Is the media getting tougher on corruption in aid?
(Updates with more reaction to BBC's Ethiopia report and removes for clarity reference to $144 million of aid money from summary of BBC Online article) This past week hasn't been great for the reputation of the aid world. Media reports have alleged misuse
A planet of men? Since when?
Two months after the failure of COP 15 in Copenhagen, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has announced the creation of an all-male advisory body for climate change financing. With an ambitious task of "build[ing] momentum towards a successful neg
Helping communities in Cambodia save for change
This blog is written by Soleak Seang, Regional Communications Officer with Oxfam America's East Asia Regional Office. When Sean Ing first heard of "Saving for Change" in January 2009, she was skeptical. But Ing had a big expense coming up - her daughter's
Latin America forgets differences to rally around Chile
BOGOTA (AlertNet) - Five days after Chile requested international aid to help it recover from a massive earthquake, Latin American nations have been quick to respond, showing rare solidarity in a region long scuppered by ideological differences and territo
A call for scepticism about the sceptics
In the middle of a recession, when people are struggling to pay their bills, why is the government contemplating sending millions of pounds to the developing world to tackle climate change? Isn't that a hoax anyway? That's the view of some people I've sp
Grassroots climate adaptation efforts paying off
Building climate change adaptations that works will require focusing on community-based ideas, then starting small and scaling up what works. That's been the thinking for some time, but early results from a community adaptation push backed by the U.N. Deve
Detailed reporting aims to improve data, boost faith in climate science
Public opinion polls show a growing number of people question the science behind climate change. A recent stolen email scandal, a handful of errors in key UN reports and some uncharacteristically brutal winter weather in northern climes haven't exactly rea
Shortfall in promised emissions cuts needs quick remedy, Steiner says
To have a fighting chance at keeping global temperature increases below 2 degrees Centigrade - the most widely agreed 'safe' level of climate change - countries will have to stump up significantly deeper emissions cuts than they've promised under the recen
VIDEO: Hurricane-hit Grenada braces for expected climate impacts
The Caribbean island of Grenada, like other small island developing states, is facing daunting challenges as a result of climate change. This short video looks at hurricane damage on the island and the nation's efforts to prepare itself for coming problems
Senegal: Climate change vs. Development Policies
When standing on the shore line at Rufisque L'est, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Dakar, Senegal, it's hard not to buy into apocalyptic climate change scenarios. The beach is gone. Wharves built by the French colonists, once linked to the shore, have b