. By 2025, the program not only met its goal but surpassed it, reaching 1.95 million people across rural communities in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda…. [Read More]
2025 in Review: Five Events That Left a Lasting Impact
In 2025, the Jacobs Foundation marked a pivotal year, collaborating with partners across research, government, and philanthropy to advance evidence-based strategies that strengthen learning systems and expand opportunities for children worldwide. The year highlighted the value of collaboration, innovation, and long-term commitment, laying the groundwork for continued efforts in 2026 to generate and apply evidence… [Read More]
Empowering Rural Women Farmers Through Gender-Responsive Funding
The International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD) convened a high-level Climate Finance Workshop in Lagos to address the barriers rural women farmers in Nigeria face in accessing financial instruments and climate adaptation funding. The workshop, themed “Exploring Financial Resourcing for Women Farmers in Nigeria,” brought together 52 participants from civil society organizations, NGOs,… [Read More]
Early Childhood Development in Congo-Brazzaville: Insights and Lessons Learned
Congo Brazzaville is strengthening its efforts to provide vulnerable households with access to quality childcare through the Social Protection and Productive Inclusion of Youth Project (PSIPJ), financed by the World Bank in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MASSAH). The project aims to create safe and affordable childcare environments while exploring opportunities for vulnerable… [Read More]
Driving Innovation: Kosovo Invests €1 Million in Promising Startups and SMEs
The Luxembourg Development Cooperation has announced a new call for proposals under the LuxAid Demonstration Fund (LDF), building on the success of its first edition in 2025. The initiative aims to accelerate the growth and impact of innovative digital and green solutions by well-established businesses in Kosovo, offering selected projects co-financing of up to EUR… [Read More]
Strengthening Kosovo’s Renewable Energy Standards: Lessons from Sweden
Kosovo is taking significant steps to advance its energy transition by enhancing the tracking and certification of renewable energy. From 11 to 13 November 2025, the Energy Regulatory Office of Kosovo (ERO), supported by LuxDev through the Energy Transition and Climate Mitigation project funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, conducted a study visit to… [Read More]
First-Ever Asia-Wide Training Enhances Knowledge on Shared Water Governance
The inaugural Pan-Asia Training on International Water Law (IWL), convened by UNECE in Bangkok, Thailand, and online, addressed the growing challenges of climate change, rising water demand, and development pressures on shared rivers, lakes, and aquifers. With 25 of Asia’s 30 countries sharing transboundary water resources, cooperation frameworks remain uneven despite progress in international water… [Read More]
Why Central Bank Independence Is Key: Insights from the Past Five Decades
Recent political pressures in several countries to influence central banks to lower policy rates regardless of economic conditions have reignited discussions about the importance of central bank independence. The fundamental idea is that central banks insulated from government interference can focus on their primary mandate—typically price stability—without political pressures distorting their decisions. In contrast, politically… [Read More]
International NGO Honoured for Lifesaving Disaster Response
Youth for Voluntary Action in Himachal (YouVAH) has been honoured with the Social Impact Award-2025 in recognition of its outstanding disaster relief and community service efforts during recent emergencies in the state. The award was presented during a two-day workshop on “Environment and Youth” at Panjab University, Chandigarh, which highlighted the role of NGOs in… [Read More]
Building Rural Climate Resilience: IFAD and GEF Invest in Eritrea, Kiribati, and Malawi
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the governments of Malawi, Eritrea, and Kiribati, announced three new climate-resilience investments aimed at helping rural communities restore ecosystems, strengthen adaptive capacity, protect biodiversity, and improve livelihoods. The GEF approved over US$44.5 million in financing, supplemented by more than… [Read More]
How Community Participation Drives Just and Equitable Energy Transitions
The report, produced by UNDP’s Global Policy Centre for Governance in collaboration with UNDP offices in Nigeria and South Africa, examines how civic participation influences the planning and implementation of just energy transitions in both countries. It highlights that energy transition processes are not purely technical challenges but are deeply intertwined with political, social, and… [Read More]
Beyond Fear and Constraints: Building a Transformative Relationship with Nature for a Sustainable Future
