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Add to Preferred SourcesVaccine inequity undermining global economic recovery, international travel largely on hold and water-related hazards dominate disasters. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
Vaccine inequity undermining global economic recovery
COVID-19 vaccine inequity will have a lasting and profound impact on socio-economic recovery in low- and lower-middle-income countries without urgent action to boost supply and assure equitable access for every country, including through dose sharing, according to new data released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Oxford.
An acceleration in scaling up manufacturing and sharing enough vaccine doses with low-income countries could have added $38 billion to their GDP forecast for 2021 if they had similar vaccination rates as high-income countries. At a time when richer countries have paid trillions in stimulus to prop up flagging economies, now is the moment to ensure vaccine doses are shared quickly, all barriers to increasing vaccine manufacturing are removed and financing support is secured so vaccines are distributed equitably and a truly global economic recovery can take place.
A high price per COVID-19 vaccine dose relative to other vaccines and delivery costs – including for the health workforce surge – could put a huge strain on fragile health systems and undermine routine immunization and essential health services and could cause alarming spikes in measles, pneumonia, and diarrhea. There is also a clear risk in terms of foregone opportunities for the expansion of other immunization services, for example, the safe and effective rollout of HPV vaccines. Lower-income countries need timely access to sustainably priced vaccines and timely financial support.
International travel largely on hold despite uptick in May
The biggest crisis in the history of tourism continues into a second year. Between January and May, international tourist arrivals were 85% below 2019 levels (or a 65% drop in 2020), UNWTO data shows. Despite a small uptick in May, the emergence of COVID-19 variants and the continued imposition of restrictions are weighing on the recovery of international travel. Meanwhile, domestic tourism continues to rebound in many parts of the world.
The latest UNWTO data shows that over the first five months of the year, world destinations recorded 147 million fewer international arrivals (overnight visitors) compared to the same period of 2020, or 460 million less than the pre-pandemic year of 2019. However, the data does point to a relatively small upturn in May, with arrivals declining by 82% (versus May 2019), after falling by 86% in April. This slight upward trend emerged as some destinations started to ease restrictions and consumer confidence rose slightly.
Water-related hazards dominate disasters in the past 50 years
Water-related hazards dominate the list of disasters in terms of both the human and economic toll over the past 50 years, according to a comprehensive analysis by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Of the top 10 disasters, the hazards that led to the largest human losses during the period have been droughts (650 000 deaths), storms (577 232 deaths), floods (58 700 deaths), and extreme temperature (55 736 deaths), according to the forthcoming WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019).
With regard to economic losses, the top 10 events include storms (US$ 521 billion) and floods (US$ 115 billion), according to an excerpt from the Atlas, which will be published in September.
Floods and storms inflicted the largest economic losses in the past 50 years in Europe, at a cost of US$ 377.5 billion. The 2002 flood in Germany caused US$ 16.48 billion in losses and was the costliest event in Europe between 1970 and 2019. However, heat waves had the highest human toll.
The data show that over the 50-year period, weather, climate, and water hazards accounted for 50% of all disasters (including technological hazards), 45% of all reported deaths, and 74% of all reported economic losses at the global level.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Climate change likely to increase cases of malaria and dengue
Global warming may not only significantly increase and intensify extreme weather events, it could also impact upon the extent and frequency of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, almost doubling the number of people affected.
Effects of brain drain in developing countries
Poverty and lack of economic growth trigger thousands of educated people from developing countries to look for better living conditions in richer states. However, the migration of educated individuals, alias the ‘brain drain’, does have some positive impact on the source country. What are the causes of brain drain? What are the effects it has on the source and destination countries? Our latest editorial takes a deeper dive into the reasons behind brain drain.
The TOP-10 ODA recipients in 2019
Syria, Iraq, and Yemen were the only three countries from the ten highest aid beneficiaries in 2019 to receive less foreign aid than in the previous year. At the same time, donor’s contributions to Bangladesh continue to grow on a yearly basis, reaching US$2.5 billion. Summing up, the TOP-10 ODA recipients accounted for US$21.3 billion – 14% of the total foreign aid funded by donor countries. This article provides an overview of the global trends in aid disbursements in 2019 and highlights the countries receiving the highest amount of aid.
Here’s what else has happened
Finland: Finland’s foreign aid strategy has undergone an extensive review in an effort to institute a plan for more effective investment with coherent, long-term goals. The ultimate aim is to provide partner nations with an infrastructure that will be sufficient to finance their own development in the future while at the same time strengthening Finland’s position as an international partner.
CABEI: The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has approved a US$1 million non-reimbursable technical cooperation grant to the Republic of El Salvador to strengthen development initiatives in the health and education sectors.
