[ Haiti ]

Dangerous camps

Nine months after the devastating earthquake, little progress is being made on reconstruction in Haiti. Many people still live in refugee camps – dangerous places, especially for women and girls. Rape is on the increase and many of the victims are minors. »» read more

[ Journalism ]

Disaster reporting

Natural and industrial disasters are always covered by the media, but reporters could do far more than merely assume the role of observers. They should raise people’s awareness of imminent dangers, warn of risks and cover technologies that help to prevent catastrophes. [ By Christina Kamlage and Dirk Asendorpf ] »» read more

[ Interview ]

“Democracy does not stand a chance in Rwanda”

In August, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was re-elected by an overwhelming majority. There was no serious opposition candidate – the three people who managed to register had all been Kagame’s supporters in the previous election. Peter Molt, who has been following the developments in Rwanda for many years, discussed recent events in an interview with Claudia Isabel Rittel of D+C/E+Z. »» read more

[ Financial sector ]

Green growth in Southeast Europe

Public-private partnerships have proven their worth in the sphere of micro and SME finance. The model is being extended to serve other purposes. In particular, the focus is on financing investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. The first of these new investment vehicles is the Green for Growth Fund, Southeast Europe, which was initiated by the KfW Entwicklungsbank and the ­European Investment Bank. [ By Lloyd Stevens and Luke Franson ] »» read more

[ Interview ]

Long term risks to food security

Only two years after the food crisis of 2008 caused severe hunger and riots in developing countries, crop prices are rising sharply once more. Are food markets getting out of balance? Claire Schaffnit-Chatterjee of Deutsche Bank Research explains why shortages could occur more frequently in the future – unless more sustainable ways of consumption and production are enforced. [ Interview with Claire Schaffnit-Chatterjee ] »» read more

[ Representative democracy ]

Afghanistan’s female MPs lack unity

If the women in Afghanistan’s parliament were less divided they would have a stronger impact on policymaking. A recent study published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation argues that networking would make an important difference. »» read more

[ Environment ]

“Our generation’s responsibility”

Climate change and the loss of biodiversity go hand in hand, and both affect poor countries in particular. Achim Steiner, the head of UNEP, assessed the interrelated nature of the two phenomena in our interview, spelling out the urgent need for action. [ Interview with Achim Steiner ] »» read more

[ Comment ]

The army must not do too much

Pakistan’s military is good at reconstructing public infrastructure in areas it has cleared of militants. The snag is that it may be standing in the way of civilian capactity building. [ By Mohammad Ali Khan ] »» read more

[ Climate diplomacy ]

Assessing the Adaptation Fund

One of the Kyoto Protocol’s strong points is the fund designed to help poor countries to cope with climate change. Even though the Adaptation Fund is gradually becoming operational, its future is clouded by doubts. Unless rich nations recommit to reducing carbon emissions beyond 2012, new sources of finance must be found. [ By Sven Harmeling and Alpha Oumar Kaloga ] »» read more

[ Comment ]

An irony of poverty reduction

At the UN summit to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September, all governments will be under pressure to justify their actions. Once more, it is becoming obvious that economic success in some places can aggravate problems in others. [ By Hans Dembowski ] »» read more

[ Scholarship ]

Emerging stronger from crisis

The global financial crisis is affecting economics and business schools. This is an opportunity for introducing new ideas into political debate. Development economists along with development cooperation should rise to these challenges. Given their experience in dealing with crises, they are likely to benefit from doing so. [ By André Lieber ] »» read more

[ Climate change ]

Governance matters

Brazil is working on a national system to allow international investors to support programmes of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The government wants to be able to present a workable scheme at the next UN climate summit in Cancún in December. [ By Juliana Radler de Aquino ] »» read more

[ Local-government finance ]

The right balance

Benin has introduced a system to transfer funds from the central government to local authorities. The country has also introduced a new local tax. Both innovations set standards in Africa. Next, Benin needs to achieve a sensible balance between local revenues, government allocations and donor contributions. [ By Ulrich Nitschke and Tim Auracher ] »» read more

[ Social protection ]

Ways out of old-age poverty

The global economic and financial crisis has reopened the debate about social protection in developing countries. In this context, the welfare of elderly people is particularly important. As populations are ageing in many developing countires, new challenges emerge. [ By Matthias Meissner ] »» read more