The Pacific region has seen enormous growth in urban populations as more and more people migrate from rural areas to capital cities. As a result, water, sanitation, and health care have become challenges in many parts of the region. According to a report by the World Bank, these urban hubs are now in urgent need of improvement.
One of the predominant news stories over the past few months has been the migrant crisis in Europe.
Driven by civil wars, refugees from the Middle East and beyond are flowing into the European Union. Over the next 18 months, the UN is expecting more than 1.4 million refugees to arrive in the EU.
The swell will have many long-term implications, but governments and citizens are facing a more pressing question: what policies should they adopt toward refugees in the short term? Should they welcome them, reject them or something in between?
An increase in land supply is the usual solution put forward to solve the housing affordability crisis. What proponents of this argument fail to mention is that you need an industry prepared to deliver housing on that land and any development must be profitable to occur.
The models used by the sector to determine profitability assume both revenue and land value will be maximised. This immediately presents a barrier to delivering housing affordable to those on low to moderate incomes.
It is hard to overplay the importance of the damning report from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that has presented evidence of widespread and systematic doping – particularly in Russia, which it recommends should be suspended from competition. The investigation has provided world sport with a long-overdue and historically significant moment of truth. The global response to this scandal could indelibly shape the nature of sport.
Climate change has been on many people’s minds for the last few years, but few consider how it could affect the poorest members of society. A recent report by the World Bank cautions that climate change could push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030. This would be the result of disruptions to agriculture and the spread of disease, such as malaria.
Everyone has experienced it. Striding along in a purposeful hurry, your progress thwarted by a slow-moving pedestrian, dawdling along the pavement. Perhaps they are talking into their mobile phone, looking lost or just plain taking their time. It can drive you mad.
The question is, should it?
We are all aware that a number of controversies surround the concept of climate change. However, if we put the possible causes to one side, there is a general scientific consensus that the climate is changing. A changing climate might, obviously, have a significant impact on us all but in a world of differing environments and, indeed, of inequalities, some societies seem set to be adversely affected more than others do.
The concept “financial inclusion” in mainstream business and development circles means an all-encompassing term for innovation in financial services for the poor. Financial inclusion is part of an important economic development programme to solve the lack of access to formal financial services for billions of people around the world.
The world’s population is becoming increasingly urban. Sometime in 2007 is the turning point when city dwellers formed the majority of the global population for the first time in history. Today, the trend toward urbanisation continues: as of 2014, about 54% of the world’s population lives in cities – and it expects to reach 66% by 2050. Migration forms a significant, and often controversial, part of this urban population growth.
Recent statements suggest that the United States will soon conduct freedom of navigation (FON) operations against China’s artificial formations in the South China Sea (SCS). But there is far more handwringing going on than necessary, as demonstrated in a recent East Asia Forum article in which Mark Valencia warns that proposed FON challenges are ‘ill-advised, and even dangerous’.
