The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $400 million policy-based loan to support government reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and positioning the Philippines as a leading investment destination in Asia and the Pacific. The Business Environment Strengthening with Technology Program (BEST) Subprogram 1 focuses on private sector development reforms that… [Read More]
Boosting Productivity in Indonesia: ADB Invests in Human Capital Development
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million policy-based loan to support Indonesia’s human capital development reforms in education, skills development, health, and social protection systems. This funding represents the third subprogram of the Boosting Productivity through Human Capital Development Program, which focuses on institutionalizing reforms initiated under the previous two subprograms approved… [Read More]
$60 Million ADB Loan to Boost Malaysia’s Paper Recycling and Circular Economy Initiatives
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Jingxing Holdings Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Jingxing Paper Joint Stock Co., Ltd., have signed a $60 million financing package to expand Jingxing’s advanced wastepaper recycling and packaging paper facility in Selangor, Malaysia. The loan will support the installation of a state-of-the-art recycling and packaging paper line… [Read More]
16 Days of Activism: AfDB Strengthens Gender Equality and Governance in South Sudan, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau
The African Development Bank Group has approved approximately $3.7 million to launch a new governance and gender equality initiative in South Sudan, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. The Building Resilience and Inclusive Development through Governance and Equality (BRIDGE) project aims to address governance gaps that allow gender-based violence and discrimination to persist by strengthening justice institutions,… [Read More]
$22.9 Million AfDB Grant to Revitalize Malawi’s Critical Hydropower Sector
The African Development Fund’s Board of Directors has approved a $22.9 million grant for the rehabilitation of Malawi’s Kapichira and Nkula B hydropower plants, representing a transformative investment in the country’s energy sector. The broader $118.7 million initiative, with co-financing opportunities, will upgrade two critical power generation facilities: Kapichira I (64 MW), serving the southern… [Read More]
$10 Million AfDB Grant to Accelerate Namibia’s Large-Scale Green Hydrogen Initiative
The African Development Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a $10 million loan to Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, a Namibian green hydrogen company, to support a green ammonia project valued at over $10 billion. The initiative has the potential to position Namibia as a leader in the global green hydrogen economy. The loan, sourced from the… [Read More]
$7.5 Million Nigeria Trust Fund Grant to Strengthen São Tomé and Príncipe’s Economy
The African Development Bank Group Board of Directors has approved a $7.5 million supplemental financing grant from the Nigeria Trust Fund to support São Tomé and Príncipe’s economic reform programme, bringing total Bank support for the initiative to approximately $20 million over two years. The grant aims to close a critical financing gap in the… [Read More]
Early Action Saves Lives: Red Crescent Volunteers Protect Yemeni Families from Floods
In August, heavy rains swept through Abs district in Yemen’s Hajjah governorate, severely impacting thousands of internally displaced families living in fragile shelters. Tents collapsed, roofs made of lightweight materials disintegrated, and families woke to rising water and mud with little protection. For many, the night was terrifying and, for some, life-threatening. Hadi Mohammed Shaer… [Read More]
Left Behind in South Sudan: How Violence and Healthcare Collapse Devastate Communities
Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) report, Left Behind in Crisis: Escalating Violence and Healthcare Collapse in South Sudan, highlights the growing barriers to healthcare amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation. Preventable deaths, particularly among women and children, are increasingly common. The report draws on MSF’s direct observations, routine medical data, and testimonies from patients and staff in… [Read More]
Kazakhstan’s Young Innovators Lead the Charge on Climate Resilience
Urban resilience is often described through infrastructure and policy frameworks, but the recent Urbathon in North Kazakhstan demonstrated that youth-led innovation can expose overlooked gaps and generate practical solutions. Working with limited resources yet deep local understanding, young participants showed how community-based insights can enrich formal climate resilience planning. Over two days, forty teams focused… [Read More]
Aridity in Asia-Pacific: A Growing Slow Disaster With Increasingly Visible Impacts
Aridity is a slow-moving but deeply disruptive climatic condition marked by long-term dryness that gradually erodes ecosystems and landscapes. Unlike sudden disasters such as floods or cyclones, aridity develops quietly—through declining rainfall, drying soils, shrinking rivers, and a steady loss of environmental resilience. Global data shows that more than 77% of Earth’s land became drier… [Read More]
ADB Report: Asia-Pacific Advances on Water Security for 2.7 Billion, Yet Ecosystem Loss Looms
