Blog archives
-
Mali’s new mining law: an improvement, but fails artisanal miners
8 October 2019Mali’s long-awaited mining reforms are here. A mix of progressive and outdated measures, the code must pass parliamentary review before entering into law. We assess the significance of three aspects of the legislation
-
Real climate ambition means switching to 'business unusual'
4 October 2019Leadership at the UN Climate Action Summit came from least developed countries and grassroots communities. Clare Shakya argues that supporting their efforts requires a shift away from business-as-usual
-
Transparent climate reporting in Malawi: what’s needed, what’s next?
3 October 2019The Paris Agreement’s transparency guidelines allow least developed countries extra time and support to meet new climate reporting criteria, but meet it they must. Yamikani Idriss describes Malawi’s progress to date and support still needed
-
Madagascar needs agroforestry businesses in its response to climate change
27 September 2019Madagascar’s forests are under increasing pressure from agricultural expansion, in an increasingly erratic climate. Agroforestry could be a key part of a response
-
Time to team up with nature to adapt to climate change
26 September 2019As global leaders embrace natural climate solutions at the UN Climate Summit in New York, IIED’s research shows how to tap the potential of nature-based solutions in tackling the impacts of climate change
-
Supporting adaptation through local-level climate finance: lessons from Kenya
24 September 2019Kenya’s transformational County Climate Change Fund (CCCF) mechanism demonstrates how to get climate funds to the local level and involve the people who are most vulnerable to the hazards of a changing climate in deciding how to spend them
-
Bearing the climate burden – Bangladesh families are paying too much
20 September 2019A new report by IIED reveals how much rural households in Bangladesh are spending on repairing the damage caused by climate change. Governments and international funders need to do more to support local priorities
-
Want to save the planet? Put the poorest in the driver's seat
11 September 2019Fundamental reform of how climate finance is distributed is needed in order to help meet the Paris Agreement’s targets and make sure money reaches the people who need it most
-
Rebalancing power in the Kenya-UK green bean value chain
9 September 2019Farmers and workers often struggle to influence decision-making and trading patterns within global value chains. A recent IIED webinar discussed an initiative to overcome hurdles for farmers and workers to secure a stronger voice and influence trading arrangements within the Kenya-UK green bean value chain
-
An indivisible whole: negotiating the fate of the ocean
5 September 2019Critical differences of opinion over how, or even whether, the high seas should be subject to a governance regime led to sluggish progress at times at international negotiations in New York recently. Essam Yassin Mohammed spells out how he thinks things need to change
-
Bright spots of success: local adaptation brings answers to the global climate crisis
2 September 2019From a smallholder farming community in south-central Ethiopia come inspiring stories of adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change
-
Mozambique case study shows that poverty is about much more than income
29 August 2019Poverty is often defined by assessing income. But guest bloggers Sam Jones and Inge Tvedten say that using a wider lens can help to understand the social and political mechanisms that help to create and reproduce poverty
-
Beyond maize: exploring agricultural diversification in Zambia
22 August 2019Zambia's food system is widely seen as not working. A new report looks at how to increase crop diversity, support better nutrition and support resilience at local and national level
-
New rules for governing high seas must be fair for everyone
20 August 2019As the third session of BBNJ negotiations starts in New York, Essam Yassin Mohammed makes the case for a global ocean treaty that is fair and equitable for everyone
-
Climate justice and the IPCC special report on land
13 August 2019The IPCC’s new report detailing how climate change is impacting land is a significant warning for climate justice, writes IIED director Andrew Norton
-
For street vendors, finding water and toilets isn’t just a nuisance, it’s cutting into earnings
12 August 2019Guest blogger Carlin Carr argues that providing street vendors access to safe, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene resources benefits not just sellers but the wider community
-
The two faces of Bandung’s street food: recreation and reliance
7 August 2019A new report highlights the central role that street food plays in the food security of low-income workers
-
Tackling widespread hunger in cities means listening to the urban poor
5 August 2019As urban food insecurity attracts growing interest in policy debates, Cecilia Tacoli makes the case for ensuring that the views of poor urban residents both inform and shape solutions.
-
The rise of Nairobi’s concrete tenement jungle
31 July 2019Guest blogger Baraka Mwau describes how the transition to ‘low-cost’ rental housing in Nairobi is unfolding
-
Taking stock: how the LDCs became masters in climate activism and optimism
29 July 2019As Achala Abeysinghe moves on to a new role at the Global Green Growth Institute, she reflects on her time at IIED and shares how – as legal, technical and strategic adviser to the Least Developed Countries – she has seen this dynamic group turn climate diplomacy on its head
-
Biodiversity loss – more than an environmental emergency
25 July 2019The development community has a blind spot for biodiversity and its connection to social issues, says IIED’s Dilys Roe in an opinion piece published by The Lancet Planetary Health
-
Science with citizens, or science for citizens?
23 July 2019Alejandro Guarín says citizen science is a great way to crowdsource knowledge, but involving citizens in research can also be a powerful tool for social change
-
Twitter, visas and communication strategies
4 July 2019Rosalind Goodrich says the challenges of getting UK visas for visitors attending IIED's Communications Learning Week struck a cord with Twitter users – and helped inform the workshop discussions on communication strategies
-
London Climate Week: is the world ready with its emergency response?
3 July 2019A London Climate Action Week debate saw progressive voices share how they’re showing leadership in tackling the climate emergency – and call on the rest of the world to match their ambition
-
Why procurement should be the "next frontier" in transparency for mining
1 July 2019Mine sites often spend more on obtaining goods and services – hundreds of millions of dollars a year – than anything else. Jeff Geipel says this procurement needs better data and transparency, but it has the potential to become a lever for economic and social development.