Why are science, technology, and innovation essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? How can we make proven solutions more readily available to those who need them most? To highlight promising innovations at the frontlines of global development challenges, the United Nations Economic and Social Council is convening the first annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science,…
Climate change makes life even harder for subsistence farmers and marginal populations. In the development field, we need to learn how to address tangible problems that block adoption of improved mechanisms. USAID’s Climate Change Adaptation Activity (CCAA) in Mali — a two-year intervention in the Mopti Region — has such an opportunity. In conjunction with…
Before COP 21 kicked off in Paris, heads of state from 20 countries who make up the Climate Vulnerable Forum adopted the Manila-Paris Declaration, which outlined concerns, priorities and plans for addressing climate change. The declaration enumerated how the threats we see in the news everyday — rising sea levels, cyclones, drought, and others —…
We are at a pivotal moment in the movement to combat climate change. Extreme weather events are becoming more commonplace, and the health consequences connected to rising temperatures and worsening air quality are affecting communities around the world. And although it might not be easily observable, climate change is having a dramatic economic impact as…
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) is the lead institution in the Indonesian government for promoting sustainable fisheries as well as managing coastal areas and promoting the welfare of coastal communities. USAID has played a significant role in supporting MMAF’s establishment and capacity building to fulfill its diverse mandate. In late 2010, USAID…
With assistance from USAID’s Coastal City Adaptation Project (CCAP), two Mozambican cities are committing to taking proactive steps to adapt to climate change and pre- vent devastating ecological effects. CCAP is targeting Pemba and Quelimane to shift from a reactive to an adaptive approach. In Quelimane, municipal government leaders and the community work side by side to…
This blog was originally published by the SEEP Network, and is cross-posted with permission. There are approximately 500 million smallholder farms in the world providing up to 80 percent of food consumed in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, despite smallholder farmers’ substantial role in the world’s access to food resources, they consistently face constraints including…
The Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS II) project trained master trainers and individuals from national and international organizations, including their beneficiaries. The project also targeted agricultural value chain segments that are more favorable for the involvement of woman and youth, such as service providers, processing, and micro-enterprises. The value of…
The Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS II) was USAID/Nigeria’s flagship project under Feed the Future (FTF). It aimed to sustainably improve the performance, income, nutrition, and food security of poor Nigerian rural farmers or smallholders in an environmentally friendly manner. Key objectives included smallholder farmer access to increased income, ready…
Some people still talk about climate change as if it is a future threat, rather than something we are facing now. Is this a challenge in your work in Mozambique? We deal with this every day—there is this absence of urgency about what’s going on. There’s still a confusion about disaster risk reduction and climate…
Seen in the dry season, the Rivière Grise in Haiti does not seem like a crucial source of water for the fertile Cul-de-Sac plain. One can stand in the middle of the almost dry riverbed and watch the stream of water coming out of the ravine. But in the rainy season, and especially during storms…