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Paper 2: Resource Management Food Insecurity in Somalia & Horn of Africa 

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Paper 2: Resource Management Food Insecurity in Somalia & Horn of Africa 

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(34) Why is severe drought again ravaging the Horn of Africa? | The Stream - YouTube

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Why is severe drought again ravaging the Horn of Africa? | The Stream

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The Willow Project has been approved. Here’s what to know about the controversial oil-drilling venture | CNN Politics

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The Biden administration approved the controversial Willow Project in Alaska. Here’s what could come next.

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(10) BBC Travel Show - Preserving the lake district (week 50) - YouTube

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BBC Travel Show - Preserving the lake district (week 50)

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(10) The River Severn From Source to Mouth - YouTube
River landforms: a case study of the River Severn | Geography Education Online

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Cambridge tops the league … as Britain’s most unequal city | Cambridge | The Guardian

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It is warm inside the Wintercomfort for the Homeless day centre in Cambridge, where 40 people and their dogs have taken shelter from the icy wind whipping across nearby Midsummer Common. "There's a lot of poverty in Cambridge but, because of the image of the town, much of it goes unseen," said James Martin, the centre manager. "It's a wealthy city that has benefited from a lot of growth in recent years but there's still a 'town and gown' divide. Just outside the city centre people are living in very deprived areas barely surviving day to day."

A report by the Centre for Cities think tank last week identified Cambridge as the least equal city in the UK for the second year in a row. Income was more unevenly distributed among residents than in any of the other 57 UK cities measured in the annual report, including Oxford and London.

The top 6% of earners who live in Cambridge take home 19% of the total income generated by residents, while the bottom 20% of people account for just 2% of the total.

"Obviously, inequality is bad but there's more to this statistic than meets the eye," said Paul Swinney, head of research and policy at Centre for Cities. " Some of the most equal cities - such as Burnley, Mansfield and Barnsley - have some of the weakest economies and have a lack of job opportunities. One reason Cambridge is so unequal, compared with other cities, is because it has a much greater share of highly-paid, high-skilled jobs. The question for policymakers is: does everyone in Cambridge have the skills and opportunities to access those jobs?"

Around 61,000 people work in the so-called "silicon fen", the cluster of 4,700 tech and life science firms in Cambridge that turned over £12bn last year. Amazon, ARM and Apple have all recently expanded their headquarters to the city and a new railway station, Cambridge North, opened last year near the science park owned by Trinity College.

"Cambridge has had a long evolution as a tech cluster, thanks in part to the way the university encouraged academics to pursue commercial roles using transfer arrangements," said Richard Traherne, chief commercial officer for the global design consultancy Cambridge Consultants. "They brought their commercial expertise back into the university, so there are major connections between it and the tech industry, and lots of high-quality graduates to recruit.

Amazon's development centre in Cambridge's 'silicon fen'. Photograph: Chiko Photography/Amazon

"Plus, it's a nice place to live, so successful entrepreneurs often stay and act as 'angel' investors and mentors. We call that the Cambridge spirit - and it means there is a very large number of millionaires living here compared with similar towns." He points out that hi-tech companies have created ancillary, lower-skilled jobs in services, transport and manufacturing and many support local charities. Cambridge Consultants raised over £43,000 for Wintercomfort last year, its biggest ever corporate donation.

John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, is sceptical. He has lived in Cambridge for the past 10 years and has observed the city becoming more divided as it has become wealthier. "I've witnessed a vast increase in the number of chain shops and poncified cafes and gift shops, which have changed the character of the city," he said.

"I see the university as a force for social separation, bringing in scientists and digital workers from all over the world, so developers build houses for students, while local people are priced out."

Dr Ewan Jones, a Cambridge University lecturer, lives just off Mill Road in a formerly working-class area of Cambridge. He recently used a university-funded shared equity scheme to cut 50% off the purchase price of his house which, following the tech boom, had rocketed to almost 10 times his starting salary as a young lecturer. "The area is so gentrified now there is no way I could have afforded to buy here otherwise - and I know there is a lot of resentment about that among my neighbours who have lived here a long time. There are local delis and cafes I go to they can't afford to buy food in."

