Weekly roundup: Top international development headlines

2020 was one of three warmest years on record, COVID-19 vaccines alone will not end pandemic and billions will not receive a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:

2020 was one of three warmest years on record

The year 2020 was one of the three warmest on record, and rivalled 2016 for the top spot, according to a consolidation of five leading international datasets by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). A naturally occurring cooling climate phenomenon, La Niña, put a brake on the heat only at the very end of the year.

All five datasets surveyed by WMO concur that 2011-2020 was the warmest decade on record, in a persistent long-term climate change trend. The warmest six years have all been since 2015, with 2016, 2019, and 2020 being the top three. The differences in average global temperatures among the three warmest years – 2016, 2019, and 2020 – are indistinguishably small. The average global temperature in 2020 was about 14.9°C, 1.2 (± 0.1) °C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.

“The exceptional heat of 2020 is despite a La Niña event, which has a temporary cooling effect,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas. “It is remarkable that temperatures in 2020 were virtually on a par with 2016 when we saw one of the strongest El Niño warming events on record. This is a clear indication that the global signal from human-induced climate change is now as powerful as the force of nature,” said Prof. Taalas.

“The temperature ranking of individual years represent only a snapshot of a much longer-term trend. Since the 1980s each decade has been warmer than the previous one. Heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere remain at record levels and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide, the most important gas, commits the planet to future warming,” said Prof. Taalas.

COVID-19 vaccines alone will not end pandemic, warns IFRC

With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out across many countries, the world’s largest humanitarian network is once again warning that vaccines alone will not end the pandemic. People need to remain vigilant and continue to adhere to basic preventative measures that include physical distancing, wearing masks, and handwashing.

“The humbling reality is this pandemic is only gaining momentum, a stark reminder that vaccines alone will not end this fight. We all need to make sure that, in our optimism about vaccines, we do not forget the dangers of this virus or the actions we all need to take to protect ourselves and each other. COVID-19 is still killing thousands of people every single day. We each have a responsibility to stay vigilant and to practice the preventative measures that will curb the spread,” said Francesco Rocca, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

A second variant, 501Y.V2, which was recently discovered in South Africa, has been detected in at least six additional countries, and comes at a time when the African continent is in the grips of its worst-ever COVID-19 period. Over the past four weeks, Africa has experienced a continuous increase in new cases and deaths.

Billions will not receive a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021

As high-income countries begin to roll out COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, there are increased concerns that billions of people will not receive the vaccine, putting the global community at risk of prolonging this pandemic and its devastating knock-on effects.

Shortages in supply of COVID-19 vaccines, coupled with vaccine nationalism, means the vast majority of people in conflict and crisis-affected contexts – and in low-income and many middle-income countries – will not be able to access a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, and possibly for multiple years ahead. COVAX – the global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of income – currently expects the vaccines to reach at most 20% of populations across low and lower-middle-income contexts, with the reality likely much lower.

The pandemic and its aftershocks, however, will not end until everyone is accounted for and able to be vaccinated. This requires equitable vaccine distribution across both high and low-income countries, including for refugees and internally displaced people, the number of which exceeded 80 million in 2020, resulting in a tremendous amount of people who lack international protections and adequate access to health systems. As many of these populations can be mobile, additional risks of COVID-19 spread will occur unless they are included in vaccination efforts.

Other concerns exist around the cold storage currently required for many of the COVID-19 vaccines. This demands investments to strengthen health systems and supply chains to ensure doses can effectively reach places affected by conflict or in areas lacking electricity or specialized equipment.

DevelopmentAid Editorials

Nepal launches LCC to mitigate learning loss created by COVID-19

Along with the nationwide lockdown enforced on March 24, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, the education of nearly 8.5 million schoolchildren has been placed at risk by the prolonged closures of educational activities. Therefore, to help children continue to learn safely in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, on January 11 the Government of Nepal and partners launched the Learning Continuity Campaign (LCC).

Check the full article here.

New Zealand climate funding stagnates as the country struggles to reach its fair share of the global US$100 billion goal

The latest Oxfam report has found that New Zealand is one of the least engaged wealthy nations in terms of the financing of mitigation and adaptation to climate changes in poor states.

Check the full article here.

South Sudan is on the brink of starvation with Pibor county affected by catastrophic levels of hunger

The United Nations warns that the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, and conflicts have plunged South Sudan population into extreme hunger with many people’s lives at stake.

Check the full article here.

Here’s what else has happened

IOM: IOM’s Flash Appeal for support following Tropical Storm Chalane requests nearly 2 million USD to facilitate emergency response for over 24,000 people in resettlement sites affected by the storm in central Mozambique, and for more than 61,000 vulnerable people in need of preparedness for the rainy season. According to Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD) over 73,000 people were affected by the storm.

EBRD: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) responded to the coronavirus pandemic with a record investment of €11 billion in 2020 through 411 projects, addressing the urgent needs of the 38 economies where it invests. This represents a 10 percent increase in annual business investment relative to 2019 when the Bank provided €10.1 billion to finance 452 projects.

USAID: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced more than $5.8 million to fund partnerships in scientific cooperation on research projects to discover, test, and scale breakthrough solutions for critical challenges in international development.

UK: The UK has helped to raise $1 billion for the coronavirus COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) through match-funding other donors, which combined with the £548 million of UK aid pledged will help distribute one billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to 92 developing countries this year.

DFC: U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Executive Officer Adam Boehler announced W-GDP 2X Asia, a commitment to mobilize $1 billion to advance women’s economic empowerment in Asia.

FAO: Globally, the number of outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as sheep and goat plague, fell by two-thirds in recent years, showing the commitment of the international community to combatting this highly contagious animal disease and raising hopes for meeting the goal of global eradication by 2030.

Reports

Step up climate change adaptation or face serious human and economic damage – UN report

As temperatures rise and climate change impacts intensify, nations must urgently step up action to adapt to the new climate reality or face serious costs, damages and losses, a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report finds.

Supporting a green post-COVID recovery can generate over $10 trillion in investment opportunities in emerging markets

Supporting low carbon investments through COVID-19 recovery targeting funding for ten key sectors across 21 emerging markets has the potential to generate $10.2 trillion in investment opportunity, create 213 million jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 billion tons by 2030, says an IFC report.

WHO urges governments to promote healthy food in public facilities

Public settings, such as schools, childcare centres, nursing homes, hospitals, and correctional facilities, and all other canteens of public institutions, can play a key role in ensuring people are provided with healthy food and helping prevent the 8 million annual deaths currently caused by unhealthy diets.

Read the report: Action framework for developing and implementing public food procurement and service policies for a healthy diet.

Events

EIB Annual Economics Conference 2021 | Virtual

? 21 – 22 January 2021
Virtual

Under the overarching theme of “Europe: Smart and Green” this edition of EIB’s flagship event features an engaging programme aiming to bring together a wide range of perspectives on the transition to a carbon-neutral and highly-innovative European economy.

Eleventh Session of the IRENA Assembly | Virtual

? 18 – 21 January 2021
Virtual

The 11th session of the IRENA Assembly will take place in a virtual setting from 18 to 21 January 2021, with related stakeholder meetings held virtually on 13 and 14 January 2021. The sessions will be live-streamed on the IRENA Assembly Live webpage.

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit 2021 | Virtual

? 18 – 21 January 2021
Virtual