'Increases in world oil prices have focused attention on renewable energy technologies. In January 2008 the European Commission proposed a directive that would require a 10 percent minimum target for the market share of biofuels in 2020 in the EU Member States. Russia’s territorial expanse of arable land provides ideal conditions for biomass production for both biofuels and heat generation, which could be exported to the EU. Russia has over 20 million hectares of available unused farmland and more...

This policy brief analyses agroforestry as a tool for improving livelihood in Tanzania and tackling emerging local and global challenges. The paper argues that agroforestry creates a web of resilient land use practices that mitigate and adapt to climate change, halt land degradation and conserve on-farm biodiversity.

'The authors assert that the widespread adoption of agroforestry technologies by smallholder farmers in Tanzania is constrained by local customs, institutions and national polic more...

This AusAID paper draws on an evaluation of the facility, which explored the effectiveness of technical assistance as a form of development assistance. The paper discusses a number of issues including:
- long term vs short term technical assistance
- the role of technical assistance
- building on existing capacity
- the importance of conflict analysis
- coordinating technical assistance

'Growing demand for energy and natural resources has led many low-income, resource-rich countries to open remote areas to industrial development. Even as a financial crisis engulfed the global economy in 2008 and 2009, projects such as oil pipelines, roads, and mines continued to remain key development priorities.'
Source: WRI

'The realization of the right to health for millions of people in poor countries depends upon a massive increase in health services to achieve universal and equitable access. A growing number of international donors are promoting an expansion of private-sector health-care delivery to fulfil this goal.
The private sector can play a role in health care. But this paper shows there is an urgent need to reassess the arguments used in favor of scaling-up private-sector provision in poor countries. Th more...

'This issue of Capacity.Org looks at the capacities that need to be developed in order for the water and sanitation MDGs targets for 2015 to be achievable. The main focus is on capacity needs at the intermediate and local levels, but links between macro-level policy making and local-level implementation are also addressed.'

'In 2009, UNDP Capacity Development Group has launched a global campaign on capacity development with the aim of gathering more evidence on what works in capacity development. This is also a call to partners for engagement and a convening of the global community of experts and practitioners.
This note is a brief summary of a campaign ‘of sorts’ that involves the gathering of more evidence, a call to partners for engagement, a convening of the global community of experts, thinkers and pract more...

'Failure to achieve gender equality in education is often blamed on 'weak capacity'. This paper illustrates the ways in which individual, organisational, and institutional capacity all play important roles in producing positive results for girls. It is essential to recognise that these different forms of capacity are related, in order to prevent the disappearance of policies and strategies produced with the aim of achieving gender equality in education.'

Source: Oxfam

'This paper argues that mobility and migration have always been an intrinsic part of human development. Migration can be considered as a fundamental capabilities-enhancing freedom itself. However, any meaningful understanding of migration needs to simultaneously analyse agency and structure. Rather than applying dichotomous classifications such as between forced and voluntary migration, it is more appropriate to conceive of a continuum running from low to high constraints under which migration o more...

Capacity building projects are often seen as a means of providing NGOs with the tools they need to effectively deliver programmes or services, and of ensuring the ability of recipients to demonstrate accountability for the financial aid received. However, insights from over fifty years of experience suggest that conventional types of capacity building have often failed to bring about improvements in organisational effectiveness, performance, and accountability.