The IIED blog
-
Engaging for change – refreshing our strategy for the next two years
9 August 2017IIED's new strategy update will sharpen our focus on how we tackle the challenges of climate action, global social justice and sustainable development over the next two years
-
How a new ECOWAS directive could change the way dams are built and managed in West Africa
8 August 2017Is there such a thing as a good dam-building project? Jérôme Koundouno shares his view on why he thinks a ground-breaking new policy directive could achieve its goal – where large dams power national development while respecting the environment and bringing benefits to all
-
Moving a step closer to protecting the high seas
2 August 2017The world is nearing an agreement to manage the half of the planet's surface area that is currently ungoverned. Essam Yassin Mohammed examines the battle for our ocean
-
Protecting Cameroon's forests: a fishy business?
28 July 2017Projects that invest in more efficient fish smoking businesses are improving livelihoods and conserving mangrove forests on Cameroon's coastline. Valuable lessons in forest protection can be taken from the coast, deep into the country's rainforests.
-
Shaking the money pot to protect nature
25 July 2017Nature gives us a lot: water, timber, minerals, biodiversity, food, clean air… But the perception that natural capital is endless and free leads to overuse and under-investment – and we constantly hear that there's not enough money to invest in the environment. The 22nd Poverty Environment Partnership conference asked how we can shake the piggy bank to give something back to nature
-
Evaluations, reviews and assessments are key to embedding the SDGs
19 July 2017How can we embed the Sustainable Development Goals into development processes to reach the tipping point that we desperately need for dealing with the big challenges of our time? This blog by Stefano D'Errico follows up a joint UNICEF/EVALSDGs webinar in New York
-
Investing in natural capital to deliver the SDGs and reduce poverty
17 July 2017With the meeting of the UN High-level Political Forum on sustainable development under way, Paul Steele discusses how natural capital can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and lift the poorest out of poverty
-
The G20 – on climate change, better than we feared but short of what we need
10 July 2017Efforts in Hamburg to rally 19 countries to the Paris Agreement were successful, but deeper ambition feels further away
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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.