First International Day of Zero Waste, new solutions to Horn of Africa droughts and agricultural production in Ukraine to recover with World Bank support. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
First International Day of Zero Waste bolsters actions to address global pollution crisis
In response to the worsening impacts of waste on human health, the economy, and the environment, the world marked the inaugural International Day of Zero Waste, which encourages everyone to prevent and minimize waste and promotes a societal shift towards a circular economy.
“The waste crisis is undermining the Earth’s ability to sustain life. Waste costs the global economy billions of dollars each year,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message on the Day. “By treating nature like a dumping ground, we are digging our own graves. It is time to reflect on the toll that waste is taking on our planet – and to find solutions to this gravest of threats.”
Established through a UN General Assembly resolution that followed other resolutions on waste, including the 2022 UN Environment Assembly’s commitment to advance a global agreement to end plastic pollution, the International Day of Zero Waste is jointly facilitated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The Day calls upon all stakeholders – including governments, civil society, businesses, academia, communities, women, and youth – to engage in activities that raise awareness of zero-waste initiatives.
Humanity generates more than 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which 45 per cent is mismanaged. Without urgent action, this will rise to almost 4 billion tons by 2050. Waste comes in all forms and sizes – including plastics, debris from mining and construction sites, electronics, and food. It disproportionately impacts the poor, with up to 4 billion people lacking access to controlled disposal facilities.
The International Day of Zero Waste aims to bring these myriad impacts of waste to the world’s attention and encourage global action at all levels to reduce pollution and waste.
Groundwater access facility to boost new solutions to Horn of Africa droughts
The governments of Ethiopia and of The Netherlands, supported by technical partners including the World Bank Group, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children Fund, and the Children Investment Funds Foundation, call for the creation of a Groundwater Access Facility (GaFa) to sustainably use millions of cubic kilometres of untapped groundwater reservoirs in the Horn of Africa.
Presented on 24 March at a side event at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference titled “Climate Resilient Groundwater as Catalyst for Sustainable Development in Africa’s Borderlands – A Shared SDG Agenda”, the initiative seeks to mobilize Governments, UN and partners’ efforts to provide water in the region of Africa the most affected by chronic drought and severe food insecurity.
The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing the worst drought in 73 years and is about to face its sixth consecutive failed rainy season. Hunger and water shortages are a reality for over 15 million people across Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. In Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, over 36 million people need emergency assistance to survive and up to 26 million of them are acutely food insecure.
Agricultural production in Ukraine to recover with World Bank support
The World Bank announced the restructuring of the ongoing Program-for-Results (PforR) on Accelerating Private Investment in Agriculture to Ukraine program, which will envision allocating $132 million to meet new PforR aims of supporting the recovery of agricultural production affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Program will make funds available for government programs that improve access to finance through the credit program “5-7-9” and partial credit guarantees for small farms, diversify agricultural production by supporting horticulture, and improve water deficit management and climate change adaptation.
“Ukraine’s agricultural sector has continued to be severely impacted by the consequences of Russia’s invasion, as underlined by the just-published second Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment. The World Bank is working with international partners to quickly help the Government of Ukraine support agricultural recovery, prioritizing programs that help to finance for the next production season (including partial credit guarantees), horticultural production for nutrition security, and efficient irrigation and water management,” said Arup Banerji, World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe.
The restructured Program complements the efforts of other development partners such as the United Nations, European Union, and US Agency for International Development (USAID) to support agricultural recovery. In particular, it contributes to the Agricultural Resilience Initiative launched by USAID in early August 2022 which aimed to mobilize $250 million in financing for supporting Ukraine’s agriculture.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Life-threatening infections on the rise: causes, consequences and solutions | Experts’ Opinions
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report reveals that more than half of life-threatening bacterial infections are becoming resistant to treatment. According to this data, despite the innovations in modern medicine, health systems are still vulnerable and need prompt action. We approached several microbiology experts in this regard to learn their opinions on life-threatening infections. Read the insights below.
