The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report (AR6), issued in March 2023 features a stark message: the decisions that we make right now will have profound implications for the future. In the energy sector, such decisions must focus on incentives for reducing fossil fuels and development agencies, such as USAID, are…
Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon has increased in recent years, with illicit economic activities and unsustainable agricultural practices damaging the natural environment and threatening biodiversity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated things further, with the isolation of vulnerable indigenous communities and reduced access to markets providing a backdrop for increased land grabbing and environmental crime. As deforestation…
As we all experienced, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed fragilities within global supply chains, including the public health supply chains of the more than 70 countries supported by USAID. Consequently, the Chemonics-led USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project—of which I am part—had to confront new challenges including paused manufacturing of essential…
Trends in acceptance rates of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community over the past forty years are mixed, with 56 countries experiencing increased acceptance of the LGBTQI+ community and 57 seeing declines in acceptance and backsliding of LGBTQI+ rights. A growing number of initiatives are peeling back the curtain on data…
Overfishing and the effects of climate change are challenging the resilience of Tanzania’s biodiverse marine protect areas (MPAs), but USAID Tanzania Heshimu Bahari Activity (Respect the Ocean), led by Chief of Party Sadiki Laiser, will strengthen management of protected areas and wild-caught fisheries to ensure these vital natural resources are protected. Sadiki Laiser explains what…
Complex conflicts across Africa and Asia are posing a significant threat to regional and international stability. These conflicts are influenced by various factors including vested interests of superpowers, strategic alignments of regional actors, political leadership, availability of resources, and the number of armed actors. This makes it difficult for conflict resolution actors and programmes to…
Strengthening the quality of services, data, and disease surveillance systems — digital health — is key to achieving universal health coverage and health equity. In countries such the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), poor infrastructure and limited access to communication systems complicate progress on digital health and necessitates extra measures. This is why, in…
Meet Chemonics’ Achini Wijesinghe, gender advisor for the USAID Sri Lanka Energy Program! In this video, Achini discusses her path to international development, the organizations that inspired her and shaped her career and identity, advice for those interested in a career in development, her experience swimming with nurse sharks in the Maldives, and more. Achini…
At Chemonics, we seek out and value the knowledge, skills, and experience veteran talent can contribute to our mission to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. In 2011, Alex Gibson enlisted as a radio specialist in the Michigan Army National Guard, supporting tactical communication…
We know how to end malaria. With the right tools, we can end the disease in a generation. But to do this we must ensure that the people in regions of the world that are prone to malaria infections have access to information and interventions proven over the last two decades to reduce a disease…
In complex environments with political challenges and evolving conflict dynamics, equitable access to water and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is increasingly critical and yet often constrained by ineffective or outdated governance systems. Not only are governance initiatives central to meeting the challenges that rapid urbanization poses for the provision of WASH services, but…
This post originally appeared on Fast Company on April 17, 2023. We have the money and ingenuity to solve the world’s greatest challenges. What we need most right now is to unlock the massive capital needed to harness both the entrepreneurial potential in frontier and emerging economies and relevant technology that will provide the breadth of…