Blog

For Holistic Violence Prevention, Consider the Local Systems Framework

By: Luke Waggoner, Chemonics International, and Stephen Dudley, InsightCrime Community violence manifests in a myriad of forms from gang violence to organized crime. The gamut of ways in which violence materializes implies a litany of societal cleavages, weak governance, and discordant agendas. Too often, efforts to prevent… Read More

Meet Carmela: A young environmental activist in the Philippines takes on ocean plastic pollution

Cross-posted from USAID Medium blog Asthe sun rises over Cauayan, a city in the Philippines, 22-year-old Carmela Ellaga grabs her bag and slips out of the house. Walking along the serene coastline to her project site, she looks… Read More

5 Ways USAID Empowers Women as Leaders Against the Climate Crisis

This blog was originally published in USAID Medium. With a seat at the table, women contribute to decision making on natural resources and climate solutions Frances D. Blanyon is a mechanical engineer and plant… Read More

Best of 2020 – Ocean Plastics at USAID

Despite the many challenges of 2020, it was an important year for advancing USAID’s work on combating ocean plastic pollution. From new partnerships to unsung heroes, here are some of the highlights of USAID’s ocean plastics work in 2020: 1: Honoring informal waste… Read More

Lanka Upcycles: Making Waves of Change in Waste Less Arugam Bay

Lanka Upcycles is a social enterprise located in the surfer’s paradise of Arugam Bay on the east coast of Sri Lanka. They are making waves with novel approaches to addressing the ocean plastic pollution through its Waste Less Arugam Bay (WLAB) project funded by USAID’s Municipal Waste Recycling Program (MWRP). Read More

Yamuna’s Story – How One Woman is Improving Recycling in Sri Lanka

Two years ago, Yamuna Hemanthi – a housewife with interests in giving back to her community – attended a “training of trainers” event hosted by the Municipal Waste Recycling Program grantee Sri Lanka Centre for Development Facilitation-Galle (SLCDF). The goal of the event was to equip local leaders with the… Read More

Less is more: Reducing water loss to improve resilience in Iraq

Originating in Turkey, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers traditionally have met the vast majority of Iraq’s water needs. Read More

4 New Urban Learning Briefs Available

Urbanization is rapidly increasing, and municipalities are becoming the locus of opportunities and challenges for countries on their journey to self-reliance. By 2050, more than two-thirds of the world’s population will live in urban areas. The majority of that urban growth over the next thirty years is happening in Asia… Read More

USAID Presents on Circular Economy at APEC Webinar

Recently, USAID Senior Urban and Ocean Plastics Specialist, Clare Romanik, was a featured speaker during an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) webinar on land-based waste management. Malaysia, in collaboration with the Malaysian Green Technology & Climate Change Centre and Ocean Conservancy,  invited Ms. Romanik to present how USAID and its… Read More

Seven Ways USAID is Working with Cities

While cities offer tremendous opportunities for progress, they also face a range of complex challenges, from pandemics to pollution. Read More