Vast majority of countries worldwide have achieved social progress since 2011
Progress has been made globally on eight of 12 key indicators. The Gambia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Tunisia shown particularly notable improvement.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Zimbabwe electric utility company ZEDTC starts solar net metering
Net metering is one of the best ways of catalyzing the rapid uptake of distributed renewable energy generation.
Algorithm helps find world’s poorest people to send them cash directly
GiveDirectly and UC Berkeley designed an algorithm that uses AI to identify the poorest individuals in the poorest areas in order to provide them with cash relief.
New Africa alliance aims to tackle deadly COVID ‘infodemic’
The Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), brings together 13 international and regional organizations, together with fact-checking groups which have expertise in data and behavioural science, epidemiology, research, digital health and communications.
Asambe launches electric bicycle & scooter sharing service in Zimbabwe
Asambe, a pan-African electric scooter & bicycle sharing and guided tour service company, launched its platform in Harare, Zimbabwe last week after a successful 6-month pilot.
Kenya trial examines effect of universal basic income during pandemic
Unique new research is looking at the effects of UBI during a pandemic by analyzing data from a massive ongoing 12-year income study in Kenya, and its conclusion suggests the policy may help individual well-being but it is not a silver-bullet solution in times of extreme disruption.
Tristan da Cunha establishes a massive marine protected area
The government of Tristan da Cunha, a four-island archipelago of about 250 people, has announced that it will be protecting approximately 700,000 square kilometers of its waters, creating the world’s fourth-largest Marine Protected Area.
New anti-poaching motion sensor recognizes when wildlife is on the run
Modern sensors have given conservationists a powerful new tool in the fight against poaching. A new research project at the University of Twente could harness this technology in yet another useful way, by mixing motion sensors with machine learning to recognize when wildlife is responding to a nearby threat.
Ambitious reforestation project will plant 3 million trees in Uganda
The project is the fruit of a strategic partnership between the Jane Goodall Institute and reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted and will focus on restoring habitat for endangered chimpanzees by adding 3 million trees to the Albertine Rift Forests.
Zimbabwe bans coal mining in all national parks
The new policy reverses an earlier decision to allow two firms to drill and survey for coal in the world-renowned Hwange National Park, home to more than 40,000 elephants and a population of endangered black rhino, as well as leopard and painted dog conservation programs.