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 …
First released in 2005, REN21's Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) provides a comprehensive and timely overview of renewable energy market, industry, investment and policy developments worldwide. It enables policymakers, industry, investors and civil society to make informed decisions. The report covers recent developments, current status, and key trends; by design, …
This working paper examines the implications of doubling aquaculture production between now and 2050, and offers recommendations to ensure that aquaculture growth contributes to a sustainable food future. Fish—including finfish and shellfish—are an important item in the human food basket, contributing 17 percent of the global animal-based protein supply in …
Children today are sicker than they were a generation ago. The past few decades have seen a rapid rise in the consumption of synthetic pesticides. The world now uses about 2.3 million tonnes of pesticides every year, which is 50 times more than in 1950. The widespread use of pesticides …
Biochar is the carbon-rich organic matter that remains after heating biomass under minimization of oxygen during a process called pyrolysis. Biochar is relevant to deforestation, agricultural resilience, and energy production, particularly in developing countries. Biochar Systems for Smallholders in Developing Countries: Leveraging Current Knowledge and Exploring Future Potential for Climate-Smart …
This new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers analyses the scale of current infrastructure investment and also assesses the prospects for future investment from now to 2025 across 49 of the world’s largest economies including India. Says that India will add another 500 million to its urban population over the next four decades …
The multilateral climate funds (MCFs) are one example of how climate finance is being deployed to mobilise private investment. Many of these funds have an explicit goal of engaging the private sector, in part by attracting private finance to MCF investments. Although these funds do not currently provide information on …
Wave energy conversion and ocean thermal energy conversion are two potentially significant sources of renewable energy that are available to help ADB's developing member countries reduce their dependence on fossil-fuel based energy generation and bolster energy security. This report summarizes wave energy conversion and ocean thermal energy conversion information that …
This report shows how a substantial number of developing countries, home to most of the world’s tropical forests, have reduced deforestation and thus their emissions of the global warming pollution that threatens the world with dangerous climate change.
Waste-heat recovery involves capturing the excess heat of an industrial process and using it to generate electric power. The technology can be used in a number of heavy industries, including steel and chemicals, but has not been applied extensively outside of China despite its potential to increase energy efficiency and …
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Jumped 27.5% for Adults, 47.1% for Kids From 1980 to 2013 The obesity epidemic is global: 2.1 billion people, or about 29% of the world's population, were either overweight or obese in 2013, and nearly two out of three of the obese live in developing …
In 2010, overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3·4 million deaths, 3·9% of years of life lost, and 3·8% of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) worldwide. The rise in obesity has led to widespread calls for regular monitoring of changes in overweight and obesity prevalence in all populations. Comparable, up-to-date information …
Wastewater reuse is an important adaptation option for mitigating water stress in rapidly growing urban centres. But, wastewater reuse is easier said than done, particularly in developing countries. The task becomes even more challenging when one takes a basin-level perspective. We illustrate these challenges by studying the Vrishabhavathy River in …
Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace released the executive summary of the State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2014 report, now in its eighth year of publication. In a bid to reduce their impact on greenhouse gas emissions, corporate leaders like Chevrolet, Marks & Spencer, and Allianz continued to voluntarily purchase carbon …
Chinese Customs intercepted 221 instances of smuggling involving solid waste last year, a threefold increase from 2012, a senior anti-smuggling official from the General Administration of Customs said. Authorities confiscated 976,500 metric tons of illegal waste material last year, an increase of 150 percent from 2012. "Our intensified efforts and …
The world’s biggest funder of vaccines for developing countries wants to raise $7.5 billion for inoculations to save as many as 6 million lives over five years. The GAVI Alliance has raised more than $12 billion since its founding in 2000 from governments, charities and companies to help immunize 440 …
Climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. Global warming that has occurred since the 1970s caused over 140 000 excess deaths annually by the year 2004. According to a WHO report, the direct damage costs to health …
The recent finding that dengue fever has emerged in Houston, Texas—the first major United States city in modern times with autochthonous dengue—adds to previous evidence indicating that the Gulf Coast of the Southern US is under increasing threat from diseases thought previously to affect only developing countries.
Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai were the cheapest places for a weekend holiday while Sydney was the most expensive Despite high inflation, India is the cheapest major economy, according to a survey of global prices of products comparable across countries. According to a report by Germany's Deutsche Bank, a weaker rupee …
Having a decent job is widely recognised as the best way out of poverty. The private sector provides some 90 per cent of jobs in developing countries, and is thus an essential partner in the fight against poverty. It is also needed as an investor in sustainable agricultural production if …
Marites Gatan Balbas has won a Whitley award for her work involving local communities in the protection of the 'misunderstood' Philippine crocodile For Marites Gatan Balbas, saving the world's rarest crocodile has been as much about overcoming its image problem as more traditional conservation efforts. Traditional stories depicted the Philippine …