For decades, discussions about the planetary crisis have centered on limits—carbon budgets, tipping points, and planetary boundaries. While scientifically important, this framing often emphasizes fear and restriction, focusing on what must be avoided rather than what can be achieved. Pedro Conceição, Director of the Human Development Report Office at UNDP, highlights that the upcoming 2026… [Read More]
Turning Displacement into Opportunity: Stories of Creativity and Strength
The return and reintegration of displaced individuals into their communities in Iraq is a critical phase that impacts both returnees and host communities. Families coming back from displacement face a range of challenges, including limited job opportunities, high living costs, damaged homes, and the collapse of social and livelihood structures they once relied on. A… [Read More]
Indonesia Leads Dialogue on Effective Development Cooperation with Key Stakeholders
On 17 December 2025, the Government of Indonesia, through the Ministry of National Development Planning/BAPPENAS, hosted a high-level Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Development Effectiveness in Jakarta. Co-organized with UNDP, the event brought together over 85 representatives from government, development partners, civil society, private sector, philanthropy, academia, and trade unions to reflect on development cooperation, validate findings,… [Read More]
UNFPA Joins Jamaica in Campaign Against Online Violence Targeting Women and Girls
For many women and girls in Jamaica, the threat of violence extends beyond physical spaces into the digital world. Cyberharassment, grooming, and image-based abuse are increasing, prompting the Bureau of Gender Affairs to host an event for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. UNFPA attended the event, emphasizing the urgent need… [Read More]
WSBI’s Scale2Save Initiative Supports Women Farmers in Nigeria Through New Pilot
The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) has launched a flagship initiative in Nigeria aimed at enhancing financial inclusion and promoting climate-smart agriculture, supported by grants from the Visa Foundation and ”la Caixa” Foundation. The pilot program specifically targets women smallholder farmers and women-led businesses in rural areas, expanding access to finance and supporting… [Read More]
Building Earthquake Resilience: Key Lessons from Türkiye–Italy Knowledge Exchange
Italy and Türkiye share a long history of living with seismic risk, shaped by their locations along active fault lines and by devastating earthquakes that have affected communities, infrastructure, and governance systems. Recent disasters, particularly the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye, have underscored the urgent need to strengthen resilience, address weaknesses in construction practices, and… [Read More]
How Sub-Study Approaches Boost Research Productivity: Insights from an Early-Career Grant
Early-career researchers in low- and middle-income countries often face significant constraints, including limited funding, small datasets, and fewer publication opportunities. Despite these challenges, innovative research strategies can turn modest support into substantial impact. The experience of Collins Ankunda, an RSTMH Early Career Grant awardee, illustrates how strategic thinking and adaptability can transform a small grant… [Read More]
Key Takeaways from the Webinar on Supporting Social Enterprises
The international MERSE webinar held on November 27 explored how social enterprises can contribute to inclusive rural communities and sustainable regional development, bringing together speakers from Sweden and Ireland to share practical experiences and policy perspectives. The discussion focused on how collaboration between social enterprises, public authorities, and civil society can address labour market gaps,… [Read More]
Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters: Key Lessons from De Regenboog Groep’s Pilot Project
De Regenboog Groep is an Amsterdam-based organisation working with people who use drugs, people experiencing homelessness, individuals with mental health challenges, and refugees. In 2025, the organisation launched a Trauma-Informed Care Project aimed at strengthening trauma sensitivity across its services. The initiative was designed to improve how the organisation understands and responds to trauma experienced… [Read More]
Africa’s Peace Operations at a Crossroads: The Role of Deployed Missions and the African Standby Force
Since the 1990s, Africa has faced increasingly complex and interconnected security challenges, including intra-state conflicts, insurgencies, terrorism, maritime insecurity, organised crime, climate pressures, and governance deficits. These threats have highlighted the limitations of externally driven responses and reinforced the need for African ownership of peace and security. As a result, African-led peace support operations have… [Read More]
