The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a €3 million contribution from the European Union (EU) to support a regional initiative designed to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The initiative, launched in Nacala, Mozambique, will focus on Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe under the two-year project titled… [Read More]
Labor
Sharing Zero-Emission HGV Infrastructure: Accelerating Clean Transport Adoption
The transition to zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) presents both opportunities and challenges for the UK’s freight sector. Sharing charging and refuelling infrastructure has the potential to lower costs, increase resilience, and accelerate adoption. The UK Government’s flagship Zero-Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, supported by £200 million in investment, is exploring these issues… [Read More]
Mozambique Gender Statistics & Monitoring Workshop for Capacity Building
The workshop aims to strengthen Mozambique’s national gender monitoring and reporting framework through specialized technical sessions and capacity-building activities. It will provide training on key aspects of gender monitoring and reporting, enabling participants to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools to improve existing systems and practices. An important component of the workshop is the… [Read More]
ILO Launches New Project to Strengthen Worker Protections in Lao PDR
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a new project in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to strengthen worker protections against violence, discrimination, and child labour, while supporting the country in meeting international labour standards. The initiative, titled “Promoting Trade in Lao PDR by eliminating Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, and Child Labour”, is funded by the… [Read More]
ILO and AFTECH Partner to Expand Financial Access for Dairy Farmers with Digital Innovation
Indonesia’s dairy sector is witnessing increasing opportunities for investment, fueled by rising domestic demand and government initiatives such as the Free Nutritious Meals Program. However, local production currently supplies less than a quarter of national consumption, largely from smallholder farmers, highlighting the need for greater financing to expand herds, modernize farms, and strengthen supply chains…. [Read More]
Namibia Adopts ICT Initiative for Remote Monitoring of Development Projects
Namibia has officially joined 37 other African countries in adopting advanced technology for development project management through the launch of the Remote Appraisal, Supervision, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RASME) project. The initiative was unveiled in Windhoek by senior government officials in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The RASME platform represents a transformative shift in… [Read More]
Shivalik Small Finance Bank Secures INR 100 Crore Equity Funding Led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, Japan
Shivalik Small Finance Bank, India’s first bank to transition from an urban cooperative bank, has successfully raised INR 100 crore in equity capital. The funding round was led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), with participation from existing investors including Accel, Quona Capital, Lightspeed, and… [Read More]
Katherine Town Council Wins $1.6M Funding for New Regional Sports & Community Precinct
Katherine Town Council has secured $1,607,918 through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program to design a multi-purpose regional sports, recreation, and community precinct linking the Katherine Aquatic Centre with surrounding sporting facilities. The Council will lead the project in partnership with the Northern Territory Government, Katherine-based NGOs, Indigenous organisations, and local sporting and community groups… [Read More]
WHO Trains 49,000 Health Workers for Pakistan’s First HPV Vaccination Campaign Targeting 13 Million Girls
Pakistan, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), is preparing to launch its first-ever human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign from 15 to 27 September, marking a historic milestone in the fight against cervical cancer. The initiative will target 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 years in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Pakistan-administered… [Read More]
Ugandan Plant Breeders Drive Crop Innovation with New Grant-Based Model
Uganda faces an urgent need to accelerate agricultural innovation to boost productivity and support agro-industrial exports. With a rapidly growing population and lagging agricultural output, the country faces mounting challenges to food security, nutrition, and income, compounded by climate change. Strengthening the breeding of resilient and market-adapted crop varieties is seen as a key solution,… [Read More]
Breeding Networks Driving Better Crop Varieties in East Africa
Collaboration networks are essential to advancing agricultural research, especially in crop breeding, where partnerships between researchers, private companies, and public institutions generate innovation. At the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), this collaborative approach is strengthened through partnerships with CGIAR and national institutes across East Africa. By pooling resources, expertise, and market knowledge, these… [Read More]
High-Level Policy Dialogue Explores Strategies to Harness Africa’s Economic Potential