Many dons prefer to live in college accommodation and pay nothing at all in rent - free meals, free computers and free parking are other typical perks. "Academics in Cambridge are protected by the wealth of the university," Jones said. "In some way, it acts as a surrogate state. But it only helps a tiny number of people - and those are not the people most in need."

6%
of people living in Cambridge take home 19% of the total income generated by residents
61,000

4,700
Cambridge tech and life science firms, turning over £12bn last year

This article was amended on 7 February 2018 to clarify the description of Cambridge Consultants

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Cambridge tops the league ... as Britain's most unequal city

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It is warm inside the Wintercomfort for the Homeless day centre in Cambridge, where 40 people and their dogs have taken shelter from the icy wind whipping across nearby Midsummer Common. "There's a lot of poverty in Cambridge but, because of the image of the town, much of it goes unseen," said James Martin, the centre manager.

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UK economy Paper 2: Population decline in Outer Hebrides

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UK economy Paper 2: Population decline in Outer Hebrides

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(10) Real Coast: the issue of depopulation in South Uist – 5 News - YouTube

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Real Coast: the issue of depopulation in South Uist – 5 News

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(10) BBC Look North and Fix the Fells in action - YouTube

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BBC Look North and Fix the Fells in action

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(10) The UK's most iconic holiday destination is under threat - here's why - YouTube

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The UK's most iconic holiday destination is under threat - here's why

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(10) North England's Lake District and Durham - YouTube

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North England's Lake District and Durham

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| SMART FARM | Focus on Zana Farm in Makueni County

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Paper 2- Resource Management
Small scale sustainable food scheme

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FOOD FRIDAY: Makueni County to achieve food security in three years

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How traffic management and urban planning can help the economy in Lagos. 

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How traffic management and urban planning can help the economy in Lagos. 

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Paper 2 - challenges in the urban environment.

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LAMATA - LAGOS METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

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Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is the Lagos State Government agency responsible for planning, implementing, regulating and franchising public transport infrastructure and operations. LAMATA is tasked with the responsibility is birthing an intermodal integrated transport system for Lagos. In carrying out the task, the Authority developed a Strategic Transport Master Plan which detailed transport infrastructure requirements for Lagos till 2032.

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LAMATA - LAGOS METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

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Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is the Lagos State Government agency responsible for planning, implementing, regulating and franchising public transport infrastructure and operations. LAMATA is tasked with the responsibility is birthing an intermodal integrated transport system for Lagos. In carrying out the task, the Authority developed a Strategic Transport Master Plan which detailed transport infrastructure requirements for Lagos till 2032.

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Challenges in the Urban Environment:
Discover the opportunities and Challenges in Birmingham as a result of urbanisation.

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What is the Birmingham Economic Review

The Birmingham Economic Review 2018 is produced by the University of Birmingham's City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England's second city and is a high quality resource for organisations seeking to understand the city to inform research, policy or investment decisions.

Below you can find both a summary and the full 7 chapter publication.

The 7 Chapters

Foreword & Executive summary: Scorecard for Birmingham
Chapter 1: Ideas
Chapter 2: People
Chapter 3: Infrastructure

Chapter 4: Business Environment
Chapter 5: Places
Conclusion: A Local Industrial Strategy for the West Midlands

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What is the Birmingham Economic Review The Birmingham Economic Review 2018 is produced by the University of Birmingham's City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England's second city and is a high quality resource for organisations seeking to understand the city to inform research, policy or investment decisions.

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Paper 1 - Natural Hazards
Earthquake in an HIC
Christchurch 2011

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Causes

The earthquake struck on 22 February 2011. It was a 6.3 magnitude earthquake and the focus was very shallow at 4.99 km deep. The earthquake happened on a conservative plate margin between the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate.

