New survey results from 40 countries shows that climate change matters to most people. In the vast majority of countries, fewer than 3% said climate change was not serious at all.
We carried out this research as part of the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute annual Digital News Reports. More than 80,000 people were surveyed online in January and February of this year. Continue reading
The pandemic of Covid-19 has brought many challenges for states of all size and shape, whether economically or politically. The hardest hit is likely to be the least-developed countries like Nepal which already suffer from other handicaps. They lack a long-term strategy to use economic diplomacy successfully to develop the economy of the country. Economic diplomacy is about knowing how to exploit the unique selling points that the country has, maximise the benefits resulting from them and putting in place policies designed to achieve such objectives. The following are some of them:
We are often led to believe that Nepal is a resource poor country, but in reality, it is a country rich in water resources and other resources such medicinal Himalayan herbs and has a huge potential for the development of the tourism and other services sectors. Since the country is endowed with such resources and there is so much potential for the services sector, Nepal is well placed to attract foreign investment to harness its natural resources and develop its services sector since the country has achieved some degree of political stability. Continue reading
London — The international community must support LDC governments in mobilizing adequate resources to allow their health systems to cope with the Covid-19 emergency, while also assisting vulnerable segments of the population, two UN officials have said.
COVID-19 exacerbates poverty risks in the poorest countries
Writing a blog, Paul Akiwumi and Giovanni Valensisi of the Division for Africa and Least Developed Countries, UNCTAD, have also called for the provision of emergency financial resources – preferably on a grant basis – and of technical support, as well as secure access to critical medical supplies. Continue reading
JEDDAH: In a speech at an extraordinary virtual conference of education ministers on Thursday, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen — secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) — stressed the value of sharing ways in which countries have managed their education systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, Arabnews writes.
The conference — organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) — was attended by 38 education ministers and five deputy ministers, and representatives of 12 Continue reading
Worldbank, Washington DC — The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a $39.5 million project to help South Asia build resilience to climate threats and disasters by sharing regional data and knowledge, developing regional standards and guidelines for infrastructure, and promoting climate-resilient policies and investments.
The Climate Adaptation and Resilience for South Asia (CARE) Project will help develop a public platform to inform climate planning and investments, and fund innovative and disruptive technology to support resilience in South Asia. It will also assess climate impacts in districts across Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan to support agriculture, livestock, water, and transport. Continue reading
London – The Group of 20 leading economies have agreed to provide temporary debt relief to the world’s poorest countries in the wake of the corona pandemic.
During a teleconference meeting held on Wednesday, G-20 finance ministers and central bankers said the moratorium on debt payments would begin on May 1 and last through the end of the year 2020. They also asked private creditors to join them. Continue reading
London – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board has approved immediate debt relief for 25 countries including Afghanistan and Nepal.
In a statemetn issued on Monday, Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said, “I am pleased to say that our Continue reading
London– The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund have called upon the G20 countries to provide debt relief for the poorest countries as they are fighting to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The coronavirus outbreak is likely to have severe economic and social consequences for IDA countries, home to a quarter of the world’s population and two-thirds of the world’s population living in extreme poverty,” the organisations said. Continue reading
Daily Sabha — Nibbling their way across a large part of Africa in the worst outbreak, locust swarms are now threatening South Asian countries with India taking extra measures to ward off a new outbreak that could ravage crops. India is buying drones and specialist equipment to monitor the movement of locusts and spray insecticides.
Earlier this year, Indian authorities were able to bring swarms of desert locusts under control, but an outbreak in neighboring Pakistan has again raised concerns about the safety of crops such as wheat and oilseeds in India. Continue reading
