WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

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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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Two poems by Neide Sigaúque

by Neide Sigaúque
On 15 May, poet Neide Sigaúque was commissioned to perform two poems on the themes of the WIDER Development Conference The world at crossroads – securing the future generations held in Maputo, Mozambique.One cannot sleep here, let alone dream I am Neide Sigaúque,A womanfrom the southern side of the Third World,Mozambique, 'land of the good people'.I was born in an independent country —independently of my parents' liberation struggle,today dependent on external aid.A country with an economy...

Counting (on) the labour market to secure a just transition

by Haroon Bhorat, François Steenkamp
The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for all. The Agreement necessitates a transition away from fossil fuel-based economic production, particularly the use of coal as a source of energy. In 2021, coal constituted 36% of global primary energy supply, while accounting for 40.3% of global CO2 emissions.Whilst the use of coal as a primary energy source varies across countries, South Africa is...

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...

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    Blog
    Just transitions and the importance of social protection reforms for ambitious climate action

    As greenhouse gases once again climb to record levels, countries are under pressure to make the move to a low-carbon economy. Policies that move in...

    Blog
    Counting (on) the labour market to secure a just transition

    The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for...

    Blog
    Studying food price dynamics in Mozambique – insights from the field

    In Mozambique, analysing how and why food prices change is crucial. Understanding the dynamics of price formation is fundamental to mitigate the...

    Blog
    The poorest countries attract few foreign investments
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    The share of the least developed countries (LDCs) in global foreign investments is less than one percent. But positive developments have taken place...

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    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
    Can agriculture be the key to Mozambican prosperity?: Report from the 2023 IGM Annual Conference
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    More than 70% of the Mozambican population depends on subsistence agriculture. As such, the agriculture sector is undoubtedly of fundamental...

    Blog
    How climate change increases vulnerability to human trafficking in the Philippines
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    As COP28 unfolds, I share new findings on the impact of climate change on human rights violations and, more specifically, on human trafficking as...

    Blog
    Sustainable Cities Discussion Forum: Cities have important role in mitigating climate threats
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    'Our window to avoid climate catastrophe is closing rapidly, and yet there are still many reasons for optimism.' This statement sums up a recent third...

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    Direct support to small scale farmers reduces poverty: What Zambia is doing right

    Over half of Zambia’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2015. In rural areas, where 89% of households are engaged in agriculture...

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    Putting it all together: Highlights from The puzzle of peace
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    ‘Understanding how to sustain peace means understanding conflict itself. Yet conflict and peacebuilding are often addressed separately’ – Patricia...

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    From offshore oil to offshore finance: How tax havens facilitate corruption in the extractive industries

    In many countries, news of an oil discovery or the award of an exploration license is rarely greeted with enthusiasm by the general public. Any hopes...

    Blog
    From summits to solutions: what success means at COP26
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    At the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, world leaders discussed the need to scale-up ambition to address key global challenges...

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    Reducing wasted gas emissions is an opportunity for clean air and climate

    The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is seen as the last best chance for countries and companies to set out how they are actually...

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    Looking ahead to COP26
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    The long-awaited COP26 in Glasgow is about to start. Billed as the most important COP to date, it is widely seen as a last chance to avoid a global...

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    The value of non-renewable resources in the era of climate change
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    The economic decline of Nauru, an island in the Central Pacific, is a cautionary tale. Nauru was the highest GDP per capita country in the world in...

    Blog
    The zero carbon agenda and metals demand: some major dilemmas
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    The transition to net zero over the next few decades will involve a large increase in the global demand for many metals essential to the renewables...

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    Long-term research in Tanzania sheds light on the reasons rural households diversify their income
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    Researchers and policymakers have long asked whether rural households in Africa diversify their income to spread risk or by seizing opportunities to...

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    Infrastructure spend: insights from the effect of a bridge across the Zambezi on maize prices
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    Investments in infrastructure – such as roads – typically aim to reduce transport costs, stimulate trade, and make new production activities viable...

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    Technology and supermarket chains can help strengthen southern Africa’s food systems

    Agriculture and agro-processing value chains have been under pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been particularly marked where they...

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    Finding keys for development in Africa
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    Economics researcher Aimable Nsabimana shares the relevance and inspiration behind his recent work with UNU-WIDER on climate change and human...

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    Slow death or new direction for the UN?
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    For most of its 75-year existence, the United Nations has struggled to strike a balance between its lofty founding aspirations and realities on the...

