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 …
The World Bank has instituted a new fund that promises to relieve the poorest farmers and rural communities in developing countries of their financial worries. The Biocarbon Fund will invest in their forestry and agroforestry projects in exchange for credits for carbon dioxide (co2) stored in plants and soil. These …
Keeping tabs: A stiff dose of preventives is set to find its way into the European Union's (EU) prescription for curbing the illegal trade of low-cost antiretroviral drugs. The proposal comes in the face of the recent revelation that shipments of cheaper AIDS drugs intended for Africa were intercepted, flown …
an ambitious international project to promote washing hands with soap in Kerala has evoked a sharp response from the hygiene conscious people of the state. Recent media reports suggest that the
a series of anti-globalisation protests in Washington D C against the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (imf) were unable to recreate the spark of the earlier years. The meeting which took place from September 25-29, 2002 failed to even produce the expected number of …
The World Bank (wb) has cleared the construction of a 1,045-kilometre oil pipeline from Chad in central Africa to Cameroon's Atlantic coast. The move flies in the face of environmental concerns raised by experts. The us $3.7 billion project includes the development of 300 oil wells in the Doba Basin …
Excessive farm power subsidies have sent fiscal deficits soaring in most states of India, says a new World Bank study. A glaring example of this largesse leaving states impoverished is Madhya Pradesh (mp). The state doled out a whopping Rs 3,250 crore as power subsidy in 2000-2001. As against this, …
In India, there is an inextricable link between water and politics. This was very much in evidence recently when the opposition walked out in the Karnataka assembly over the proposed privatisation of Bangalore’s water supply system. Water tariff had earlier been hiked steeply in the city to pave the way …
a recent report has blamed the International Monetary Fund (imf) and World Bank for putting pressure on Malawi, a southern African nation, to sell 28,000 metric tonnes (mt) of maize to Kenya, resulting in widespread famine in the country. The report has been released by uk-based Jubilee Research Foundation, which …
Over a year ago, Anil Agarwal wrote in this column that science is a political orphan. He was discussing how even as we remain bombastic about our prowess in science, there is so little science in those areas which affect our daily lives. Indeed, there is little to show that …
the World Bank has cleared us $108.2 million credit for Andhra Pradesh's community forest management programme. The move has created an uproar in the state with non-governmental organisations (ngos) alleging that negotiations for the loan have not been transparent. In fact they have slammed the state government's move to rename …
After 20 years If the bombs didn't kill, the land will. Afghanistan's natural resources are all but dead survival is an impossible dream in Afghanistan. Last December, as Afghans looked up to the deceptively beautiful sky for rain, bombs rained from endless streams of b-52 bombers
We are not starting from scratch. Our institutions have been substantially weakened. But they still exist,' says Hedayat Amin-Arsala, minister of finance of Afghanistan Interim Authority. Hidayat's statement has more meaning now when the interim government is struggling hard to convene the Loya Jirga and to chart out his country's …
life ravaged by war and drought has one hope: resilience of a people. "A good monsoon and a bit of peace will bring Afghan's life to normal,' says J Gabriel Campbell of icimod. Take Kohistan district of Kapisa province for example. Just after usa bombarded and damaged water channels in …
the Allahabad High Court recently admitted a petition filed by the Wildlife Trust of India (wti) against a US $286 million World Bank project for draining of Etawah and Mainpuri wetlands in Uttar Pradesh (up). The project was aimed at converting these wetlands, having the largest concentration of Sarus cranes …
tapping renewable energy seems to be in the blood of the residents of Auroville, the little township located on the outskirts of Pondicherry. Beginning with solar energy to power their houses way back in 1970's, the community is today exporting energy efficient equipment like PV pumps, wind turbines and biogas …
Unmasking the dragon Two and three wheeler population is exploding in Asia. The health implications are scary: they emit dangerous pollutants that have gone unnoticed till now ASIANS are riding high on dragons that they cannot get off. The dragons are small but far too many. Consider this: About 85 …
a recent World Bank (WB) study has estimated that environmental damage costs the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government Rs 3,259 crore per annum on human health. This is four per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP). The impact of industrial and agricultural pollution on water quality works out to …
it is a paradox of sorts. Even as the Orissa farmers reel under recurring spells of droughts and floods, the state government has decided to raise the water tax for irrigation. The raised tax, to be imposed from the next kharif season, is substantial. The farmers will now have to …
