Review on Connecting the Complex Dots of Environmental Problems in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) of Ghana

For years, Accra has been facing huge environmental challenges. Efficient policy frameworks coupled with prudent urban management are deemed as reasonable balance to environmental benefits. Research reveals urban areas in Ghana are confronted with the rapid loss of natural resources as urbanization increases. This synthesis report examines the ramifications of major issues faced by the Greater Accra region based on existing literature by (i) highlighting contemporary environmental problems in Accra (ii) probing into human-induced and natural factors that alterate environmental harmony in the study area (iii) discussing measures on safeguarding the environment through a sustainable approach in Accra, and (iv) presenting policy implications of environmental problems in Accra. Findings indicated urbanization, poverty and inappropriate urban planning systems influence environmental degradation in the study domain. Anthropogenic activities such as pollution and natural hazards like: flooding, drought and windstorms events have altered the physical properties of Accra. This paper reveals the assumption and execution of values to safeguard environmental resources in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.

Navigating Civic Space in a Time of Covid: Synthesis Report

Since long before the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, civic space has been changing all over the globe, generally becoming more restricted and hazardous. The pandemic brought the suspension of many fundamental freedoms in the name of the public good, providing cover for a deepening of authoritarian tendencies but also spurring widespread civic activism on issues suddenly all the more important, ranging from emergency relief to economic impacts. Research partners in the Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA)'s Navigating Civic Space in a Time of Covid project have explored these dynamics through real-time research embedded in civil society in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Pakistan, grounded in a close review of global trends.

Advancing girls' education in light of COVID-19 in East Africa: A synthesis report

More than a billion students around the world have been affected by school closures in the past year and a half (March 2020 to August 2021) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The persistence of the pandemic and the severity of the risks posed by the disruption of education necessitate a strong understanding of the present state of girls’ education in East Africa. This study aimed to understand the current problems posed by COVID-19 for girls’ education in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda; identify the gaps in understanding with regard to these problems; and illuminate solutions. The study is based on a rapid desk review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, coupled with nearly 30 key informant interviews with a range of East African organizations working on education and/or gender issues. These methods were complemented by an interactive, participatory workshop in which interviewees and other education stakeholders validated and supplemented the initial study results. Key findings from the study are summarized in this report.

Reaping the Benefits of Industry 4.0 through Skills Development in High-Growth Industries in Southeast Asia: Insights from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam

This synthesis report explores the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on the future of the job market in Southeast Asia. It is part of the series of reports that assesses how jobs, tasks, and skills are being transformed in industries with high relevance to 4IR technologies in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. The series provides recommendations to strengthen policies, skills, and training as well as new approaches, strategies, and actions to enhance the readiness of each country’s workforce for 4IR.

Towards a More Equal City: Seven Transformations for More Equitable and Sustainable Cities

Urbanization is happening differently today than in the past and occurring most rapidly in places with the fewest resources. Traditional approaches are not able to keep up, leaving billions of people with poor access to basic necessities, dragging down economies and damaging the environment. This synthesis report of the Towards a More Equal City series proposes a new way of thinking about urban development, where the metrics for a functional and thriving city are defined by the quality, reliability and affordability of essential services. The report brings together the best thinking from over six years of research and more than 160 authors and reviewers. It acts as a roadmap for how to break through sectoral silos and the status quo to make cities more equal, which will in turn create prosperity, reduce environmental damage and improve livelihoods. The report documents breakthrough innovations from numerous cities, revealing real solutions and the outcomes of investing in equitable service provision. It also offers a clear path to recovery now and resilience in the future. Human development challenges are increasingly urban development challenges, including the ways in which they relate to climate change. These findings can help cities, countries and the global community make progress on critical global objectives, from the Sustainable Development Goals and UN Habitat’s New Urban Agenda to the Paris Agreement and COVID-19 recovery.