WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

About

The WIDERAngle publishes expert commentary and analysis of the latest research in global development. The WIDERAngle supports UNU-WIDER’s missions to undertake research and policy analysis on the most pressing concerns affecting humanity and provides a forum for knowledge sharing, discussion, and debate.

 

To see past newsletters, visit our WIDERAngle archive.

 

Write for the WIDERAngle

We accept submissions that represent sincere efforts to advance knowledge on topics related to the promotion of sustainable and equitable development for all. Although many of our writers are established in their fields, we particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, policy professionals, and writers who represent Global South countries and perspectives.

 

For guidelines on WIDERAngle submissions, please refer to our Guidelines for submissions.

 

Send submission queries to editorialteam@wider.unu.edu.

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor: Annett Victorero

Managing Editor: Timothy Shipp

Assistant Editor: Tristan Reid

 

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Securing a future for the next generations – navigating today’s global challenges

by Frederik Matthys
In an era frequently described as ‘unprecedented’, the global landscape often seems daunting. Countries classified as democracies are increasingly outnumbered by those classified as autocracies, interstate conflicts have escalated, and the multifaceted impacts of climate change—from health crises to forced displacement—continue to intensify. Meanwhile, gender inequality persists, progress in poverty and inequality reduction has stalled, or even reversed in some contexts, and multilateral co...

Quantifying the economic impact of conflict traps

by Joan Margalef
As we look towards securing a brighter future for coming generations, we must address the complex challenges that threaten sustainable development and global stability. Among these challenges, conflict stands out as a particularly destructive one. In our latest research, we find that a country that falls into conflict is expected to lose 20% of its GDP per capita after 30 years, compared to if it had always been at peace. Even for small countries, this represents a substantial economic loss...

What are foresight methods and how can they secure our common futures?

by Aicha Robei
Future tools and foresight thinking are crucial instruments to improve decision-making for a common future. As a Youth Foresight Fellow with UNICEF, I firmly believe that utilizing foresight, a sophisticated approach for anticipation and strategic planning, is essential in tackling and lessening the impacts of climate change, conflict, and inequality.Foresight allows us to think about the speculated future based on models and data to solve problems and chart a path to a prosperous and nurturing...

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    Blog
    Are Sovereign Wealth Funds fit for purpose in Africa?

    Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have become a symbol of national success and a means for global, commercial and geopolitical influence. But how well do...

    Blog
    Will a revenue boom support development in resource-rich economies?

    The post-COVID-19 economic recovery and Russia’s war with Ukraine have caused some natural resource prices to reach new highs. Although forecasting...

    Blog
    Is marine mining a commercial viability for developing countries?

    The green energy transition is projected to cause an increase in metal demand. Will this demand lead to the opening of deep-seabed mining? As of now...

    Blog
    The 2022 energy shock
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    The price and availability of energy is fundamental to the health of the global economy. The Russia–Ukraine war is intensifying an energy shock that...

    Blog
    Mozambique's difficult decade: Three lessons to inform next steps

    At the start of the last decade, Mozambique’s prospects looked stellar. Following from the early 1990s, when peace finally arrived after a devastating...

    Research Brief
    Unlocking a regional plastics value chain between Mozambique and South Africa

    Plastics are universal and integrated into different sectors of the economy. Industrial policy requires countries to look at moving up the value chain and producing progressively more sophisticated products to contribute to improved economic...

    Policy Brief
    Mining for change

    For a growing number of countries in Africa the discovery of natural resources is a great opportunity, but one accompanied by considerable risks. There is an extensive literature linking natural resource dependence to poor economic performance. One...

    Research Brief
    Developing a Malawi–South Africa value chain for industrial hemp

    Diversifying the agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa is important for the combat against poverty and climate change. In Malawi there are plans for legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp, which would at best bring possibilities for...

    Blog
    Industrial policy in the 21st century: The challenge for Africa
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    Why is there so little industry in Africa? Does it matter? What can be done about it? These were questions I put to Finn Tarp and Louis Kasekende...

    Research Brief
    Global mitigation policies and developing country economies
    Blog
    What should Mozambique do with the revenue from natural gas projects? (Part III)

    At the beginning of this decade, large offshore natural gas fields were discovered in north-east Mozambique. Investment is now flowing into the...

    Blog
    What should Mozambique do with the revenue from natural gas projects? (Part II)

    At the beginning of this decade, large offshore natural gas fields were discovered in north-east Mozambique. Investment is now flowing into the...