    Research Brief
    How can agro-processing value chains be developed to strengthen regional integration in Southern Africa?

    Regional integration in Africa has potential for increasing regional trade and contribute towards industrialization and economic development. Agro-processing trade offers numerous opportunities for southern Africa countries and is a potential area of...

    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...

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    Indonesia's huge fires and toxic haze will cause health problems for years to come
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    Indonesia is currently in the throes of an environmental emergency. Thousands of hectares of forest are burning across the vast country, causing toxic...

    Research Brief
    Global mitigation policies and developing country economies
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    New book from Oxford University Press looks at how to make extractive industries sustainable and inclusive
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    Originally posted by Oxford Policy Management The extractives sector, and the way it works, continues to change rapidly and its importance to many...

    Research Brief
    Potential benefits and pitfalls of extractives in Mozambique

    Mozambique has seen a significant expansion of interest and investment in its extractive industries. New gas finds in the past ten years have led to expectations that these industries will contribute very significantly to the country’s future...

    Policy Brief
    Aid, environment and climate change
    Policy Brief
    The political economy of clean energy
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    Income generation and malaria in Uganda

    Several large-scale efforts have been made to combat malaria in the last decade under the Millennium Development Goals, and while these have led to a...

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    Energy subsidies are bigger than aid in more than half of poor countries … but we spend very little trying to reduce them
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    Which of the following do you think is the most important need in developing countries? Free health services for all to reduce child and maternal...

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    Lower exploration spending – another response to the end of the commodity price boom
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    My previous blog, which you can read here, commented on the manner in which mining companies had been able to respond to the recent decline in metals...

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    Cost reductions as a response to the end of the commodity price boom
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    The recent publication of the 3rd edition of ICMM’s The Role of Mining in National Economies (hereafter RoMiNE3) provides us with the welcome biennial...

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    How are rural households in Viet Nam doing?
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    Viet Nam has seen major economic shifts which started in the 1980s and continue today. Many strides have been made as the country goes through...

    Research Brief
    The implications of climate change for the extractive industries
    Research Brief
    Mining as a spur to regional growth and industrial development in southern Africa
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    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...

    Research Brief
    Future climate scenarios for South Africa

    More intense climate changes are expected in South Africa if GHG emissions are not constrained. Increased GHG emissions are likely to result in increases in average annual surface temperatures and higher evaporation rates. Average precipitation...

    Research Brief
    Climate change effects on irrigation demand and crop yields in South Africa

    The demand for irrigation is likely to increase in South Africa as a result of increased temperatures and evaporation rates. Rain-fed agricultural crops are likely to experience a decline in average annual yields. This is particularly the case for...

    Research Brief
    Food production competitiveness and regional growth in southern Africa

    15-20% of local demand for poultry in South Africa is met by imports Evidence from Zambia suggests that capital investments in the value chain can increase local production Increased demand due to growing urban populations poses critical challenges...

    Research Brief
    Potential impacts of climate change on national water supply in South Africa

    Climate change risks for run-off and irrigation demand vary significantly across South Africa, with some regions expected to experience increased drying and others flooding Smaller impacts on water resources by 2050 are expected if global emissions...

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    Extractives, climate change, and development

    To read this blog, on a computer screen or mobile phone (or even paper!), a manufacturing process ­used plastics derived from oil, and metals mined...

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    Climate Change – The last 30 years and the next 30
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    With COP21 currently taking place in Paris, the thoughts of UNU-WIDER Research Fellow Channing Arndt on the past and future of the climate change...

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    Environmental change and economic development in Africa
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    The MIT Global Change Forum has gained an international reputation for serious, frank, and informed discussion of global climate change. The Forum...

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    Malawi's Farm Subsidy Benefits the Poor but Doesn't Come Cheap

    Malawi’s farm input subsidy benefits the poor and can be part of a viable national development strategy. Agriculture is Malawi’s main economic sector...

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    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...

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    What Mozambique Can Do to Achieve Rapid Economic and Social Progress
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    In the more than two decades since democratic elections signalled a new era in Mozambique, a great deal has been accomplished. Nearly all development...

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    The Political Economy of Food Price Policy - An Interview with Per Pinstrup-Andersen
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    In this interview, Per Pinstrup-Andersen talks about the international project which has culminated in the book Food Price Policy in an Era of Market...

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