Climate change is affecting the world’s poorest countries in numerous ways. As well as the first to be affected, the poorest are also hit hardest as they are less equipped to cope with the effects. In these blogs we’ll be looking at the impact of climate change in the developing world and what DFID is doing to help poor countries adapt.
Last Sunday, I met up with Elizabeth Mukwimba, a 62-year old lady from Magu district in north west Tanzania. This was Elizabeth’s first time to Dar es Salaam. We talked for about an hour and, as we said goodbye, she …
I’ve just passed a major milestone: my one year anniversary of arriving in Tanzania. Today also sees the launch of the amazing Project Everyone. If you’re a development person, you’ll know that the UN is about to agree a new set …
World Water Day often carries a simple message, and this year is no different. The message “humanity needs water” is clear but in its simplicity hides the complexity and urgency of what needs to be done to ensure a water …
Of all the things that have gone viral this year, there is 1 in particular that stood out for me. A Swedish professor, Hans Rosling, produced a survey that tests our assumptions about the progress of the developing world. It …
Climate change has already created many issues for communities around the world, perhaps no more so than in Pakistan. Productivity of crops is at risk of decline due to increasing land desertification, increasing temperatures and loss of soil fertility. This …
In Nepal, it’s not unusual for there to be 16-hour electricity blackouts in the dry season. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) simply cannot meet rising demand. Sadly, no power has been added to the national grid for the past 2 …
The world is definitely changing. The song "Gangnam Style", made in Korea and sung in Korean, has gone to number 1 in the UK, number 2 in the US, and has broken the record for being the "most viewed" video …
Blogging by candlelight seems like a contradiction in terms. But in the city of Kananga – the most Bond villain-sounding of a strong field of Congolese place names – it’s candlelight or nothing. Kananga is a “ville noire” – which …
Economists have a reputation for being sceptical. So much so that there is a book called the Skeptical Economist, and a new book referring to economics as the dismal science. This has a lot to do with our teaching. For …
Last week, there was a great quotation doing the rounds on Twitter, Pinterest and other social media from the Mayor of Bogota in Colombia. The quotation was "A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's …
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