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Hanapbuhay: Coping with Informality, Risk, and Insecurity in a Philippine Rice Farming Village
No full textFollowing the Green Revolution, development narratives have prioritized capital-reliant, input-intensive crop production among smallholders in the Global South. With the right incentives, smallholders will supposedly intensify production by aligning their social relations, economic decisions, and labor with state strategies to optimize inputs and outputs. Yet in the Philippines, experience with input-intensive rice production shows that rising costs, soil degradation, poor prices, and extreme weather have stalled output, forcing many smallholders to reconsider rice farming. These pressures have made the Philippines the world’s largest rice importer, prompting renewed state policies to push for self sufficiency through new yield-intensification programs. Such policies presume that smallholders, given access to modern inputs and capital, will maximize yields. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork with smallholder farmers in Narra, Palawan, this paper examines how these assumptions overlook smallholder adaptation and diversified production within informal economies. Rather than pursuing profit or yield maximization alone, smallholders navigate rice production as part of broader livelihood strategies. They construct coping economies captured by the Filipino term hanapbuhay: securing a living by balancing constraints, diversifying income, and spreading risk. Embedding policy in these everyday realities enables a more grounded approach that moves beyond capital-intensive, yield centric models toward resilience, equity, and food security.</p
Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Social Protection in Protracted Crisis: Lessons from BASIC Research
No full textThe Better Assistance in Crises (BASIC) Research programme has generated substantial evidence on gender, equity, and social inclusion (GESI) in social protection programmes across fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS). In this synthesis, we present five key lessons emerging from research conducted across several countries.The research demonstrates that GESI challenges in social protection are not simply about exclusion, but involve addressing complex dynamics of adverse inclusion, considering nuanced approaches beyond categorical targeting, recognising intersectional vulnerabilities and intersectional crises, and looking at supply-side constraints. These findings simultaneously build on and challenge existing knowledge and assumptions about social protection design and implementation in crisis contexts, with a view to strengthening GESI. Overall, they imply the need to both rethink approaches to social protection and relink social protection to other forms of social support in situations of protracted crisis.This summary was curated by Carolina Holland-Szyp and Rachel Slater, drawing on work by numerous BASIC Research team members.</p
Social Assistance, Livelihoods, and Adaptation: Responding to Climate Change and Conflict in Niger
No full textThis Working Paper examines the role of social assistance in supporting coping, adaptation, and resilience, given the impacts of climate change and violent conflict in Niger. Examining how social assistance mechanisms address livelihood challenges in contexts of intersecting crises, this paper shows that while existing forms of social assistance – both formal initiatives and communal mechanisms – support some level of shorter-term coping with and recovery from shocks, they are not necessarily providing foundations for longer-term adaptation and resilience. The potential of social assistance initiatives to support longer-term adaptations and resilience capacities in the face of climate change is constrained by wider insecurity and political-economic conditions. Looking forward, opportunities exist for strengthening both formal and communal assistance mechanisms in the face of compounding crises.</p
Water Pollution
No full textWater pollution has both environmental and human health impacts. Pollution from manufacturing is a major source of water pollution for both groundwater and surface waterbodies. Pollutants in manufacturing effluents degrade the water quality parameters of receiving water sources. This affects both ecosystem services and in turn human health through key two pathways: one, consumption, either through drinking dirty water, or through consuming food that has either been grown in contaminated soil or irrigated with grey water, or consuming fish and aquatic life from polluted waterbodies; and, two, dermal, through skin contact with pollutants.</p
Coping with Covid-19 and Coterminous Shocks: Ethiopia Country Case Study Part 2
No full textThis is the second of two papers (and accompanying technical Annexes) from the Better Assistance in Crises (BASIC) Research Ethiopia country case study. Using five waves of Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey data covering the period 2011 to 2022, we model the notional performance of different potential targeting approaches across a range of targeting performance indicators, in order to indicate the types of choices and trade-offs entailed when selecting different targeting criteria for either routine or humanitarian social assistance programmes in the context of Ethiopia at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. We also consider the status of enabling conditions for implementing different targeting approaches in the form of key infrastructure. We conclude with a discussion of the interrelated considerations social assistance programmes have to contend with when selecting appropriate targeting criteria, drawing on the results of analyses conducted over both case study papers and their technical Annexes.</p
Expansão energética nas periferias globais: o fim dos territórios
No full textEste artigo examina criticamente como a expansão das fronteiras extrativistas “verdes”, sob o pretexto da transição energética, reproduz padrões coloniais de desapropriação territorial e degradação ecológica. Com base em estudos de caso em Portugal e no Brasil, exploramos como os projetos de mineração de lítio, justificados por metas climáticas e pelo consenso da descarbonização, intensificam a violência ambiental e social em territórios historicamente marginalizados. Argumentamos que essas regiões são transformadas em “periferias” não pela geografia, mas pela dinâmica relacional dentro das cadeias de abastecimento globais, onde narrativas tecnocráticas de sustentabilidade ofuscam o conhecimento local e a diversidade ecossocial. O discurso da compensação não aborda as perdas culturais e ecológicas irreversíveis, enquanto a “transição energética” serve mais para garantir mercados e manter definições geopolíticas do que para promover a justiça. Destacando a resiliência e as práticas socioecológicas das comunidades locais, apelamos a cosmovisões diversas que centram a vida, a interdependência e a justiça, desafiando os paradigmas dominantes do “desenvolvimento verde” e oferecendo caminhos para uma transição verdadeiramente transformadora.</p
