Food insecurity remains a critical issue affecting millions of people across the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP). The region faces a wide range of food security challenges—from acute conflict-related humanitarian crises in some areas to affordability concerns in others, and from high levels of economic prosperity to accompanying nutritional deficits. The food […]
Education is part of the enabling infrastructure required for jobs, social development, and future economic growth. Unfortunately, low- and middle-income countries face an urgent skills crisis with nearly 70% of children unable to read a simple text by age 10. In response, governments, households, and donors spend more than $5.8 trillion annually on financing education […]
UK CPI inflation in 1975 reached 25%, a period now known as the ‘Great Inflation’. This column uses a range of empirical and narrative evidence to illustrate the importance of fiscal policy in this period. While stabilising and reducing debt has been the primary peacetime fiscal policy objective for most of modern British history, this […]
Green public procurement supports EU climate goals but may conflict with other objectives, creating trade-offs that challenge its effectiveness. Public procurement, or the purchasing of goods and services by governments, is among the most powerful policy tools available to the public sector. Accounting for nearly 14 percent of European Union GDP, it shapes markets, signals priorities and […]
Governments everywhere are facing significant fiscal challenges due to rising debt, ageing populations trend in some parts of the world such as Asia, Europe and Northern America, climate shocks, and heightened geopolitical tensions. As citizens expect more from their governments—better healthcare, stronger safety nets, faster disaster response—available budget resources are shrinking. Ministries of finance must now focus on deploying […]
Hotter-than-usual years can slow or derail advances in women’s legal rights. A new analysis spanning five decades finds that temperature anomalies—years significantly hotter than a country’s historical norm—are associated with slower gains in legal equality for women, especially in low-income settings. The logic is simple but consequential: extreme-weather events tend to strain budgets and institutions, prompting governments […]
As disasters grow more frequent and severe, the need for fast, reliable information in the immediate aftermath has never been greater. Governments, development partners and humanitarian agencies need to quickly understand the scale and nature of the impact so they can take informed action, mobilize resources and support recovery. Yet, traditional damage assessments can take […]
In port reform, timing isn’t just another detail — it represents the difference between a smooth transition and a stalled project. Master plans run for decades, political cycles run for years, and stakeholder trust is built day by day. Getting the pacing right—what changes happen when, and how fast—is often the hidden determinant of success. […]
Europe’s recent energy crisis generated large windfall rents for electricity producers. Yet, most EU governments responded with costly downstream measures that left wholesale prices – and producer profits – largely untouched. This column shows that Spain and Portugal charted a different course by intervening directly in the wholesale market, decoupling electricity prices from gas. This […]
The presence of Templewater in Muscat will also support knowledge transfer, training opportunities, and capacity building for Omani talent in priority sectors. Oman Investment Authority (OIA) has announced the launch of the Energy Transition Fund, a joint initiative between Future Fund Oman and Templewater, a leading alternative asset management firm in Asia. This initiative, first […]
