DevDispatch Recommends: August 2023 Publications
African Climate Week 2023 is on the horizon, building momentum ahead of COP28. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s August release recommended in this edition serves as a good precursor to prepare for one of the summit’s tracks on land, ocean, food and water. Our other recommendations are equally informative, getting you up to speed on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the world of work, supply chains in Africa, trade in services and the state of sovereign debt on the continent.
Enjoy it!
Generative AI and Jobs: A global analysis of potential effects on job quantity and quality
By the International labour Organization (ILO)
The August ILO offering feeds into the global debate surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI). The report delves into the exposure of occupations to generative AI, with a specific focus on Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs), examining potential implications of automation on job quantity and quality. The study estimates exposure scores at both the occupational and task levels, linking these scores to official ILO statistics to generate global employment estimates.
The report concludes that the impact of AI on job quality is likely to be more significant than the quantitative effects. This pertains not only to the creation of new jobs resulting from the technology but also to the potential repercussions on work intensity and autonomy, as technology becomes integrated into workplaces. Consequently, the report emphasises the importance of social dialogue and regulation to ensure the promotion of quality employment.
We recommend this report which is 55 pages long for researchers and policymakers studying the impact of AI on human resources and workspace design.
Wastewater - Turning Problem to Solution
By United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
10 years after the release of the report “Sick Water? The Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development – A Rapid Response Assessment” published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in 2010, UNEP revisits the subject in its latest publication. In this August edition, the 128 paged publication focuses on exploration of solutions to the challenges associated with achieving sustainable wastewater management and maximising its potential for resource recovery and reuse.
A significant finding of the report is that there is untapped potential of approximately 320 billion cubic metres (m3) per year for wastewater reuse, which is more than ten times the current global desalination capacity.
We recommend this publication to environmentalists looking to gain valuable insights on sustainable wastewater management and the opportunities presented by resource recovery and reuse.
Economic Development in Africa Report 2023
By the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Supply chains take centre stage in this year’s Economic Development Report, which unpacks pressures related to the current global supply chains and highlights policies necessary to capitalise on potential opportunities. Additionally, the report looks at creating a reliable African supplier marketplace for global supply chains.
The report also delves into technology-intensive supply chains and suggests ways of optimising supply chain opportunities in Africa through enablers and incentives. It concludes that supply chain diversification improves supply chain resilience, avoids supply chain disruption, increases demand flows and unlocks supply chain potential.
Buckle up for this lengthy but worthwhile read with 236 pages worth of relevant knowledge for economists, trade analysts and policymakers.
The African continental free trade area (AfCFTA) and trade in services: opportunities and strategies for Southern Africa
By the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
This publication turns audiences attention to the potential of the African services sector, reporting that over the past few years, the services sector’s contribution to GDP has increased from the 46.4% to 50.9% in sub-Saharan Africa,, and with a rapid growth witnessed in Africa’s middle class, the importance of the services sector is expected to continue increasing.
Some of the key findings of the 38 paged report indicate that service trade has the potential to boost economic growth in Southern Africa. However, the unique characteristics of the region’s sectors necessitate greater structural transformation, increased value addition, and creation of job opportunities. It further highlights that the AfCFTA’s potential to allow for larger economies of scale will pave way for service-oriented economies in Southern Africa to thrive. Additionally, competitiveness of African firms will increasingly depend on their access to cost-effective and high-quality producer services, which will enhance the availability, affordability, and quality of services.
This is a must read for entrepreneurs, business innovators and trade practitioners.
Transit Oriented Development in practice.
A powerful example of impact on the ground in the area of Housing by our Brazil Cities team – and a story of how interventions in one city led to an approach that was scaled up and adopted as part of a Brazilian national law that set the standards for better quality social housing.
Three Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
The blog raises three critical challenges: (i) importance of core services in informal settlements and slums, (ii) need to support housing rental markets, and (iii) making better use of underutilized land in city centers.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
The blog highlights the importance of giving due attention to building efficiency in affordable housing projects, both location efficiency and on-site energy and water efficiency. The key message: over their lifetimes, efficient homes are more affordable, healthier and provide better opportunities for residents than conventional buildings.
African Countries pay more to borrow
By the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
For quick reads, check out these blog posts
This UNECA policy brief expresses concern over the current structure of sovereign debt in many African countries. It reveals that on average, African States are likely to pay a premium on their Eurobond holdings, with coupon payments nearly 2.0 percentage points higher than those of developing countries in general, attributing this to investor bias against African Governments. Adding to this, African countries have recently been downgraded by rating agencies in light of increased economic challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other shocks, which will bear increased interest burdens and exert further stress on their fiscal space.
The report proposes an alternative form of borrowing in which debt-for-nature swaps offer African States an opportunity to increase their fiscal space, in order to invest in sustainable human development and create much-needed economic growth and resilience, while dealing with challenges such as climate-related effects.
