Dr. Marianna Wetherill, an ACLM member and associate professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, shared insights from her leadership of NOURISH-OK, a five-year NIH-funded study exploring the relationship between food insecurity and metabolic health. Partnering with Tulsa CARES, a nonprofit HIV service organization, the study aimed to understand how food insecurity affects… [Read More]
Key Insights from Dire Dawa: Implementing Nature-Based Solutions in Drylands
The SUNCASA Project (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa) is entering its third and final year, having already planted over 2 million trees and shrubs and revitalized degraded urban river catchments across Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Africa. In Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, the project has exceeded agroforestry targets by restoring more than… [Read More]
Lessons from England’s 2025 Drought: Managing Water Scarcity and Risk
England’s water sector experienced one of its most severe hydrological challenges in 2025, as an unusual combination of prolonged dry conditions and above-average temperatures led to a significant drought. The government report, 2025 drought: how it developed in England, published on 26 January 2026, provides a detailed analysis of the event, offering crucial insights for… [Read More]
Lessons from Zimbabwe: Effectiveness of Public Procurement in IFAD’s Smallholder Agriculture Projects
This study investigates the effectiveness and efficiency of public procurement processes in IFAD-supported agricultural projects in Zimbabwe, with a focus on the Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP). Public procurement accounts for approximately 60% of Zimbabwe’s national budget, yet challenges such as corruption, political interference, capacity limitations, and insufficient transparency undermine its effectiveness. Using surveys and… [Read More]
Driving Yemen’s Recovery: Key Achievements 2023–2025
Sustainable development has become an urgent necessity, particularly in countries facing compounded crises like Yemen. Over the period 2023–2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has continued to deliver results for Yemeni communities, demonstrating both the resilience of the people and UNDP’s commitment to supporting recovery and sustainable development. Despite ongoing humanitarian needs, economic fragility,… [Read More]
Capacity Building Workshop: Policy Tools to Combat Illicit Financial Flows
Illicit financial flows (IFFs) pose a significant challenge to sustainable development by reducing domestic resource mobilization, weakening institutions, and undermining the rule of law. By diverting financial resources from essential public services such as health, education, and infrastructure, IFFs exacerbate inequality, constrain inclusive economic growth, and hinder long-term development outcomes. Addressing IFFs is a key… [Read More]
India’s Green Industrial Policy: Lessons from Funding Challenges
India’s ambitious net zero target for 2070 requires annual energy sector investments to triple to around US$200 billion. However, the country’s current annual state expenditure for all renewable energy is only US$1.8 billion, with minimal international capital support. Despite these financial constraints, India has successfully expanded its green industrial policy, particularly in the solar power… [Read More]
How Young People Are Leading Development in Rural Bangladesh
In August 2025, Nusrat Mahmud Ananna met 19-year-old Aysha Siddik in Jamalpur, Bangladesh. Pulled out of school early and raising a young daughter with no stable income, Aysha had faced a life full of obstacles. Despite her challenges, she demonstrated remarkable determination not to let her circumstances define her future, expressing a strong desire to… [Read More]
UNDP’s Sustainable Operations: Driving Cost Savings and Resilience
UNDP’s Greening Moonshot initiative aims to reduce the organization’s corporate carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2030. To achieve this goal, UNDP country offices are investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transport, making operations cleaner, more reliable, and resilient, including in fragile and remote contexts. After five years, UNDP has implemented 194 projects… [Read More]
Djibouti’s Path to Sustainable Energy Through Solar Self-Consumption
International Day of Clean Energy, celebrated on 26 January, highlights the crucial role of climate-friendly energy in building a sustainable future. In Djibouti, a joint programme led by the United Nations is transforming the country’s abundant sunlight into affordable, reliable, and clean energy, creating both new economic opportunities and improved access to electricity. Djibouti, one… [Read More]
Uganda’s Refugee Health Services at Risk Amid Funding Shortfalls
In 2025, refugee settlements across Uganda reported more than six disease outbreaks, while stock-outs of essential medicines and medical supplies reached up to 30%, severely limiting health facilities’ ability to provide care. Acute malnutrition rose from 5.4% to 7.8% in 12 of Uganda’s 14 refugee settlements, putting thousands of children at risk of illness, long-term… [Read More]
IFC Announces $166 Million Investment to Support Private Sector Growth in Sri Lanka
