Tag Archives: Africa
Tackling Food Insecurity
Stories of resilience from Madagascar, the Central African Republic, and Egypt
Are climate change and drought connected? We asked Richard Damania, the World Bank’s
Chief Economist for Sustainable Development, and two experts from the Bank’s Sustainable Development unit: Senior Economist Esha Zaveri and Senior Climate Change Specialist Nathan Engle. The three are authors of the paper, Droughts and Deficits: Summary Evidence of the Global Impact on Economic Growth.
How a new financing pact can help climate-vulnerable countries
This blog originally appeared in the Project Syndicate on September 8, 2023
Amid an escalating climate emergency and a global debt crisis, calls for a new “fit for climate” global financial architecture are growing louder throughout the developing world. The urgent need for decisive action has been underscored by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s Bridgetown Initiative, the V20 group of climate-vulnerable countries, and the recent Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. This week’s Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi presented a unique opportunity to promote much-needed measures to support low-income countries in pursuing sustainable growth.
Tackling Food Insecurity
Stories of resilience from Madagascar, the Central African Republic, and Egypt
We couldn’t even figure out how to face the next day or find food for our children.”
Volatsarasoa is a mother of four who lives in the village of Malangy, near the southern tip of Madagascar in one of the poorest regions in the country. With a fifth child on the way, she spends a lot of time thinking about a prosperous future for her children by learning from the experiences of her recent past.
When the El Niño phenomenon hit during the 2015-16 rainy season, Madagascar recieved just 50-80% of its normal precipitation – triggering a drought and crop yields that were 90% below normal.
“Me, my husband, and my children suffered a lot because there was no food, and we were starving. We barely ate, most of the time just a cup of rice for all of us, and only in the evening. It was very hard, and we couldn’t even figure out how to face the next day or find food for our children with everything going on I was worried. I was panicked.”
Realizing a Brighter Future for a Young, Energized, and Connected Africa
“We need the means for our dreams to come true.” –Hafsat Abdullahi, Nigerian poet
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania recently bustled with immense energy and optimism. The ambitions and aspirations of young people were matched with commitments by African leaders to take action and invest in people toward a brighter future.
Indigenous Youth on Cultural Identity and a Livable Planet
This year, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples recognizes the efforts of Indigenous Youth to support sustainable development, along with their pursuit of justice and preservation of their culture and traditions. The World Bank interviewed Indigenous Youth leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to hear their stories and deepen our understanding of their strategies. While each have experienced unique circumstances, they face similar challenges that put at risk their capacity to sustain their peoples’ significant contributions to conserving the world’s rich cultural and biological diversity.
Fish, Not Plastics: Science to Rescue Africa’s Sea Pollution
Investing in Youth, Transforming Africa
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- By 2075, one-third of the world’s population—and of the working-age population—will be African. It is the only region where the workforce will grow continuously in the coming decades.
- This gives Africa an enormous opportunity to drive economic growth and prosperity through investments in education, skills, and health.
- Africa’s Heads of State are gathering at the Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit to discuss how to accelerate human capital accumulation, leverage the youth bulge, and create jobs to propel economic growth.
Mission to Rewrite World Bank Group Playbook Advances with Banga’s Global Tour
WASHINGTON, June 8, 2023—The World Bank Group announced today a months-long global tour for new president Ajay Banga, an early step in his mission to write a new playbook for the 78-year-old institution.
Between now and December 2023, Banga will visit multiple countries in every region where the World Bank Group operates. During the impact-focused tour, Banga will work to reimagine strategic partnerships with other multilateral banks and development organizations, work to identify barriers for private sector investment, deepen the relationships between the World Bank Group and the countries it serves, and identify opportunities to maximize impact through knowledge, financing, and technical assistance.
Hiding in plain sight: The missing trillions for climate change
In debates about how to finance the growing bill for climate change, many worry where we
can find the money.
There is reason to worry. As part of the Paris Agreement, the world’s wealthier countries reaffirmed their commitment to mobilize at least $100 billion of climate financing annually to help developing countries to adapt to climate change, invest in renewable energies and achieve low-carbon development. But getting there is a work in progress.


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