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The stylish modelling of the Singapore City skyline may not be appropriate for cities in Africa and could deepen social inequalities (Edwin.11: Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Warning over race to reshape African cities as "urban fantasies"
… investment companies, architects and construction firms to seek new markets in Africa. The plans share a common vision of … they seek to reshape.  "Phrases such as 'smart city', 'eco-city' and 'sustainable' appear often in the plans, but it is commercial rather than … and Urbanization . " There is nothing smart nor sustainable about cities that ignore the needs of most of their citizens, including …
News, 13 January 2014
Sixty-two-year-old Elizabeth Mukwimba has a solar-powered lighting system. She no longer has to buy expensive kerosene and has been able to use the savings to re-roof her house (Photo: Russell Watkins/Department for International Development)
Electricity supplies in Tanzania: putting people first
… and sometimes fake energy products, including solar lighting and home power systems. Could the experts spot which of two solar panels was … Garside ( [email protected] ) is senior researcher in the Shaping Sustainable Markets research group . He is a specialist in information and …
Insight, 13 December 2016
A cook serves food to a group of children
Q&A: Encouraging the availability of healthy and diverse foods for students
… are discussing balanced nutrition – how we can serve healthy food at home so that our families can be healthy. I teach mothers how to use … a saying: “My child, your child, our child”. We must not only care about our own family. We also need to think about our community. Why? … too. But if you don’t start from the grassroots then it will not be sustainable. My hope is that the government will also promote healthy …
Article, 29 October 2019
Costa Rica has adapted its systems of payments for ecosystem services over the past two decades
Payments for ecosystem services: Costa Rica’s recipe
… Over two decades PES has become known as the main ingredient in a home-grown recipe for forest conservation. But PES is often 'in the pot' … change in the Forest Law (examples here and here ). This debate, about whether PES in Costa Rica reflects a ‘neo-liberal’ conservation … which favours larger over smaller forest owners. has abandoned group contracts in favour of individual contracts is increasingly …
Insight, 29 November 2013
A church under construction sits on a verdant green field with dark grey storm clouds behind.
Rio+20: Key recommendations from IIED conference
… transforming economic systems for people and planet, and shaping sustainable development goals (see list of speakers and other … not only a way to go, it is the only way to go. Green economy is not about limiting growth - it is about enabling growth.” Achim Steiner, … of those of us who work on these issues: we elect politicians, shape markets, and choose leaders who get away with the kinds of policies we …
News, 20 June 2012
A man stands on a cut down tree amid a landscape of timber
China’s investments, Africa’s forests: from raw deals to mutual gains?
… project ever. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)  easily beats the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement in terms of money … illicit timber trading; and rising environmental costs. Kribi is home to one of China’s biggest global port investment projects, as well … beneficial sustainable land use. It is equally important that Chinese markets are pushed and pulled towards commitments to sustainability and …
Insight, 19 June 2019
The Deccan Development society works with poor women in Andhra Pradesh, India. It facilitates a network of women seedkeepers who conserve and exchange seeds (Photo: Deccan Development Society)
IIED's best of 2016: blogs
… Why women's empowerment is essential for sustainable development February: Our most-read blog of 2016 put forward … examined how to strengthen women's participation in decision-making about land rights . The seminar highlighted the efforts of the Tanzania … we be at one of those moments in history when the rules by which markets work are reshaped by public will? We certainly need to be …
Article, 28 December 2016
A man buying fresh fruit at a market stall.
How COVID-19 is impacting and changing East Africa’s agri-food systems
… future livelihoods and wider food security. Due to temporary stay-at-home orders, street food vendors in Kampala (most of whom are women) … on high-value exports will likely lose income by pivoting to local markets. However, processors could benefit from shifts in consumer … IIED and its partners as part of an IKEA Foundation-funded project on sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.  …
Article, 07 August 2020
Solar-powered irrigated water pumps such as this one in Bangladesh can help villagers cope with unreliable rainfall patterns (Photo: Neha Rai/IIED)
Climate finance must reach poor families
… The existing debate about climate finance tends to start from the wrong end. Most of the … the costs of putting the pieces of your life back together after your home has been flooded, or the costs of relocating your family to … Local governments can manage the risk of conflict and encourage sustainable use, as illustrated by the work done by commune governments …
Insight, 16 February 2015
Clearing forest for a palm oil plantation in Borneo (Photo: Rainforest Action Network, Creative Commons via Flickr)
Commodity cycles, economic treaties and pressures on land rights
… are changing, for three reasons. 1 ‘Land grabbing’ starts at home Recent research from SOAS reminds us that endemic land conflict in … changing social differentiation, the emergence of unregulated land markets, and the erosion of traditional tenure systems .  These more … by IIED , Tufts University (PDF)  and the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment have highlighted how international investment …
Insight, 25 May 2016