The IIED blog
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GCF funding boosts ecosystem-based adaptation in The Gambia
22 June 2017Finance from the Green Climate Fund is helping The Gambia build resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods – and adapt to climate change
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Building our shared learning on climate action in Kampala
20 June 2017At the upcoming community-based adaptation conference in Kampala, our vibrant and growing community of practice will reflect on today's geopolitics around climate and development, and consider how we can be more influential in driving action on adaptation and resilience in the post-Paris world
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Using legal tools to make agribusiness investments more accountable
19 June 2017A range of tools and approaches can support rural communities to exercise their rights and give them greater control over agribusiness deals that could affect their future, as a recent IIED webinar explored
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US Paris withdrawal: where now for climate action?
14 June 2017President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement elicited a collective sigh of despair from the environmental community. But his action creates opportunities as well as challenges
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Striving for the highest standards in research ethics
14 June 2017Our new research ethics policy provides a practical framework for putting IIED's high ethical principles into practice
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Who can we trust to measure urban poverty?
13 June 2017International definitions of the poverty line don't take into the account the additional costs of living in cities. Sarah Colenbrander says the urban poor can help institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank develop accurate, local, definitions of urban poverty
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Making ecosystems resilient through Bangladesh's Delta Plan
12 June 2017Ahead of CBA11 this month, a government policy planner in Bangladesh makes the case for integrating ecosystems-based adaptation in the country's main long-term geospatial plan
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Restorative insights at the pool in Kigali
8 June 2017A recent meeting in Rwanda concluded that enabling investment in business capacity development is vital to get small-scale forest entrepreneurs ready for 'asset investment' – and promote forest landscape restoration at scale
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Bloomberg and public health: did he get it right?
7 June 2017While welcoming the support from Michael Bloomberg for a new city-focused global public health initiative, David Satterthwaite and Sarah Colenbrander raise concerns about what is not included
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Insuring against climate risk in Kenya
6 June 2017Vincent Mutie Nzau from the National Treasury of Kenya highlights how innovative approaches to disaster risk finance can help communities manage climate uncertainty
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Promoting diversity on the farm – and the plate
5 June 2017As a recent meeting in Lusaka showed, Food Change Labs offer an innovative path towards greater diversity on the farm and on the plate in Zambia
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Spinach soup, gorillas and cow dung baskets – what's the connection?
22 May 2017Tourism generates crucial revenue that helps conserve mountain gorillas and other species in Uganda. We're working to share the financial benefits with local people too, and help them develop better tourism products and services
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Coping with forced displacement: lessons from cities
11 May 2017People forced to leave their homes are often displaced for many years, and most end up in urban areas. So how can host cities become more resilient while managing such crises? A meeting last week shared learning from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, reports Diane Archer
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Reducing risks in urban centres: think 'local, local, local'
8 May 2017Urban centres can be among the world's most healthy places to live and work – but many are among the least. How healthy they are is powerfully influenced by local government competence, local information, and support for local action
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Sustainable cities: the nexus between resilience and resource efficiency
5 May 2017A new report explores how cities can increase their resilience and resource efficiency – but highlights possible tensions between these two environmental agendas
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Marching into May talks: LDCs lead the way on climate change
4 May 2017The world's poorest countries champion long-term, emissions-neutral development strategies, and several are leading by example. Ahead of the UN climate talks, the LDC Group chair reflects on recent marches
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Sustainable development in the UK – an issue for party manifestos?
3 May 2017A cross-party report finds the UK government is falling behind on its commitment to sustainability but the election provides an opportunity for all parties to show the way forward.
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LDC women in world climate talks: building a cohort of champions
2 May 2017The Least Developed Countries Group will be at the table when next week's UN climate conference plans how to step up its 'gender agenda'.
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Addressing the needs of vulnerable groups in urban areas
26 April 2017For the billion urban dwellers living in informal settlements, there are many risks – for instance, from contaminated water, to accidental fires, to flooding. Those who are more susceptible to these or less able to cope are termed vulnerable. But they are not vulnerable if the risks are removed. We need to focus more on removing the risks and less on endless lists of 'vulnerable groups', argues David Satterthwaite
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Field visits to highlight community-based adaptation in Uganda
25 April 2017Participants at CBA11 will have chance to see first-hand how communities in Uganda are adapting to the impacts of climate change. David Nkwanga highlights some of the types of schemes that will be on show
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How does IIED seek to make a difference?
24 April 2017IIED director Andrew Norton reflects on how the organisation delivers its mission, drawing on the findings of an independent external review
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Creating a conversation online
20 April 2017IIED recently hosted our first Twitter chat. Matt Wright reflects on getting the most out of targeted online discussions
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Urban risks: where are the top five biggest blind spots?
18 April 2017Whose lives are most at risk in urban areas of the global South – for instance from preventable diseases and disasters? And what are the most serious risks they face?
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Notes from the field – Dlonguebougou, Mali
11 April 2017Returning to the village in Mali she first studied 35 years ago, senior fellow Camilla Toulmin finds three changes remarkable
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A Chinese passion: adding value to Mozambique's timber exports
10 April 2017Mozambique wants to encourage a timber industry that creates jobs and adds value: Duncan Macqueen visited one Chinese company keen to do just that and saw how an IIED-led project is providing support