Key Takeaways:
- According to the WHO, high levels of resistance to treatment are reported in bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia and Acinetobacter baumannii spp which require treatment with last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems.
- According to experts, some of the factors that have caused this rise in resistance may include inappropriate prescription practices, inadequate patient education, limited diagnostic facilities, and the unauthorized sale of antimicrobials among others.
- Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health challenge that can be controlled through the rational use of antibiotics.
Read the full article.
Remember the ‘Cover Letter’? Here’s why it is important
Defining the reasons for applying for a particular job and emphasizing the advantages held compared to other applicants may sound challenging but the result of doing so is the Cover Letter, one of the oldest instruments most used by HR professionals to filter and shortlist candidates. Since this document is part of the application package, together with another must-have, the Resume, which we described in one of our previous articles, today we will define its purpose and try to figure out if it really is important.
Donors request various CV formats that should be known and used by job seekers depending on the specific requirements but many donors also ask for a Cover Letter although some may not. Regardless of this, many of us question the need to prepare a Cover Letter – is it really necessary to send one or is just a CV alone sufficient? Let’s look at some of the reasons to prepare one so you can understand if it is really worth investing your time in the creation of a Cover Letter.
Read the full article.
Five largest refugee camps in the world and how people live there
When forced to leave their homes in search of safer locations, what choice do people have? Some of the options are other villages or cities where fresh shelter and a new job can be found but, for various reasons, this is not always an immediate option for hundreds of thousands of refugees. In search of a temporary safe haven, refugees are accommodated at temporary settlements called refugee camps.
According to UN estimates, one-fifth of the world’s refugees, i.e., approximately 6.6 million people, live in refugee camps. We were unable to identify an exact number of camps in the world given the complicated process of tracking refugees and their movements. However, assuming that an average refugee camp houses 11,500 people at a time, there are at least 500 refugee camps in the world.
Read the full article.
Here’s what else has happened
Türkiye earthquakes: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is scaling its operations to help earthquake-hit rural communities in Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic sustain and recover basic food production while assessing agricultural damage and monitoring the longer-term and indirect impacts.
South Africa: Investment in Early Childhood Development (ECD) is one of the most important tools available to ensure children benefit from formal schooling, and later in life, from improved health, social, and economic outcomes, to reduce the intergenerational transmission of poverty. In light of this, the World Bank and South Africa’s Department of Basic Education jointly launched the Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (PEIR) for Early Childhood Development in Pretoria.
European Green Deal: The Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council to reinforce the EU Renewable Energy Directive. This deal brings the EU one step closer to completing the “Fit for 55” legislation to deliver the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU objectives. The agreement raises the EU’s binding renewable target for 2030 to a minimum of 42.5%, up from the current 32% target and almost doubling the existing share of renewable energy in the EU. Negotiators also agreed that the EU would aim to reach 45% of renewables by 2030.
Lebanon: On a visit to Lebanon, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced €60 million in humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable people in the country, including Syrian refugees and Lebanese people in need. The Commissioner is visiting EU-funded humanitarian projects and meeting humanitarian partners on the ground as well as the Lebanese authorities.
Iraq: “Are Iraqi Displaced Farmers Returning to Agriculture?” relies on data collected in 2020 from 774 households who were farming before 2014 but were subsequently displaced due to the conflict. It found that only around one in four agricultural households had returned to their areas of origin by 2020, six years after the country declared the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which wrought billions of damage in Iraq’s breadbasket regions.
OHCHR: The human rights situation in Ukraine as Russia continues its military campaign following last year’s full-scale invasion, remains dire, according to a new report released by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) covering the six months to the end of January.
Reports
UN report warns of accelerating food insecurity in the Arab region due to global crises
Hunger and malnutrition have reached critical levels in the Arab region as access to basic foods has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, according to a United Nations report released. Produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the 2022 Near East and North Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition: Trade as an Enabler for Food Security and Nutrition, examines the state of regional food security, providing analysis and recommendations on how to mitigate the situation.