The International Finance Corporation has announced a $166 million investment program to support Sri Lankan businesses and help the country move from economic stabilization toward sustainable and inclusive growth. The investment, unveiled in Colombo, reinforces IFC’s long-standing commitment to Sri Lanka’s private sector and is designed to strengthen the financial system at a critical moment… [Read More]
Climate Shocks, Gender Gaps, and Finance: Lessons from Women-Led Enterprises in Nepal
Women-led and women-engaging enterprises (WLEs) play a vital role in Nepal’s agriculture and forestry sectors, sustaining rural livelihoods and strengthening community-level climate resilience. Nearly 70% of Nepali women are engaged in agriculture, acting as key stewards of forests, land, and ecosystems. Embedded across farming value chains as producers, workers, cooperative members, and suppliers, these enterprises… [Read More]
Microsoft Opens Applications for 2026 Community Fund in South and West Dublin
Microsoft has launched its 2026 Community Fund for south and west Dublin at a special community event held at Áras Chrónáin in Clondalkin, attended by Minister of State and Dublin South West TD Colm Brophy. The event also celebrated the achievements of recipients of the 2025 Community Fund, bringing together local schools, community groups, NGOs,… [Read More]
Grave Violations Against Children in Armed Conflict Hit Record Highs as Humanitarian Funding Shrinks
The plea of a child from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be protected from violence reflects the harsh reality faced by thousands of children caught in armed conflicts worldwide in 2025. A recent report submitted to the Human Rights Council by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict highlights… [Read More]
£2.95m Innovate UK Funding Boosts Nine Agri-Tech and Food-Tech Projects
Nine innovative projects across Mid and North Wales have secured a combined £2.95 million in Collaborative Research and Development funding from Innovate UK, reinforcing the region’s growing agri-tech and food-tech innovation ecosystem. The funding has been awarded through the Agri-tech and Food Technology Cluster for Mid and North Wales, a programme designed to drive technological… [Read More]
£1.5m Funding Boost Announced for UK Arts Education Through New Award Scheme
A new £1.5 million awards scheme has been launched by the Freelands Foundation to strengthen education programmes at arts and culture organisations across the UK. Founded by media executive Elisabeth Murdoch, the philanthropic foundation will provide £100,000 in unrestricted funding each year to three organisations over the next five years, with the aim of reinforcing… [Read More]
Aberdeenshire Secures Millions in External Funding to Deliver Key Local Projects
Millions of pounds in external funding have been secured and managed by Aberdeenshire Council over the past year, enabling the delivery of a wide range of projects that are having a tangible impact on communities across the region. A new report outlining the work of the council’s Investments and Projects Team within the Economic Development… [Read More]
EU and Kenya Unveil Kenya Cyber Resilience Project to Boost Cybersecurity and Digital Trust
The Kenya Cyber Resilience (KCR) project, funded by the European Union with KES 454 million (EUR 3 million) over a 36-month period, aims to strengthen Kenya’s national cybersecurity ecosystem and ensure a secure, resilient and trusted digital environment for citizens, public institutions and businesses. The initiative supports Kenya’s growing digital economy by reinforcing the foundations… [Read More]
Advancing Pacific Trade: EU-Fiji Global Sourcing Workshop Focuses on Fisheries Growth
The Fiji Government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, hosted a Global Sourcing Workshop in Suva, facilitated by the European Union (EU). The event was designed to assist Pacific Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) Parties and industry stakeholders in leveraging the Global Sourcing provision under the EU-Pacific IEPA. Held alongside the 11th… [Read More]
Violence Against Children Remains a Critical Concern in Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean, violence continues to pose a serious threat to the lives, health, and well-being of children, adolescents, and young people, according to a new joint report by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and UNICEF. The report highlights that between 2015 and 2022, over 53,000 children and adolescents were victims… [Read More]
Southern Africa Floods: 1.3 Million People Affected Amidst Severe Weather Crisis
Intense rainfall and severe flooding since mid-December 2025 have affected approximately 1.3 million people across southern Africa, causing widespread destruction of homes and critical infrastructure and disrupting access to health services. The floods have heightened the risk of water- and mosquito-borne diseases, with Mozambique accounting for about half of those affected. Other impacted countries include… [Read More]
Madagascar Strengthens Leprosy Fight Through Early Detection
In Madagascar, leprosy continues to pose a significant public health challenge, with between 1,500 and 2,000 new cases reported annually. The disease is endemic in 37 remote districts across 16 of the country’s 24 regions. In 2024, 1,713 new cases were recorded, and nearly 350 people—about 20 percent of all cases—live with permanent disabilities caused… [Read More]
