The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
Toward Resilience: A Guide to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation is an introductory resource for staff of development and humanitarian organizations working with people whose lives and rights are threatened by disasters and climate change. It is aimed at program management, advisory and technical staff of development and …
This report provides an overview of Nepal’s initiatives on readiness for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), the political and socioeconomic context in which they are taking place, and their implications for conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. It examines …
Even as many states, including Punjab, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, rejected a key provision, an over-arching framework on water laws, in the draft National Water Policy, 2012, the Centre today adopted the document with an assurance to uphold the states’ Constitutional rights over water management and a promise …
There is a core concept of good governance, the combination of authority and responsibility to pursue the common good, that has remained stable over millennia. Building on this concept the paper develops several indices of the quality of governance and applies these indices to rank major states in India. The …
Recent reform programmes for achieving "slum-free" cities, like the Basic Services for the Urban Poor, signal a new integrated approach to slum redevelopment that combines housing, infrastructure and land titling. The new policy paradigm speaks the language of inclusiveness and efficiency, but its outcome has been far from ideal. This …
Jammu and Kashmir has been able to progress gradually in improving the Panchayat Acts, starting from electing the panchayat members by show of hands to direct elections by the people and empowering elected members by means of defining certain powers. However, their functioning in practice demonstrates the glaring deficiencies in …
The LSE Cities/ICLEI survey on Cities and the Green Economy provides an up-to-date overview on the experiences of cities around the world in the transition to the green economy. The survey was conducted in the run-up to Rio+20 in order to increase awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of cities …
A new report ‘Future Proofing Cities’ has been published by Atkins in a unique partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID) and University College London (UCL). This report assesses the risks to cities from climate hazards, resource scarcities, and damage to ecosystems and how they can act now to …
This new report released at CoP18 in Doha captures snapshot of NAMA development activities around the world and brings insights into the key topics of finance, capacity development and measurement, reporting and verification. In this synthesis report, Ecofys, the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), the Centre for Clean …
New Delhi and Mumbai are amongst the cities that are most prone to multiple environmental risks warns this new analysis by Atkins. Covering 129 cities, it assesses the risks to cities from climate hazards and resource scarcities and how they can act now to future proof themselves. A report ‘Future …
This paper addresses several broad issues for governments aiming to encourage private sector investment in low-carbon climate resilient (LCR) infrastructure, in both developed and developing world contexts. LCR infrastructure is defined, recognizing the interdependencies between infrastructure systems, and the opportunities to tackle climate change adaptation and mitigation simultaneously in national …
Climate change governance is an increasingly important issue as more organizations are becoming mature in their climate change strategies. While best practices in some areas have emerged, there is little consensus on the most effective way to govern climate change within an organization. This report examines data publicly reported to …
Policy briefs containing succinct critique of issues and sound advice to the government and civil society on a range of issues pertaining to sustainable development have been a key feature of SDPI‘s contribution to policy debate and development. The issues addressed include, but are not limited to the issues of …
The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh will strive to take up gender sensitisation beyond governance mechanisms and make it a people’s movement. Shri Chouhan also pronounced his resolve to make gender perspective an integral component of governance saying that performance of development programmes will be …
The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan held detailed discussions with the World Bank’s top officials at Washington DC on the first day of his visit on October 1 and sought cooperation for the ambitious development projects in various sectors. He was welcomed by Mr. Akihiko Nishio Acting Vice President …
Forest governance is identified as critical to the success of REDD+. Implementation of robust REDD+ strategy is possible through Community Based Forest Governance. Historically, forest governance in India established towards the middle of the 19th century was mainly engaged in exploration, demarcation, reservation, and exploitation of forests for timber. Globally, …
Despite the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defining 20 targets across 5 strategic goals, Target 11, which relates to protected areas, has received the most emphasis from donors, non-government organisations, and governments, as a performance standard for conservation in Melanesia. Protected area targets, however, may not be culturally or technically …
The 2012 Sri Lanka human development report examines the social and economic disparities across Sri Lanka’s geographic regions. It also highlights development differences amongst provinces and districts to the extent that data are available, focusing in particular on spatial disparities. It assesses the health, education, employment and governance sectors, and …
In the past decade an area of land eight times the size of the UK has been sold off globally as land sales rapidly accelerate. This land could feed a billion people, equivalent to the number of people who go to bed hungry each night. In poor countries, foreign investors …
