The inaugural New Cities Summit, a global forum organised by the Geneva-based New Cities Foundation on the future of urban areas, was attended by CADS director Marco Picardi. Taking place on 14-16 May, the three-day event featured inspirational talks from global thought leaders from a range of disciplines – technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, national and local government, the...
Confirmation by the UN of a cholera outbreak in the world’s biggest refugee camp is as disconcerting as it is thought-provoking. The news from Dadaab in Kenya comes barely a month after the kidnapping of two Medecins Sans Frontieres aid workers in October from the camp, and follows countless reports of rape and abuse on the sprawling site. How is...
A recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on oil production in the Niger Delta has shone light on one of the world’s least reported environmental catastrophes. The culmination of a fourteen month scientific assessment in Ogoniland uncovered decimated ecosystems, livelihoods destroyed, and serious implications for public health in the region. Oilfield maintenance here has failed to adhere...
Today’s hoisting of a new flag and the signing of a new constitution mark the birth of South Sudan. The creation of the world’s newest country is a momentous point in African history as it marks the first significant break from the colonial state lines of the last century (see image below from 1913). But,...
This week’s first ever meeting of G20 agricultural ministers in Paris marks the birth of a new era of global collaboration on food policy. As food prices reached record highs earlier this year, and rapid urbanisation continues to change the complexion of global resource needs, this is an opportune moment for political...
With Kinshasa set to rival Lagos for the title of Africa’s biggest city by 2025, it looks certain to become one of the continent’s most important engines for growth. But, this will not be achieved through size alone. The environmental implications of poorly planned urban expansion risk inhibiting long-term social, political, and economic prospects....
With global remittance payments outweighing humanitarian aid three times over, the significance of these money flows for development in Africa is clear. Despite an overall drop in transactions due to the financial crisis, migrants are still sending considerable sums home, Nigeria for example received $10 billion in 2009, and the percentage contribution of remittance...
BBC News – Africa AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (Africa)
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