DevDispatch Recommends: February 2023 Publications
We had a few jaw dropping moments while going through the statistics on violent extremism, maternal mortality and renewable energy financing presented in the publications released this February. However, we find comfort in knowing that evidenced based research is the first step to action.
We hope you find our selection below insightful.
Journey to extremism in Africa: Pathways to recruitment and disengagement
By The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
This report awakens readers to the reality that Sub-Saharan Africa has become the global epicenter of violent extremist activity. The publication reveals that almost half of all terrorism-related deaths reported in 2021 were in Sub-Saharan Africa, and more than a third of these were in Somalia, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. This calls for an urgent need to not only improve understanding of what drives violent extremism in Africa, but to learn the necessary actions to prevent it. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to drivers of the recruitment process, notably, what makes individuals susceptible to violent extremism. It concludes with key findings on the drivers of disengagement, the turning point where recruits begin to shift from violent extremism, and the disengagement process itself.
This report is 158 pages long and is recommended for practitioners working in the conflict prevention and peacebuilding space.
Leveraging CSO Contributions to Advance Polio Transition and Integration Efforts in the African Region
By the United Nations Foundation, Village Reach, Impact Health Organisation, Civil Society Polio & Transition Working Group and Vaccine Network for Disease Control
This publication is centered around initiatives implemented by four CSOs to enhance polio transition and integration efforts, namely, VillageReach in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA) in Ethiopia, Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) in Nigeria, and Impact Health Organization (IHO) in South Sudan.
The opening chapter sheds light on the status of polio in the African Region, the importance of sustaining polio infrastructure, and the role of CSOs in this process. Over the next six chapters, readers are taken through insights including the support the four CSOs received from the United Nations Foundation between 2021 and 2022, the challenges they faced in implementing their projects, country specific recommendations made by the CSOs, and recommendations for different stakeholders such as WHO and UNICEF.
Add this 33 paged brief to your reading list if you are a CSO with health interests, or a policy maker in the sector.
What the Future Has in Store: A New Paradigm for Water Storage
By the World Bank Group and the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership
(GWSP)
Water and water-related disasters are amongst the greatest risks facing modern societies. In 2018, the city of Cape Town came close to facing what is referred to as Day Zero, a period when the municipal water would be turned-off for 4 million people. The idea of not having water seems unfathomable, and yet water crises are increasingly becoming the norm, compounded by the fact that the global population has doubled over the last 50 years, a reality this publication brings to the fore. In essence, the world is facing a global water storage gap. The report highlights the importance of water storage, presents a step by step guide of the integrated storage planning framework, and shares case studies of water storage solutions that have been implemented in different parts of the world.
The detailed 238 paged publication is a key resource for National water departments/agencies and water practitioners across all spectrums.
Global landscape of renewable energy finance 2023
By International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Climate Policy Initiative
This latest offering from IRENA and the Climate Policy Initiative is an assessment of the global arena of renewable energy finance. It breaks down investments by technology, investments by application (power versus end uses), investments by region, investments by financial instrument and investments by source- which includes public versus private investments.
The report argues a disparity in renewable energy financing between developed and developing countries, and makes the following assertions:
- The current pace of investment is not sufficient to put the world on track towards meeting the climate objectives outlined in IRENA’s 1.5°C scenario.
- Investments have become further concentrated in specific technologies and uses, and in a small number of countries/regions.
- About 70% of the world’s population, mostly residing in developing and emerging countries, received only 15% of global investments in 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, received less than 1.5% of the amount invested globally between 2000 and 2020.
The publication is 132 pages long and is recommended for renewable energy financiers and those working within the renewable energy spectrum.
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.
Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division
By The United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG) – comprising WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (UNDESA/Population Division)
For quick reads, check out these blog posts
Every two minutes, women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, this report shockingly reveals. It presents internationally comparable global, regional and country-level estimates and trends for maternal mortality between 2000 and 2020. The publication argues that multisectoral action is needed to target the determinants of maternal mortality and these include health system failures, social determinants that put some sub-populations at greater risk, harmful gender norms and biases, and humanitarian and climate crises that lead to health system fragility.
Medical practitioners and policy makers overseeing maternal healthcare will find the recommendations in this report insightful.
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.