Climate change is placing increasing pressure on Mali’s rice production systems through irregular rainfall, droughts, rising temperatures, and flooding, which undermine productivity and household incomes. While much attention has focused on improving production, post-harvest stages remain highly vulnerable, particularly for women who dominate rice processing. These women face challenges such as inefficient parboiling equipment, health… [Read More]
Enhancing Rice Productivity in Mali: Insights from Scaling Resilient Varieties, Good Agricultural Practices, and Pest Management
Rice is a strategic staple crop in Mali, playing a crucial role in national food and nutrition security. Over the past two decades, demand for rice has increased steadily due to population growth and changing dietary habits. However, rice production, particularly in irrigated zones like the Office du Niger and lowland and rainfed ecosystems, is… [Read More]
How Forestry Decentralization Impacts Rural Inequality in Nepal
Decentralized approaches to natural resource governance are widely promoted in the Global South for their potential to improve conservation outcomes while alleviating rural poverty. However, the distribution of benefits under such programs is often unequal, reflecting existing social hierarchies. In Nepal, a large-scale forestry-sector decentralization program implemented between 2001 and 2011 provides a case study… [Read More]
Advancing Circular Solutions for Plastics Waste in South, Southeast Asia, and Pacific Regions
The Asia-Pacific region faces growing challenges in managing plastic waste due to rapid urbanization, rising consumption, and inadequate waste management infrastructure and regulations. The accumulation of plastic waste has led to severe environmental and health impacts, contaminating land, water, and air. Informal waste collectors play a critical role in recycling and collection, but their efforts… [Read More]
Over $12.5 Million in Funding Approved by NJEDA for Medtech and Maternal Health Innovation
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board has approved a $12.55 million investment in two Strategic Innovation Centers (SICs) aimed at supporting medical technology and maternal health startups. The New Jersey Accelerator for Innovation in Medtech (NJ AIM), located in Camden and Mullica Hill, will facilitate the research, development, and commercialization of advanced medical… [Read More]
Why the General History of Africa Should Be Integrated into Schools
The General History of Africa (GHA), launched by UNESCO in 1964, is a landmark initiative aimed at telling Africa’s history from an African perspective. For centuries, the continent’s historical narrative had been shaped largely by external viewpoints, often reflecting biased or incomplete accounts. The GHA seeks to correct this imbalance by reconstructing Africa’s rich and… [Read More]
Mizuho USA Foundation Distributes $1 Million in Community Grants
Mizuho Americas, through its charitable arm, the Mizuho USA Foundation, announced $1 million in grants for 2025, aimed at strengthening and sustaining communities by supporting programs that tackle economic and societal challenges. The foundation focuses on enabling young adults to acquire technology skills, explore career pathways, and build tools for sustainable employment, partnering with nonprofit… [Read More]
When Systems Meet People: Transforming Everyday Life in India in 2025
In 2025, everyday life in India reflected the power of systems that worked closely with people, connecting health, livelihoods, climate action, and governance in ways that improved both resilience and opportunity. In Nagaland, digital health reminders ensured that children received timely immunizations, while in Odisha, women planting mangroves combined environmental protection with income stability and… [Read More]
Lessons Learned from the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires
The January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires were among the most destructive in California’s history, claiming over two dozen lives and destroying thousands of structures. The Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades fire were ranked the second and third most destructive in the state’s records, with total property and capital losses estimated between $76… [Read More]
Asia-Pacific Cities: How Local Leadership Will Define Urban Development
Cities across Asia and the Pacific are at the forefront of some of the region’s most urgent challenges, including climate risks, infrastructure stress, and growing social inequalities. With more than half of the world’s urban population, the region’s ability to achieve sustainable development depends heavily on how effectively cities implement global commitments. Local leadership has… [Read More]
Lessons in Transregional Cooperation from Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America
At the second High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries, a panel discussion on strengthening global and regional South-South Cooperation highlighted the challenge of sustaining transregional cooperation platforms. Drawing on the experiences of the Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regions provides valuable lessons in practical, targeted interregional collaboration that other regions can emulate. A key… [Read More]
Sudan Faces Famine Crisis with 4.4 Million People at Risk
