World Development News

September 9, 2016

Global Economic Downturn Linked to Cancer Deaths

Globally, More Obese Than Underweight

Severe Water Stress Likely in Asia by 2050

Global Nitrogen Footprint Mapped for First Time

Latest Headlines

updated 1:05am EDT

Recessions Are Harmful to Health

Sep. 6, 2016 — A review of studies investigating the 2008 recession in Europe show it was associated with adverse health outcomes, particularly for suicides and mental health problems, finds a ... read more

Climate Change: Trade Liberalization Could Buffer Economic Losses in Agriculture

Aug. 24, 2016 — Global warming could create substantial economic damage in agriculture, a new study finds. Around the globe, climate change threatens agricultural ... read more

Biological Invasions Threaten Developing Countries

Aug. 23, 2016 — Invasions from alien species such as Japanese knotweed and grey squirrels threaten the economies and livelihoods of residents of some of the world's poorest nations, new research ... read more

Historically Robust Natural Ecosystems Could Collapse Due to Climate Change, Human Activity

Aug. 11, 2016 — Global change will strike the oldest and most complex ecosystems of the world hardest, regardless of their past stability, warn experts in a new ... read more

Managing Climate Change Refugia to Protect Wildlife

Aug. 10, 2016 — Natural and cultural areas that will remain similar to what they are today -- despite climate change -- need to be identified, managed and conserved as 'refugia' for at-risk species, according to a ... read more

Cities Face Dramatic Increase in Water Treatment Spending When Watersheds Are Developed

July 25, 2016 — A new global study has found that one in three large cities spend 50 percent more on water treatment costs as a result of damage to the ecological ... read more

Climate Disasters Increase Risk of Armed Conflict in Multi-Ethnic Countries

July 25, 2016 — Climate disasters like heat-waves or droughts enhance the risk of armed conflicts in countries with high ethnic diversity, scientists found. They used a novel statistical approach to analyze data ... read more

Poor African-American Men Have Lowest Likelihood of Overall Survival

July 18, 2016 — African-American men living below poverty had the lowest overall survival in a study that examined the effects of sex, race and socioeconomic status on overall mortality, according to an ... read more

Viral Hepatitis Kills as Many as Malaria, TB or HIV/AIDS, Finds Study

July 7, 2016 — Viral hepatitis has become one of the leading causes of death and disability across the globe -- killing at least as many people annually as TB, malaria or HIV/AIDS. This is the finding of new ... read more

700-Year-Old West African Soil Technique Could Help Mitigate Climate Change

June 16, 2016 — A 700-year-old fertile soil technique could mitigate climate change and revolutionize farming across Africa, say researchers. They discovered that the ancient West African method of adding charcoal ... read more

Djibouti's Khat Addiction Holding Back Development

India Seeks 'climate Justice' For Poor Nations at Paris Talks

New Yorkers Rally for New UN Climate and Poverty Goals

Obama and Pope Address Climate Change and Poverty at White House

Scientists Combine Satellite Data, Machine Learning to Map Poverty

Aug. 18, 2016 — The availability of accurate and reliable information on the location of impoverished zones is surprisingly lacking for much of the world. Applying machine learning to satellite images could identify ... read more

Adding Milk, Meat to Diet Dramatically Improves Nutrition for Poor in Zambia

Aug. 10, 2016 — Adding livestock to poor households in developing countries such as Zambia is shown to improve their financial status, but how the addition of milk and meat to their diet effects their nutrition has ... read more

Global Experts Call on UN to Mobilize a Global Action Plan to Widen Access to Antibiotics

July 15, 2016 — Today some of the world's experts on antibiotic resistance called on the UN to act to reduce the growing number of deaths due to limited access to effective ... read more

Engineers Selected to Safeguard and Develop China's Sustainable Agriculture

July 11, 2016 — Aerospace engineers are researching how to improve unmanned autonomous ground and air vehicles -- such as fixed wing aircraft or quadrotors -- in order to fulfill remote data collection requirements ... read more

