China will have to play by international rules on transparency and accountability if it wants to secure its place as a leader for economic development in Asia.
Raja Ampat is one of the richest in bio-marine life in the world. But many inhabitants of the cluster of islands in West Papua, Indonesia live in poverty.
It is important to prosecute militants who destroy antiquities. But ‘everyday’ development - from dams flooding towns to the impact of mining on Indigenous rock art – does vastly more damage to heritage than war.
The prevailing political fights over control of state-owned enterprises in South Africa has the potential to have a deep impact on the economy, and the quality and direction of the development state.
South Africa’s parastatals are in a dire state. Instead of being the mandated sites of development and profitability, they are costing the public purse billions and have been abused.
Australia’s Great Northern Savannas are the largest and most intact ecosystem of their kind on Earth. But they still face pressure from grazing, mining and agricultural expansion.
Recent floods in southeast Louisiana were the most severe U.S. natural disaster since 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. Suburban sprawl and slow execution of flood control projects worsened the damage.
Koala numbers in parts of Australia are in decline as they move from development of their land. But they can learn to take safer routes if they are built as part of the urban design.
Ecuador is known for promoting the ‘Buen Vivir’ development policy agenda. But the state’s response to a recent earthquake brought its commitment into question.