Africa–Japan economic relations are growing, offering significant potential for stronger, mutually beneficial partnerships. By working together, both regions can leverage complementary strengths to boost trade, investment, and sustainable development. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Japan’s Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) are positioned to play a key role in this process. Through their financial resources, technical expertise,… [Read More]
African Development Bank Boosts Africa’s Data Transformation with SDMX and Open Data Platform 2.0 Training
The African Development Bank’s Statistics Department, in partnership with the African Union Institute of Statistics (STATAFRIC), the Africa Centre for Statistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and other international organizations, hosted a regional workshop on Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) and the Bank’s Open Data Platform 2.0 (ODP 2.0). Held… [Read More]
Kyrgyzstan Equips Law Enforcement with New Data Tool to Combat Wildlife Smuggling
Kyrgyzstan has taken a major step in protecting its biodiversity by developing a new electronic database to help government agencies detect and prevent wildlife smuggling. Supported by TRAFFIC Central Asia, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Fauna & Flora, the initiative is designed to enhance law enforcement’s… [Read More]
Canada Strengthens Wildfire Preparedness with Strategic Knowledge Investments
Canada is experiencing an intense wildfire season, with communities across the country facing growing risks and impacts. In response, the Government of Canada is investing in wildfire resilience, prevention, mitigation, and recovery through advances in knowledge, science, and innovation. Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced $45.7 million in… [Read More]
Stop Disasters: How This Game Teaches Real-Life Disaster Prevention Skills
The UNDRR’s Stop Disasters online game immerses players in the role of a disaster risk manager, giving them the chance to make critical decisions under time and budget constraints. In just 10–20 minutes, players face real-world challenges such as planning evacuation routes, upgrading facilities, and preparing communities, all while balancing limited resources. The game is… [Read More]
Southern Albania Sees Job Growth Through Heritage Tourism Initiatives
Communities across Southern Albania, including Berat, Gjirokastra, Përmet, and Saranda, are experiencing significant economic growth thanks to investments supported by the World Bank. Publicly funded initiatives to preserve heritage sites and improve nearby infrastructure have attracted private sector investment, particularly from entrepreneurs in tourism and hospitality. These efforts have created thousands of new jobs, many… [Read More]
Kenyan Youth Drive Community Change Through Digital Innovation
Across Kenya, young innovators are turning local challenges into opportunities through digital solutions. From the bustling tech hubs in Nairobi to the Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) in rural areas, youth engaged through DigiKen’s network are proving that transformation can begin with bold ideas, digital tools, and community-driven action rather than massive infrastructure or outside intervention…. [Read More]
African Development Bank Launches First-Ever Mapping of Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations Across Africa
The African Development Bank has released the results of a pioneering study mapping women entrepreneurs’ associations in sixteen African countries, uncovering significant capacity gaps that limit their economic influence. The study, launched on 6 August in Nouakchott, found that although nearly one in four African women is an entrepreneur, 87 percent of associations lack financial… [Read More]
Africa’s Financial Sector Endorses New Continental Sustainable Finance Taxonomy
Africa’s financial sector has taken a major step toward aligning with global climate and sustainability goals with the validation of a continent-wide Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. Endorsed by regulators, commercial banks, insurance firms, and development finance institutions, the framework was formally validated in Nairobi on July 16–17. Developed through the African Development Bank’s African Financial Alliance… [Read More]
Fly Me to the Moon: Exploring Humanity’s Next Space Frontier
In Asia and the Pacific, over 700 million young people represent the region’s greatest potential for human development. Their creativity, energy, and innovation have the power to reshape economies, cultures, and communities. However, many face barriers such as limited access to finance, gender discrimination, and knowledge gaps, which restrict how far they can advance. UNDP’s… [Read More]
How €300 Million in Research Funding Descended Into Chaos
The Greek government’s flagship plan to channel €300 million from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility into public universities has unraveled into delays, questionable evaluations, and looming legal disputes. Originally intended to strengthen research capacity—particularly for young scientists—the initiative has instead become one of the most mismanaged funding efforts in recent memory, with three separate… [Read More]
University of Limerick Researchers to Lead €4M Cross-Border Cybersecurity Initiative
The University of Limerick (UL) will lead a major €4 million research initiative, CyberUnite, to strengthen the cybersecurity of cross-border critical infrastructure. Co-led by Professor Donna O’Shea of UL’s School of Engineering and Dr. Kieran McLaughlin of Queen’s University Belfast’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies, the project marks the first time an Irish government agency… [Read More]