    Blog
    What should Mozambique do with the revenue from natural gas projects? (Part I)

    At the beginning of this decade, large offshore natural gas fields were discovered in north-east Mozambique. Investment is now flowing into the...

    Blog
    The ins and outs of African industrialization: UNU-WIDER provides open access to a wealth of information
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    The question ‘why is there so little industrialization in Africa?’ has been a key focus of UNU-WIDER researchers and research partners for the last...

    Research Brief
    Bust before boom
    Research Brief
    Extractives and economic diversification in Mozambique
    Blog
    Information asymmetries in extractive industries: What can be done?
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    In the second part of this blog, Alan R. Roe discusses what is known about the informational failures that pose challenges for governments in...

    Blog
    Forecasting revenues from extractive industries: Information asymmetries and other disadvantages of host governments
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    In the first part of this blog, Alan R. Roe writes about the difficulties governments face in predicting revenues from extractive industries. Read...

    Blog
    What role for East African hydrocarbons in the global economy post-Paris COP21?
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    Over the past decade significant hydrocarbon discoveries have been made across East Africa. Unsurprisingly, the respective governments countries have...

    Research Brief
    The implications of climate change for the extractive industries
    Research Brief
    Oil in Ghana
    Research Brief
    Community development planning
    Blog
    A brief history of the role of energy in the global economy: The last 25 years
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    Ever since the British Industrial Revolution, energy has been a key factor of production. Recent history has proved no exception. The pattern of...

    Blog
    Extractive industries and development - What’s in the UNU-WIDER research pipeline?
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    The recent anti-corruption summit in London highlighted a much-publicized issue in development—transparency is crucial in the minerals sector. However...

    Blog
    Can extractive industries promote development?
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    I spent the last couple of days at a fascinating workshop at UNU-WIDER on the role of extractive industries in development. Tony Addison, UNU-WIDER...

    Blog
    Regional Industrialization and Integration in Southern Africa - Reporting from TIPS Annual Forum
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    The white-painted cluster of traditional style buildings might suggest that this was a farm on the South African veldt. Not so however—it was Trade...

    Blog
    The Nordic Contribution to Development
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    26 March 2014 Tony Addison The Nordic countries have a long-standing commitment to development, and their work in peace-building has taken Nordic...

    Research Brief
    Maximizing the Effectiveness of Foreign Aid in the Forestry Sector

    Forest degradation remains a leading environmental problem, given the scale of forest loss and the crucial role of forests to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Initiatives from the climate change policy arena, especially REDD+, are...

    Blog
    What did we Learn at the L2C Conference about Industrial Development and Policy in Africa?
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    22 August 2013 Roger Williamson Given the high growth rates since 2000 and low labour costs, Africa could develop manufacturing industry, agro...

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    The Gothenburg Graduates and their Impact in Africa – How Aid has Worked: An Interview with Wisdom Akpalu
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    29 August 2013 Carl-Gustav Lindén Since 1997 the University of Gothenburg, Sweden has been running a unique PhD programme on environmental and...

    Blog
    Cost of Capital: The Real Price of Green Energy
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    4 July 2013 Carl-Gustav Lindén In recent years the price of green energy technology has come down dramatically. This means that European investments...

    Research Brief
    The Price of Inaction - Climate Change in Mozambique

    All climate scenarios considered result in reduced national welfare, if no reforms are enacted. If no policy changes are implemented, the present value of climate change costs up to 2050 are between US2 and US7 billion, for the scenarios considered...

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    Aid in the Climate Change Combat
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    17 April 2013 Carl-Gustav Lindén In recent weeks there have been several large gatherings of experts dealing with how to tackle the complex climate...

    Blog
    Ghana’s Oil Resources Toward Economic Growth and Human Development
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    Robert Darko Osei As the country’s oil production shifts into gear, Ghana’s new status as a middle-income country is bound to see a reduction in...

    Blog
    The Macroeconomic Management of Foreign Aid

    Tony Addison, Tseday Mekasha, Milla Nyyssölä, Lucy Scott, Finn Tarp, Tuuli Ylinen To meet development objectives, aid recipients and their donor...

    Blog
    Introducing Carbon Taxes in South Africa
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    James Thurlow South Africa is one of the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters. In 2007 it ranked 13th amongst all countries in terms of its overall...

    Policy Brief
    Policy Responses to the Global Economic Crisis in Africa

    Africa is the developing region most at risk from the global economic crisis. Its recent strong growth has been interrupted. Already home to the largest number of low-income countries in the world, the region is now likely to experience higher...

    Displaying 37 of 37 results