Blog

Combating Air Pollution for Clean Air and Blue Skies

Air pollution is a grave threat to global health and well-being of everyone. More than six million people die each year from causes related to air pollution—a number that is more than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. A number that is also more than the current number of deaths from… Read More

Women Leading the Waste Bank Movement in Gowa District, Indonesia

In most Indonesian homes, women are responsible for nearly all household chores, including managing waste, but in South Sulawesi’s Gowa District, women are taking steps towards greater gender equality in their homes, while training their community to manage household waste. These changes are supported by Transformasi, a grantee of USAID’s… Read More

How Community Partners are the Key to Improving Air Quality and Mitigating Climate Change

This blog was originally published on Climatelinks. Across the globe, people are struggling to improve air quality, but the sources of pollution that cause the most harm are a moving target. They can differ by location, time of year, and time of day. Frequent exposure to … Read More

Women, Transportation, and Air Pollution in India

This blog was originally published on Climatelinks. Air pollution affects women and girls differently than men and boys. These differences include biological and socioeconomic disparities, and unequal gender norms that affect exposure type and frequency. Gender differences tied to air pollution require different  mitigation efforts for women and… Read More

Women in the Waste Sector: Unlocking Global Climate Gains through Local Action

Originally posted on Climatelinks. Around the world, the visible impacts of plastic pollution are steadily growing, seen in mounting landfills, oceans filled with plastic, and once pristine coastlines that are now clogged with waste. How we produce and consume goods, and dispose of the resulting waste also accounts for… Read More

Linking Air Pollution and Climate Change in Nepal

Poor air quality and climate change are major challenges facing Nepal. Air pollution poses the second highest risk factor for death and disability in the country, behind only malnutrition. Meanwhile, scientists predict that Nepal will be especially vulnerable to climate change over the next century, with… Read More

New Report Analyzes Impacts of Air Pollution on Public Health in Latin America from 2020 to 2030

This blog was originally published on Climatelinks. Air pollution is a major issue in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where its impacts not only contribute to climate change, but also create major health risks for those living in the region. In LAC, air pollution is consistently one… Read More

Catalyzing Action for Clean Air and the Climate

This blog is cross-posted from ClimateLinks. After its success with improving solid waste and water management, the city of Indore, India has consistently been ranked the cleanest city in that country by the government’s annual Swachh Survekshan survey. Now, Indore is focused… Read More

Three Lessons from USAID’s Ocean Plastics Pollution Work in Indonesia

Indonesia is on the forefront of the global ocean plastic pollution challenge. The country produces 6.8 million tons of plastic waste annually, largely driven by rising demand for single-use plastics such as straws, bottles, sachets, and food containers that meet the needs of a rapidly urbanizing population. To date, only… Read More

Identifying Childhood Lead Poisoning in the Philippines

Larah Ibañez was preparing a report on childhood lead poisoning for the government of the Philippines earlier this year when she discovered that the country’s Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS), conducted every three years, included the collection of blood samples.  “I knew immediately that we had to seize this tremendous… Read More