More than 60% of people in Asia and the Pacific—around 2.7 billion individuals—have moved out of extreme water insecurity over the last twelve years, according to the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) 2025. The report credits this progress to stronger political commitment, targeted investments, and governance reforms since 2013. However, it warns that rapid environmental… [Read More]
2025 Equator Prize: UNDP Recognizes 10 Indigenous and Community Climate Solutions
The 2025 Equator Prize Award Ceremony will honour ten exceptional nature-based solutions led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities worldwide. The event highlights the critical role these groups play in protecting ecosystems, advancing climate action, and supporting sustainable livelihoods. This year’s winners will receive between US$15,000 and $25,000 in recognition of their efforts to restore… [Read More]
UNDP Analysis: Cyclone Ditwah Submerges 20% of Sri Lanka
An estimated 2.3 million people, more than half of them women, were living in areas flooded by Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka on 28 November. New UNDP geospatial analysis reveals that more than 1.1 million hectares—almost one-fifth of the country—were inundated, causing extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and essential services. According to disaster-related data… [Read More]
North Carolina Agencies May Face Challenges Due to HUD Federal Funding Shifts, Experts Say
Housing advocates in North Carolina are raising concerns over changes to federal funding that could significantly affect efforts to address homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is revising its Continuum of Care program, the largest initiative supporting homeless services, which will reduce funding for permanent housing projects and introduce new eligibility… [Read More]
Enabling Environments for Civil Society: Comparative Insights from Africa, Latin America & Europe
Across Africa and Latin America, civil society faces an increasingly constrained environment. From restrictive NGO laws and shrinking civic space to rising digital surveillance, polarised narratives, and reduced funding, civil society actors encounter mounting barriers to participation. Yet, networks are responding by organising, connecting, and shaping political agendas in innovative ways. Forus, together with partners… [Read More]
Global Leaders Commit $1.9 Billion in Abu Dhabi to End Polio and Safeguard Children Worldwide
International leaders, philanthropists, and global health partners gathered in Abu Dhabi on December 8, 2025, to pledge a collective US$ 1.9 billion toward polio eradication. This includes approximately $1.2 billion in new commitments, reducing the remaining funding gap for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) 2022–2029 Strategy to $440 million. The funds aim to reach… [Read More]
Why Addressing South Africa’s Water Crisis Can Fix Energy and Food Challenges Too
South Africa is facing severe challenges across water, energy, and food sectors. Drought, overuse, and ageing infrastructure strain water supplies, while reliance on coal-fired electricity contributes to unsustainable energy production and high greenhouse gas emissions. Rising food prices have left tens of millions unable to afford sufficient nutrition, with around one in four families going… [Read More]
Supporting the Next Generation of Canadian Innovators
Google has been a long-standing supporter of Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), promoting coding and computational thinking among students. This year, during CSEdWeek, Google joined the global Hour of AI alongside partners Code.org and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) to help educators and learners better understand, use, and create with artificial intelligence. To support… [Read More]
Canadian Government Invests in Programs Supporting Community Reintegration
The Government of Canada, through the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, has announced a Call for Applications for the Grants and Contributions Program to Voluntary Organizations. This initiative provides funding to non-profit organizations that deliver programs supporting the reintegration of individuals involved in the criminal justice system back into society. The funding opportunity… [Read More]
Global Environment Facility Council to Evaluate High-Impact Initiatives and Funding Opportunities
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) will hold its second-to-last Council meeting of the eighth funding cycle from December 15-19, 2025, to review progress on its current targets and consider over $350 million in new funding for high-impact environmental initiatives. The proposed funding spans the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change… [Read More]
FAO and Poland Collaborate to Support Conflict-Affected Households in Sudan
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Poland, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have signed a USD 1 million project agreement to address Sudan’s escalating food insecurity and nutrition crisis. The initiative aims to support vulnerable conflict-affected households in rebuilding their lives and livelihoods. Sudan is experiencing… [Read More]
Forum Highlights Link Between Waste Reduction, Agrifood Systems, Water Security, and Climate Resilience
Every day, small losses in food supply chains—from spoiled produce to uneaten meals at homes and restaurants—have outsized consequences, consuming precious water and accelerating the climate crisis. Globally, one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted, representing a waste of water, land, energy, and labor. With agriculture consuming 78 percent of the world’s freshwater… [Read More]
