Showing 1 - 10 of 94
The 'billions to trillions' charade
Oped, Published on 23/05/2024
» The international development sector has become fixated on calculating financing gaps. Hardly a day goes by without new estimates of the funds low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) need to meet their climate targets and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
'Brain drain' follows military coup
News, Published on 08/04/2024
» Three years after the coup on Feb 1, 2021, the Myanmar military government, aka the "Tatmadaw", has suffered significant losses as a result of the 1027 operation by the Three Brotherhood Alliance (3BTA), which started in October.
Why don't Japanese give to charity?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 06/04/2024
» On Jan 1, as Japan celebrated the new year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula, causing buildings to crumble, forcing mass evacuations, and leading to more than 200 deaths. But in the wake of the tragedy, something beautiful happened: an outpouring of support by philanthropic organisations and individuals, including support from beyond Japan's borders. More than 140,000 people donated US$5 million (183.7 million baht) through the Nippon Foundation alone.
The toxic legacy left by the Green Revolution
Oped, Published on 15/02/2024
» There are more than 390,000 identified plant species in the world, but just three -- rice, maize, and wheat -- account for roughly 60% of the plant-based calories in our diets. The dominance of these three grains is largely the result of major technological breakthroughs, particularly the development of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice and wheat during the Green Revolution of the 1960s.
India's great employment challenge
News, Published on 22/01/2024
» India seems to be a favourite growth story nowadays. Despite valid concerns about the accuracy of official statistics, the economy is projected to expand by 6.3% in 2024 -- an undeniably remarkable feat given that its GDP exceeds $4.1 trillion. While it remains a lower-middle-income country with a per capita income under US$3,000 (106,500 baht), its rapid growth suggests that its economic potential may be greater than expected. But any optimism about economic prospects must be tempered by its inability to address two challenges. The first is the unequal distribution of the benefits of rapid economic growth, which have accrued predominantly to the top 10–20% of income earners.
Tackling populism at its roots
News, Published on 10/01/2024
» As Western democracies become increasingly polarised, rural and small-town voters are regularly pitted against their counterparts in larger urban centres. While this is not a new phenomenon -- and certainly not the only factor affecting voting patterns -- the rural-urban divide is a significant driver of today's culture wars. This dynamic, which economist Andres Rodriguez-Pose evocatively described as the "revenge of the places that don't matter", suggests that the ongoing populist surge largely reflects geographic disparities.
Street vendors need space to make a living
News, Published on 16/11/2023
» A wave of evictions recently hit Dakar's bustling Liberté 6 market, a roughly 1.6-kilometre-long commercial hub that has served its community for more than 20 years. Hundreds of street vendors' stalls were bulldozed to make way for a new bus system. Authorities gave prior notice and an indemnity to help with the loss of business, but did not address the real problem: the lack of trading space.
Heat's rising for Thailand to go green
Oped, Somkiat Tangkitvanich, Published on 08/11/2023
» The world is boiling hot, not simply warming. Therefore, Thailand's response must extend beyond planting trees and carbon credit sales. To weather humanity's greatest crisis and safeguard our economy, we must transform into a low-carbon society and economy.
Should fiscal policy resemble private budgets?
News, Koichi Hamada, Published on 06/11/2023
» Every few months this year, the US government appears on the verge of shutting down. It happened in May, when congressional Republicans initially refused to raise the debt ceiling, and in September, when Congress managed to avert a last-minute shutdown by passing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government open until Nov 17.
What pandemic preparedness would look like
Oped, Published on 06/10/2023
» Humanity was caught off guard by the Covid-19 pandemic, even though we had effectively been warned by smaller-scale outbreaks -- of Sars, Ebola, Mers and avian flu -- for decades.