Browsing Tag
Africa
39 posts
Quenching Thirst. Real Thirst.
In a world increasingly characterized by abundance and technological advancement, it is a harsh reality that many of…
How The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Uprooted Millions
Here are some things you need to know about the biggest slave trade in history. The forced slavery…
Developing Countries Could Get Sick Before They Get Rich. Policy Can Help
Improved human well-being is one of the modern era’s greatest triumphs. The age of plenty has also led…
Why So Many Epidemics Originate In Asia And Africa – And Why We Can Expect More
The coronavirus disease, known as COVID-19, is a frightening reminder of the imminent global threat posed by emerging…
In 2100, These 10 Countries Will Emerge As The Largest
Some of the ten most populous countries in the world right now will no longer be on the…
African Countries Can’t Industrialise? Yes, They Can
Narratives are essential. Humans are, after all, “helpless story junkies”. Business and economic success depend much more than…
Knowing What Leads To Building Collapses Can Help Make African Cities Safer
It’s a sadly familiar image in several developing countries’ media reports: people frantically searching the rubble of a…
Slavery Was Never Abolished – It Affects Millions, And You May Be Funding It
When we think of slavery, many of us think of historical or so-called “traditional forms” of slavery –…
An Intriguing Sci-Fi Vision Of A Megacity
Artist Olalekan Jeyifous creates fantastical, futuristic images of Lagos, Nigeria, to get people thinking about how we live…
Rooftop Farming: Why Vertical Gardening Is Blooming In Kampala
Ugandans are finding creative solutions to the growing challenges of urbanisation. When Martin Agaba realised his urban farm…
How Can Countries Help Refugees While Also Raising Their GDP? Let Them Work.
Uganda is an eye-opening example of how displaced people can lift up a nation, say economics professor Paul…
Lessons From Cities That Plan For Their Rivers
In Nairobi, Kenya, the government is destroying buildings constructed on riparian land in a bid to mitigate the…
Who Belongs In A City?
Underneath every shiny new megacity, there’s often a story of communities displaced. In this moving, poetic talk, OluTimehin…
Torpedoing Africa, And Then Complaining About ‘Migration’
European countries are still shaping the lives of millions of Africans, determining both their present and future. Out…
The Solution To Poverty Is Opportunity, Not Charity
Treating symptoms is not enough. When we fall ill, our bodies give us symptoms to signal to our brains…
World Poverty Has Plummeted—But Will It Ever Disappear?
Few will deny that the past few years have been rough. But believe it or not, we’re still…
This African City Is Turning A Mountain Of Trash Into Energy
Africa is the world’s fastest-urbanizing continent. But while city life has helped lift millions out of poverty, the…
How Cape Town Was Saved From Running Out Of Water
Late last year, as the South African government faced the prospect of its largest city running out of…
How To Assess Political Stability? Follow The Bread Path
When Egyptians were protesting in 2011, they held up piece of bread and demanded “bread, freedom and social justice”.…
Humans May Have Transformed The Sahara From Lush Paradise To Barren Desert
Once upon a time, the Sahara was green. There were vast lakes. Hippos and giraffe lived there, and large…
The 100 Million City : Is 21st Century Urbanisation Out Of Control?
Projections suggest cities will swell at an astonishing pace – but whether that means our salvation or an…
Why Education Is Key To Preserving The Planet
“The evidence is clear: education changes lives, in ways that are often not fully understood.” For instance, quality…
To Stop Migration, Stop The Abuse Of Africa’s Resources
Europe should tackle migration not by deploying troops, but by curbing economic abuse and destablisation. On January 17,…
Can Education Become Truly Egalitarian Worldwide?
The recent Dakar (Senegal) international summit on education concluded on February 3 with the hope to raise $3.1 billion “over…
Four Reasons Why Corruption Matters
More than a trillion dollars are stolen from the world’s poorest countries every year, which is such a vast sum that…
Why Resource Rich Countries Grow Slowly?
Why do countries face “The resource curse phenomenon” and how can countries having large natural resource reserves can…
Is The American Dream Turning Into A Nightmare?
US slips to 14th out of 155 countries ranked with Norway out in front – and Trump’s policies…
HUNGRY FUTURE: If Cities Take Over Fertile Farms
Cropland losses will have consequences especially for Asia and Africa, which will experience growing food insecurity as cities…
Hong Kong, Hong Kong … Why So Costly … Says Expats
London falls from 12th to 17th place in annual survey amid declining value of pound and EU referendum…
Africa’s Urban Megatrends Can Only Succeed If…
With more than half of Africans expected to live in cities by 2050, we need to turn urban…
The World Worries A Lot But Not Enough For Real Problems
UN fears that food aid will not arrive in time to help people of ravaged countries. Up to…
Africa’s Top 10 ‘Cities Of Opportunity’
For the first time in history over half the world’s population live in cities — more than 54%…
A Solution To Youth Unemployment Path In Africa & The World
Today’s Africa faces a complex mix of challenges and promise. With almost 200 million youth ages 15 to…
Why Nanotech’s Best Benefits In Africa Begins With Our Waste
A cheap, easy to maintain, “green” toilet that uses no water and turns human waste into electricity and…
On The Edge Of Existence, The City Of Timbuktu
What is life like in Mali’s ‘city in the middle of nowhere’? Guardian photographer Sean Smith recently spent…
How Africa’s Libraries Can Be Its Launchpad To The World
South African librarians were shocked in 2013 when one of the top researchers at the Cape Peninsula University…
Expanding Walkability In African Cities
Africa is the world’s most rapidly urbanising continent. Transit in cities will have to adapt to encourage walkability…
How Overlooked Colonial Railways Could Revolutionize Transportation In Africa
Resurrecting relics of imperial rule is an unorthodox transit-development policy. But Africa’s “secondary cities” are set to benefit.…
Africa and Asia and the Urban Population Boom
The UN predicts that two-thirds of the world will live in cities by 2050, with 90% of growth…