Blogs
Education in emergencies: unknowns, evidence gaps and research needs
On Thursday 27 February 2020, LIDC hosted a roundtable panel discussion on the challenges of delivering education to children affected by conflict and crises. The event convened a panel of high-profile speakers from organisations including UNESCO, UNICEF and the World…
Is it time we stop worrying about biting off more than we can chew?
Committing to transform food systems in the next century LIDC’s event on the future of food in January generated a lot of attention. From alarm bells of the dire consequences of climate change to enthusiasm about collaborative movements to…
Mental Health is Part of Everything We Do in Development
Mental health is everybody’s business Everyone has mental health, and mental health conditions can affect anyone. This alone should make mental health relevant to all of us working in international development. But dig a little deeper, and you will find…
China: Predatory Lender or Development Partner in the Developing World?
All roads lead back to China The ancient Silk Road is experiencing a revival and reinvention through China’s ambitious infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Arguably one of the largest infrastructure plans in history, China’s reach now stretches…
Seven facts you didn’t know about the global food landscape
Globally, food systems are facing a number of challenges, from climate change to a projected population of 10 billion people by 2050. Following LIDC and Nature Food’s debate Beyond Foresight to the Frontier of Food: The Global Food Landscape in…
Are our current food systems equipped to withstand shocks?
We are rapidly approaching the projected global population of 9.8 billion in 2050. As a result, we began debating the sustainability and effectiveness of current food systems, and strategising new models and policies to prepare. However, years have passed and…
Four More Development News Stories
A lot has happened in the development world since our September update. Here are three of the most important events in the last few months and a couple of successful development projects for inspiration. 1) COP25 takes place in Spain…
Who Knows Best? Unpacking the Idea of an ‘Expert’
Over breakfast, a Ugandan government worker scoffed at the idea of international ‘experts’ coming to solve a crop yield issue. “A foreigner with a degree in agriculture isn’t the expert. The expert is the old man who farmed here his…
How can rural Pakistani communities’ electricity needs be met?
Have you ever been without electricity for a day? For a week? For a month? How did you cope? 840 million people are still without access to electricity, with plenty more facing regular breaks in their electrical supply. This lack…
Working with the grassroots to push the national development agenda
Malawi is one of the countries in southern Africa that could benefit from effective and efficient use of resources in ways that positively impact its citizens’ quality of life, half of whom live in poverty. As a Monitoring and Evaluation…