Europe: Don't Adopt Australian Style Immigration System, Warn Ethicists

June 27, 2016 — European countries should not adopt Australia's immigration system, with its emphasis on deterrence, warn ethicists in a new ... read more

New Insights Into California Electricity Crisis May Help Prevent Future Crises

June 16, 2016 — Between 2000 and 2001, California experienced the biggest electricity crisis in the US since World War II. Exactly how it happened, however, is complex. New research now reveals insights into the ... read more

Absent Investments, 200 Million Children May Not Reach Their Potential, Experts Say

June 16, 2016 — Thirty-one academic experts in children's health argue that absent urgent action by international aid agencies, 200 million children around the world could sustain serious, lifelong cognitive ... read more

Study Investigates Why Blacks Have Higher Risk of Cognitive Impairment

May 31, 2016 — Social and economic disadvantages play a significant role in why blacks face a much higher risk than whites of developing cognitive impairment later in life, indicates an American ... read more

Expert Urges Voluntary Family Planning to Mitigate Climate Change

May 27, 2016 — A professor calls for action to tackle the effect of a rapidly growing world population on greenhouse gas ... read more

Unmet Surgical Needs High for World's 60 Million Refugees

May 26, 2016 — The world’s estimated 60 million refugees, displaced from their homes due to conflict, persecution or human rights violations, may need at least 2.78 million surgeries a year, something thought to ... read more

Paris Climate Agreement Cannot Be Met Without Emissions Reduction Target for Agriculture

May 17, 2016 — Scientists have calculated, for the first time, the extent to which agricultural emissions must be reduced to meet the Paris climate agreement's plan to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius in ... read more

Poor Countries to Bear Brunt of Climate Change Despite Emitting Least Carbon Dioxide

May 16, 2016 — Many of the world's poorest countries are expected to experience daily heat extremes due to climate change sooner than wealthier nations. New research shows that the poorest fifth of the global ... read more

Post-Conflict Reconciliation Led to Societal Healing, but Worsened Psychological Health

May 12, 2016 — Reconciliation programs promote societal healing, but that these gains come at the cost of reduced psychological health, worsening depression, anxiety, and ... read more

Migrant Money Puts Aid in the Shade

May 12, 2016 — International remittances have poverty and inequality-reducing effects in Sub-Saharan Africa, new research suggests. The results suggest that a 10% increase in remittances as share of gross domestic ... read more

Team Highlights Ways to Address Global Food System Challenges

May 6, 2016 — A new study presents strategies to address the complex challenges of producing food for a growing global population, while reducing environmental impacts and increasing resilience in the face of ... read more

What Can We Expect Next in the Long History of Lead Poisoning in the US?

May 2, 2016 — While state and federal officials continue to criticize each other for failing to guarantee safe drinking water, the question of exactly who is responsible for crises like in Flint, Michigan, lies at ... read more

Demographic Changes Increase the Risk of Natural Fires

May 2, 2016 — In many parts of the world, grass and forest fires pose a threat to animals and humans. According to a new study from Sweden, while climate change is likely to cause more and larger fires, in the ... read more

Milestone in the Battle Against Arsenic And Fluoride-Contaminated Drinking Water

Apr. 28, 2016 — Over 300 million people worldwide use groundwater contaminated with arsenic or fluoride as a source of drinking water. Now a research team has developed a method whereby the risk of contamination in ... read more

Landscape Ecology Must Play a Role in Policymaking

Apr. 27, 2016 — Landscape ecology considers the influence of time and space on environmental patterns. Because of this focus, it is uniquely positioned to inform crucial policy decisions -- in particular, those ... read more

Global Snapshot of Indigenous Peoples Health Released

Apr. 21, 2016 — A world-first study into the health and wellbeing of more than 154 million indigenous and tribal people globally reveals the extent of work that needs to be done if the United Nations is to meet its ... read more

Thursday, August 18, 2016