This brief is recommended for Africa economists, financial analysts and heads of Finance ministries on the continent and makes for an interesting read in the aftermath of the BRICS summit hosted in South Africa last week.
Transit Oriented Development in practice.
A powerful example of impact on the ground in the area of Housing by our Brazil Cities team – and a story of how interventions in one city led to an approach that was scaled up and adopted as part of a Brazilian national law that set the standards for better quality social housing.
Three Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
The blog raises three critical challenges: (i) importance of core services in informal settlements and slums, (ii) need to support housing rental markets, and (iii) making better use of underutilized land in city centers.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
The blog highlights the importance of giving due attention to building efficiency in affordable housing projects, both location efficiency and on-site energy and water efficiency. The key message: over their lifetimes, efficient homes are more affordable, healthier and provide better opportunities for residents than conventional buildings.
Malawi Economic Monitor, December 2020 : Doing More with Less - Improving Service Delivery in Energy and Water
By the World Bank
The pandemic has induced a sharp recession in many countries across the globe. Malawi’s economy has been heavily affected, with growth projected at 1.0 percent in 2020, down from earlier projections of 4.8 percent. With population growth around 3.0 percent, this represents a 2.0 percent contraction in per capita GDP. Political stability has returned following the June 2020 Presidential elections, which should support investment. However, global and domestic factors emanating from the pandemic are affecting Malawi’s economy, including: 1) disruption in global value chains and trade and logistics; 2) decrease in tourism; and 3) decrease in remittances. This has combined with social distancing policies and behavior to also reduce domestic demand. The Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM) provides an analysis of economic and structural development issues in Malawi. The publication intends to foster better-informed policy analysis and debate regarding the key challenges that Malawi faces in its endeavor to achieve high rates of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities
By the World Health Organization (WHO), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), World Bank Group
This 240 paged report makes a case for renewable energy as a catalyst for universal health coverage, highlighting how access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, particularly electricity in health facilities, is critical to meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. It delves into what delivering healthcare in the climate change era looks like, techno-economic considerations for electrification of health-care facilities and shares case studies on India, Uganda and Nepal, to assess the state of electrification in the three countries.
Practitioners interested in energizing health will find this report insightful.
AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa
By the World Economic Forum, AfCFTA Secretariat
The report details how public-private partnerships can support the implementation of the AfCFTA. It outlines high-potential sectors eyed to facilitate the AfCFTA through high trade volumes including the automotive industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics. For each one, it highlights key trends and opportunities. One of the report’s go to chapters is an offering of operational tools for companies wishing to conduct operations in Africa.
Businesses within the continent and those wishing to invest in Africa should get hold of this 37 paged report.
Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021
By WHO
This report looks into how effective the strategies planned for 2016-2021 have been in the fight against HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs. Progress has indeed been made despite the disruption of the global pandemic but in the same breath, there are still many targets that have not been reached. The number of new HIV infections has fallen by 23% to its lowest rate since 2010 with 1.7 million new infections in 2019 however this is far from the target of only 500 000 new infections.
Stigma and lack of resources to implement people-centred policies and services still remain the largest hindrance. COVID-19 severely affected the ability for people to get tested easily. This report analyses the success and shortfalls of each WHO region. The report recommends that the only way to try and get back on track is for governments to collaborate their efforts into universal health care systems beneficial for the most vulnerable.
This report is targeted at anyone who works with marginalised communities of people infected by HIV, hepatitis or any STIs and is also a good read for health care workers and policy makers. It is moderately long at 108 pages.
Mainstreaming gender in urban public transport
By Stockholm Environment Institute
Africa is the fastest urbanizing continent, yet walking still remains the most affordable mode of transport in urban areas. This is due to a lack of service provision. There is also a large gender inequality problem when it comes to transport both in operation and in use. This report seeks to shed light on the under researched matter of women’s participation in transport decision making and their use of public transport systems.
The report uses the case studies of Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala by interviewing all members of society from taxi drivers to policy makers in the ministries of transport and transport planners. The report identifies accessibility and safety of public transport systems, sexual assault and harassment, lack of integrated and gender sensitive urban planning and underrepresentation as larger barriers towards gene=der mainstreaming in transport.
This report is the perfect short read for city and transport planners at only 40 pages.
Terrorism in the Sahel Facts and Figures
By NATO Strategic Direction- South, ACSRT
The fight against terrorism in the Sahel is still a major issue that deserves attention as the number of terrorist attacks has increased by 18.5% in 2020. This report analyses current and past data to show a conclusive analysis on the rate of terrorism. The largest threats come from the following terrorist groups Boko Haram, ISGS, JNIM and ISWAP and the most affected countries are Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
This analysis is taken in the form of quantitative analysis with a lot of informative graphs and infographics as well as qualitatively by looking at the types of attacks. The report concludes that 2020 has been the most intense year in terms of terrorism in the Sahel.
This report is target to all members defence ministries and counter-terrorism organisations. It is a very brief read with only 37 pages.