Somalia is facing a severe drought emergency, putting millions of people at risk of hunger, malnutrition, and preventable death. Consecutive poor rainy seasons have left communities struggling to access food and water, prompting the Federal Government of Somalia to declare a national drought emergency. According to the latest IPC analysis, around 4.4 million people are… [Read More]
Rising Violence in Aleppo Drives Mass Exodus of 16,000 People
Violence in Aleppo has intensified sharply, prompting a dramatic surge in displacement. In the last 24 hours, over 16,000 people have fled the city, a seventeenfold increase compared to previous days. Many families remain trapped in Aleppo, facing extreme hardship with limited access to food, clothing, or heating amid near-freezing nighttime temperatures. Humanitarian organizations are… [Read More]
Violence Against Women in Utah: Why Progress Remains Elusive
Utah continues to struggle with high rates of violence against women, a crisis that persists due to deeply interconnected social, cultural, and systemic factors. One key issue is the reluctance of Utahns, including both leaders and residents, to confront the problem openly. This silence allows violence to continue unchallenged and prevents meaningful action to address… [Read More]
U.S. Intervention in Venezuela Sparks Rights Crisis and International Alarm
The Trump administration’s recent military assault on Venezuela has raised serious concerns about a potential human rights disaster, according to Human Rights Watch. In the early hours of January 3, 2026, US forces conducted strikes in Venezuela, taking President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, into custody. They have since been arraigned in a… [Read More]
Declining Funding in Egypt Jeopardizes Education and Health Services
The Egyptian government has severely undermined citizens’ rights to education and health care by failing to allocate sufficient funding, falling short of both constitutional requirements and international standards, Human Rights Watch reported. This chronic underfunding has left schools and hospitals severely under-resourced, with shortages of classrooms, teachers, doctors, and nurses, while families shoulder significant out-of-pocket… [Read More]
How Child-Focused Investments Drive Economic Development and Save Lives in West Africa
A targeted investment of $2.5 million by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is poised to transform humanitarian supply chains in West Africa, significantly improving the lives of children at risk of malnutrition. The initiative focuses on building local manufacturing capacity for Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs), which are essential for treating severely… [Read More]
How the UN Helped Uruguay Pioneer Sustainable Transport Financing Worldwide
Uruguay is breaking new ground in decarbonising its transport and industrial sectors with the launch of the Kahirós green hydrogen project, the country’s first large-scale initiative to produce and use green hydrogen for heavy transport. Launched in December 2025 with an investment exceeding $30 million, the project is financed by Grupo Santander, the International Finance… [Read More]
UN in Iraq: Transitioning from Stability Efforts to Long-Term Sustainability
In Iraq, the United Nations is navigating a significant transition, reflecting both the country’s evolving priorities and the UN’s need to remain relevant and effective. After decades of conflict, Iraq has made tangible progress: nearly five million internally displaced people have returned home, economic activity is recovering, state institutions are regaining confidence, and the country… [Read More]
Ahead of 2026 Elections, UN Urges Uganda to Safeguard Human Rights
UN experts have issued a stark warning regarding the upcoming general elections in Uganda, scheduled for 15 January 2026, highlighting a pervasive climate of fear that undermines the potential for peaceful voting. They expressed concern that patterns of repression observed during the 2021 elections—such as enforced disappearances—are reappearing, with at least 160 cases reported in… [Read More]
$152,000+ in Grants Awarded to Tackle Hunger and Food Insecurity in Northern New York
The Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded $152,175 in grant support during 2025 to 67 food pantries, soup kitchens, and school-based backpack programs across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. This funding includes $55,000 approved as year-end aid by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, aimed at strengthening local programs and stocking shelves with essential… [Read More]
Ilute Solar Project Reaches Financial Close, Marking a Landmark Solar IPP Deal in Zambia
Financial close has been successfully achieved for the Ilute Solar Project, allowing construction to begin on one of Zambia’s most innovative renewable energy developments. Announced by Serengeti Energy, Kwama Energy, and FMO, this milestone completes the project’s development phase and establishes a new benchmark for privately financed power generation in Zambia and the wider Southern… [Read More]
PRIO Wins Major Research Grants to Advance Studies on Conflict, Security and Gender
PRIO has secured several new external research grants, underscoring strong confidence in the Institute’s work and its relevance to urgent global challenges. The funding supports five major research areas, including displacement, Nordic security, societal preparedness, the human impacts of the war in Ukraine, and gender, peace and security. Together, these initiatives strengthen PRIO’s capacity to… [Read More]