Gender Justice and Energy Transition: A Historical and Personal View
No full textIn this article, Melania Chiponda, a long-time activist on mining, gender, and energy issues in Africa, describes the roots of her work in grass-roots struggles led by women to protect their lands, environment, and livelihoods against resource extraction. While many accounts of the history of the just transition movement show it emerging from Northern trade union and environmental movements, Melania’s narrative, as well as excerpts from her related publications, remind us that grass-roots women at the front lines of energy extraction in Africa have long been fighting for justice around mining, climate, and related issues, yet these accounts are often relatively invisible in the global narrative and the now massive literature on just transitions. This article helps to fill this gap. A short, selective reading list of other articles written by African women relevant to just transition is provided for those who want to pursue this theme further.En este artículo, Melania Chiponda, activista de larga trayectoria en temas de minería, género y energía en África, describe los orígenes de su trabajo en las luchas de base lideradas por mujeres para proteger sus tierras, su entorno y sus medios de vida frente a la extracción de recursos. Aunque muchos de los relatos sobre la historia del movimiento por la transición justa muestran que el mismo surgió de sindicatos y movimientos ambientales del Norte global, la narrativa de Melania, junto con extractos de sus publicaciones relacionadas, nos recuerda que las mujeres organizadas en las comunidades directamente afectadas por la extracción energética en África llevan mucho tiempo luchando por la justicia en torno a la minería, el clima y cuestiones conexas. Sin embargo, estos relatos suelen permanecer invisibilizados dentro de la narrativa global y de la ahora vasta literatura que circula sobre transiciones justas. Este testimonio contribuye a llenar ese vacío. Para quienes deseen profundizar en este tema, se ofrece una breve y selectiva lista de lecturas de otros artículos escritos por mujeres africanas relevantes para la transición justa.Neste artigo, Melania Chiponda, activista de longa data em questões da mineração, do género e da energia em África, descreve as origens do seu trabalho em torno das lutas comunitárias conduzidas por mulheres para proteger as suas terras, o ambiente e os meios de subsistência contra a exploração de recursos. Embora muitos relatos sobre a história do movimento da transição justa mostrem a sua emergência a partir de movimentos sindicais e ambientais do Norte, a narrativa de Melania, bem como excertos das suas publicações relacionadas, recordam-nos que mulheres de base, na linha da frente da extracção de energia em África, têm lutado há muito tempo por justiça em torno da mineração, do clima e de questões relacionadas; entretanto, estes relatos permanecem em grande medida invisíveis na narrativa global e na vasta literatura actualmente existente sobre transições justas. Este relato contribui para colmatar essa lacuna. É apresentada uma curta lista selectiva de outros artigos escritos por mulheres africanas, relevantes para a transição justa, para aqueles que desejem aprofundar mais este tema.</p
Engajamento cívico e transição energética justa em Moçambique: perspectivas das comunidades locais
No full textEste artigo analisa as dinâmicas das interacções entre organizações da sociedade civil, governos locais e o sector energético em três regiões-chave produtoras de energia em Moçambique: Inhambane, Tete e Cabo Delgado. Focaliza-se nos desafios e nas oportunidades para alcançar uma transição energética justa, num contexto político que prioriza investimentos e numa matriz energética predominantemente baseada em energia hidroeléctrica, gás natural e carvão. Com base em pesquisas realizadas em Moçambique sobre engajamento cívico e transição energética, o artigo apresenta três ideias centrais: (1) a dependência de Moçambique em combustíveis fósseis e a lenta expansão de projectos de energia renovável criam tensões entre a necessidade urgente de acesso à energia e os compromissos globais de mitigação climática; (2) a fragmentação do espaço cívico limita a capacidade das vozes locais influenciarem decisões políticas sobre a transição; (3) a criação de plataformas de engajamento democrático expandiria a participação comunitária e promoveria alianças estratégicas para abordar os direitos das comunidades locais.</p
Nigeria's Role in World War Two
No full textThis rapid evidence review collates available evidence on Nigeria’s role in World War Two. The review draws upon an eclectic evidence base that includes historic sources of information, contemporary accounts and both academic and grey literature. The evidence base is limited and diffuse in relation to the contribution of Nigerian (and African) soldiers during World War Two. Despite these limitations, this review highlights evidence that Nigerians served in significant numbers, across multiple theatres of conflict, in a range of roles and with distinction.</p
How the Politics of Global Aid Shape Social Assistance in Protracted Crises
No full textGlobal aid stakeholders increasingly aim to shift from fragmented humanitarian assistance in protracted crises – characterised by conflict, climate change and displacement – to state-led social protection that is implemented in tandem with relief responses. The social protection first agenda advocates for nationally led systems, supported by technical and infrastructural investment, including digital tools and social registries; effective coordination between social protection and humanitarian actors to reduce fragmentation; conflict sensitivity and prioritising gender and social inclusion. While this agenda has gained traction among some global aid actors, implementation is uneven due to funding constraints, risk aversion, and the tendency for siloed responses across social protection and humanitarian aid. Uncertain political commitment from governments of crisis-affected countries, alongside steep reductions in global aid, underscore the imperative to strengthen the political case for social protection in crises. This paper contributes to the debate by exploring the evolving politics that shape international aid agendas and social assistance delivery in such contexts.</p