Roads work
Last week, because of the weather, you may have had to walk to work. But when you get into your car most mornings you probably don't think twice about the journey ahead. Roads are built and maintained in the UK …
Afghanistan's children
I have just returned from a break at home with my family. I find being away from them one of the hardest challenges of living here. When I do see them it’s often difficult to fully explain life in Afghanistan. …
Chronic irrigation in Afghanistan
I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have seen a river in Afghanistan. The streets in Kabul are dusty and most of the year it doesn’t look like the city has seen a drop of …
Tales from two cities
Two events in the last few weeks have focused my attention on the challenges that climate change poses in urban areas, and how DFID can contribute to finding solutions. First I paid a visit to Beddington Zero (fossil) Energy Development, …
Malaria: breaking the cycle
It has been quite a while since my last blog. My excuse is that I was acting as head of DFID Mozambique for a couple of months. However Keith Mackiggan, the head of office is back, so no more excuses …
From the Caribbean to Rwanda: could there be linkages?
I arrived in Kigali at the end of August, to begin my first experience of working here in Africa. I have looked forward to this for many years. And I know I am especially fortunate to come to Rwanda and Burundi …
Blog Action Day | The ‘Naija’ road to Copenhagen
Awareness on climate change and the need for long term adaptation has been relatively slow to develop in Nigeria - 'Naija' in local slang - and with understandable reason. Some developing countries have never had major industrialisation or modern infrastructure, so the debate …
Food shopping in Harare includes dried caterpillars by the sackful
On Saturday morning, I was pleased to leave behind the office buildings where I’d spent the week, as I drove out to visit the biggest outdoor market in Harare in the downtown high-density suburb called Mbare. Here were row after …
Despatch from Paoua
As I flew in to the north west of the country today, the plane banked sharply and circled as it came in to land. On the ground, on the bumpy, dusty bit of cleared bush that acts as a runway, …
Going downtown in Basra
I’ve been downtown twice in the last couple of weeks now, so I thought it might be interesting to set down some impressions of the city (as well as some photographs). Now that security has improved, we’re out and about …
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