European Commission, European Investment Bank, UN-Habitat: As requested by the European Parliament, the European Commission, European Investment Bank, and UN-Habitat, supported by the International Growth Centre, are working on a pilot initiative to identify measures to mobilize financing for sustainable urban development in low-income countries. During the virtual InfoPoint conference hosted by the European Commission on 28 June 2021, an interactive web report was launched as one of the outcomes of the initiative.
COVID-19: COVID-19 restrictions contributed to an increase in political violence in some nations and provided an opportunity for autocratic regimes to further erode human rights and democratic institutions say a new paper.
IOM: Nearly two million people affected by the crisis in northern Ethiopia desperately need life-saving assistance, including water, medicine, and shelter, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said as it issued an urgent appeal for USD 40 million to help internally displaced men, women, and children, including newborn babies.
Reports
IRENA outlines action agenda on offshore renewables for G20
Boosting offshore renewables will accelerate the energy transition and allow G20 countries to build a resilient and sustainable energy system, a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) finds. Offshore Renewables: An Action Agenda for Deployment actively contributes to the G20 agenda by identifying actions that support the commercialization of offshore technologies such as wind, wave, tidal, ocean thermal, and floating PV in pursuit of extending their deployment worldwide.
Domestic violence, forced marriage, have risen in Sudan: UN-backed study
Voices from Sudan 2020, is the first-ever nationwide qualitative assessment of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country, where a transitional government is now in its second year. Addressing the issue is a critical priority, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government’s Combating Violence against Women Unit (CVAW), co-authors of the report.
New report reveals stark inequalities in access to HIV prevention and treatment services for children—partners call for urgent action
Almost half (46%) of the world’s 1.7 million children living with HIV were not on treatment in 2020 and 150 000 children were newly infected with HIV, four times more than the 2020 target of 40 000. In the final report from the Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS-Free initiative, UNAIDS, and partners warn that progress towards ending AIDS among children, adolescents, and young women has stalled and none of the targets for 2020 were met.
ADB lowers 2021 growth outlook for developing Asia to 7.2%
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is projecting 7.2% economic growth for developing Asia this year, compared with its 7.3% forecast in April, as renewed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks slow the recovery in some economies in the region. The growth outlook for 2022 is upgraded to 5.4% from 5.3%. Excluding the newly industrialized economies of Hong Kong, China; the Republic of Korea; Singapore; and Taipei, China, developing Asia’s updated growth outlook is 7.5% for 2021 and 5.7% for 2022, compared with earlier projections of 7.7% and 5.6%, respectively. The supplement to ADB’s flagship economic publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, provides updated projections for the region’s economies and inflation levels amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Events
An Overview of the AfDB’s Procurement Policy: How to Prepare Correctly for the Upcoming Bids? | Virtual
📅 29 July 2021 🕒 4 PM (Brussels Time) / 10AM (Washington DC Time)
Virtual
DevelopmentAid is inviting you to join for an exciting free webinar on An Overview of the AfDB’s Procurement Policy: How to Prepare Correctly for the Upcoming Bids?
During the webinar, it will be possible to learn about AfDB’s profile, procurement policy, and investment strategy. Moreover, Mr. Ashraf will provide a number of tips on how to prepare correctly to for the upcoming bids.
Host: Ion Ilasco, External Relations & Events, DevelopmentAid.
Speaker: Ashraf Ayad, Lead Procurement Policy Officer at the African Development Bank.
Ashraf accumulates over 22 years of experience in procurement and project management. His experience resulted from his involvement in many development projects in Africa and the Middle East. He possesses a deep understanding of the procurement policies of international development institutions e.g., the AfDB, WB, IsDB and, the EU.
Trade beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience | Virtual
📅 28 – 30 September 2021
Virtual
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis with far-reaching socio-economic effects. It has increased poverty and deepened inequality across the world – with women, youth, and children the most affected. According to the ILO, global employment losses stood at 114 million jobs relative to 2019, with the highest number of losses affecting women (5% decline) and young workers (8.7%). Job losses and subsequent loss in income have had far-reaching consequences, including increased stress and mental illness, greater domestic violence, and fewer children going to school.
The World BioEconomy Forum 2021
📅 18 – 20 October
Pará, Brazil
The World BioEconomy Forum is pleased to announce that its Forum 2021 will be held in Belém, in the State of Pará, Brazil from 18 – 20 October 2021. Belém is located in the Amazon region of Brazil and will give the Forum the opportunity to highlight the region as of fundamental importance to the global circular bioeconomy. The event will bring together high-level speakers and experts from around the world highlighting Belém and the Amazon region for essential debate on sustainable development.