Investment needs of USD 35 trillion by 2030 for successful energy transition
The global energy transition is off-track, aggravated by the effects of global crises. Introduced by IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD), the World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023 Preview calls for a fundamental course correction in the energy transition.
Progress on better social protection for 30 million of people
Twenty-five million people have benefited from improved access to social protection in the last two years, due to the ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All . The programme’s annual Development Partners meeting noted the significant progress made by the Programme in expanding and improving access to social protection globally.
Events
Job Hunting in the Development Sector: Tips from Gates Foundation’s Top Recruiter
📅 April 11, 2023, at 16:00 CEST (Brussels time zone) | 10:00 AM Eastern (Washington, D.C. time zone)
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is known for its efforts to fight disease, poverty and inequality around the world. Since its inception, the foundation has allocated US$65.6 billion in grants, including US$6.7 billion in 2021. To manage its huge portfolio, the foundation relies on over 1,700 high-skilled employees who it describes as “an incredible group of compassionate, committed individuals”. How were they noticed by the Foundation in the first place? Do CVs really matter and how do they help you to stand out? What is the recruitment process at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation?
DevelopmentAid, jointly with Kathy Koo, a Senior Recruiter at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Irina Bondarenco, Career Center Director at DevelopmentAid, invite you to a webinar to answer the above questions, to update you on the best-in-class job search tools, to talk about CV tailoring processes, and to help you to ensure that your CV stands out in a competitive field.
With years of experience in talent acquisition, Kathy will discuss the differences between a ‘find me’ resume and a ‘targeted’ resume and explain exactly how to format and target your CV in order to be shortlisted for projects, while Irina will present DevelopmentAid’s job search tools.
Whether you’re just starting out as an expert in the field of international development or are an experienced professional looking to expand your opportunities, our webinar will take you through all the do’s and don’ts of how to get noticed by recruiters and allow your CV to successfully shine a light on your skills and qualifications.
Impact First Digital Development Summit
📅 4-5 May 2023
Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon
The Impact First Summit, hosted by BAO Systems, will take place from May 4-5, 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal and is a global event that brings together speakers and organizations from the global health and development sector where together we explore the possibilities of achieving impact through technology and data innovations.
We believe digital technology is core to the future of the development sector, capable of improving development outcomes, driving economic growth, and lifting millions out of poverty. The rapidly changing data and technology landscape means that we have more information, evidence and insights than ever before, but efforts must be coordinated to ensure all countries have the tools, knowledge, and resources to use information effectively. By understanding the broad application of technologies across agriculture, health, education, governance, and environmental sectors, we can make meaningful gains.
The summit is designed to provide a forum for participants to engage in meaningful discussions, share ideas, and explore new opportunities to collaborate and make a positive difference in the world.
The Summit will feature plenary and breakout sessions, panel discussions, exhibitor tables, and networking opportunities. The venue offers excellent spaces for presentations, networking, and in-depth discussions, not to mention the scenic location by the waterfront in Lisbon. Join us as we spend two days discussing cutting-edge technologies and approaches to address the world´s most pressing development challenges.
If you are passionate about creating impact, whether you are an established leader, entrepreneur, investor, or simply interested in learning more about the field, then the Impact First Summit in Lisbon is an ideal event for you to attend. Join these organizations and more.
Who should attend
- Social entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions to social and environmental problems.
- Investors who are interested in supporting impact-driven businesses and initiatives.
- Business leaders who want to integrate sustainability and impact into their corporate strategies.
- Government officials and policy makers who are working to create a more sustainable and equitable future.
- Academics and researchers who are studying impact-driven approaches and solutions.
- Non-profit organizations and activists who are working towards social and environmental justice
The discount code DevelopmentAid gives a $150 discount, making the ticket cost $500.