Effects

Primary

181 people were killed.

2,000 injured.

Over 50 per cent of the city's buildings were damaged.

The city's cathedral spire collapsed.

Water and sewage pipes were damaged.

Secondary

Businesses were closed for a long time.

Christchurch couldn't hold the five Rugby World Cup matches.

Schools were closed for two weeks due to the damage.

Responses

Short-term

International aid was provided (around $6-7 million).

Aid workers from charities such as the Red Cross came to help.

Areas were zoned to assess damage.

300 Australian police officers were flown in.

Long-term

$898 million in building insurance claims.

Water and sewerage were restored to the city by August 2011.

Temporary housing was provided.

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Earthquakes - AQA - Revision 4 - GCSE Geography - BBC Bitesize

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The earthquake struck on 22 February 2011. It was a 6.3 magnitude earthquake and the focus was very shallow at 4.99 km deep. The earthquake happened on a conservative plate margin between the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. 181 people were killed. 2,000 injured. Over 50 per cent of the city's buildings were damaged.

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Paper 1 - Living World, Challenges and Opportunities in Cold Environments

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Alaska is the most northern state in the USA, covering 2 million square kilometres. The southern half experiences relatively mild conditions, whereas a tundra environment is overlaying permafrost, is found to the north.

Alaska is one of the most sparsely populated places on Earth. Nearly half its 750,000 residents live in the city of Anchorage.

Alaska's indigenous people include the Inupiat and Yup'ik tribes. Since the 1800s approximately 100,000 Inuit have been joined by permanent settlers.

A wealth of ecosystems span the vast and varied landscapes of Alaska from temperate rainforests to tundra.

How has migration brought different groups to Alaska?

The US state of Alaska borders Canada and the Arctic Ocean. Alaska has been home to people for thousands of years despite it being one of the coldest regions on Earth. The indigenous people of Alaska include the Inupiat and Yup'ik tribes, each of which was part of a larger ethnic group called the Inuit. The ancestors of the Inuit spread throughout the Arctic, into Scandinavia, Alaska, Russia and Canada during the last ice age. During this time Russia and the USA were joined by a land bridge.

Since the 19th century mainly European temperament settlers joined the 100,000 Inuit bringing the total population to nearly 750,000. Temporary economic migrants have travelled north to work for mining and oil companies.

Opportunities for development in Alaska

Alaska has a range of development opportunities.
Mineral Extraction
Alaska has abundant mineral resources including coal, copper, silver, gold and zinc. During the 1800s there was a gold rush to the state. Twenty per cent of Alaska's mineral wealth lies in gold. Alaska's second most valuable non-energy commodity is gravel, with more than a billion tons mined, worth $2.1 billion at today's prices.
Energy
There are vast reserves of oil and gas in the north of Alaska. One-third of the state's income comes from the industry which employs over 100,000 people. Oil is transported from Prudhoe Bay in the north to Valdez in the south by the trans-Alaskan pipeline. The oil is heated as it travels along the pipe to stop it from freezing. The pipeline is raised above the land to avoid melting the permafrost, which could cause the pipeline to break.

From Valdez, the oil is transported by tanker.
Fishing
The fishing industry employs eighty thousand people in Alaska. Alaska's 3,000 rivers, three million lakes and 10,686 kilometres of coastline are rich in fish including salmon, trout and several species of white fish. The industry is worth $8 billion to the economy. Indigenous people use fish to provide food, items of clothing and oil as part of their subsistence lifestyle.

Alaska's fisheries are a successful example of sustainable management.
Tourism
Alaska's spectacular environments with mountains and glaciers attract over 2 million tourists every year. Cruises are popular with 60% of summer tourists arriving this way.

Adventure tourism is a growth industry in Alaska.

Development challenges in Alaska
Extreme Temperature
Winter temperatures can drop below -30°C in the north of Alaska. This, along with limited sunlight in the winter, makes working outside very challenging. In the winter the sea freezes and roads become very dangerous.
Buildings and Infrastructure
Permafrost in Alaska creates considerable challenges for building and constructing infrastructure. Roads are built on raised gravel beds to reduce heat transfer which can thaw the permafrost.

Many domestic services such as freshwater and sanitation have to be provided above ground in insulated utilidors to minimise the risk of freezing pipes and thawing the permafrost. Runways are painted white to reflect the energy and reduce the transfer of heat from the sun.
Inaccessibility
Alaska is a very remote region, relying on transport such as planes and ships for access. Some roads depend on crossing frozen rivers in the winter, which is very dangerous. Locals rely on snowmobiles and 4x4s in the winter.

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Alaska is the most northern state in the USA, covering 2 million square kilometres. The southern half experiences relatively mild conditions, whereas a tundra environment is overlaying permafrost, is found to the north. Alaska is one of the most sparsely populated places on Earth. Nearly half its 750,000 residents live in the city of Anchorage.

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Paper 1 - Living World, Tropical Rainforest Biome. Causes of Deforestation, impacts and management in Malaysia

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KS4 Tropical Rainforests Case Study Knowlege Book

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Paper 1 - River Landscapes in UK
River Severn Land forms and place names.

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Paper 2 - Food Resource Management, Indus Basin Irrigation System

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Pakistan, a country of enchanting landscapes offers a combination of beaches, mountains, beautiful deserts and valleys. Its vast farm lands are sustained by the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS), the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world. The IBIS irrigates 45 million acres of farm land which produces wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, maize and cotton in abundance for local use as well as for export.

This report provides the historical context in which the IBIS was developed. It discusses the economic impact of the IBIS on Pakistan, and provides recommendations for some current problems related to insufficient drainage and inefficient farming practices.

Historical Background

The Indus Valley has been the host to one of the most ancient civilization of human history, the Indus Valley Civilization. After the extinction of the Indus Civilization, new settlements especially in doabs grew slowly. New irrigation systems started to evolve. Inundation canals and small dams were constructed and population grew all around this area. In order to reduce the occurrence of low irrigation water supply the British authorities, towards the middle of the last century, started modernizing and expanding the irrigation system of the Indus Basin.

Treaty Between Pakistan and India

In 1947, the Indian sub continent was partitioned by the British into two independent states - Pakistan and India. After the partition a commission was set up to resolve any issue that may emerge as a consequence of the partition. The matter of utilization of water resources of Indus Basin was raised by Pakistan. The boundary commission, chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliff, awarded control barrages (situated very close to the border) to India, while 90 percent of irrigated land lay in Pakistan.

After a protracted negotiation of ten years through facilitation of the World Bank, the Indus Basin Treaty was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 for distribution of water resources in the Indus Basin. According to the terms of the treaty India was given the exclusive use of the waters of the eastern rivers namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. Pakistan was not given its full historic share and was allocated only 75 percent of its legitimate share of the waters in Indus Basin. Consequently, Pakistan agreed to embark upon a gigantic project nicknamed as "Indus Basin Replacement Works". The extensive undertaking involved the construction of two major dams, five barrages and eight link canals.

Pakistan's IBIS

Pakistan's economy is largely based on its agricultural produce. Water is therefore a critical resource for its sustained economic development. In order to fully utilize the river water resources, the IBIS has emerged as the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world. The IBIS comprises of three large dams, eighty five small dams, nineteen barrages, twelve inter-river link canals, forty-five canal commands and 0.7 million tube wells In monetary terms, this network is the biggest infrastructure enterprise of Pakistan accounting for approximately US$ 300 billion of investment.

Water Ability of the IBIS

There are three main sources of water availability in the Indus Basin:

A. The average annual flow of Western Rivers of Indus Basin is approximately 142 million acre feet (MAF). About 104 MAF of this water is diverted for irrigation purposes and about 35 million acre feet outflows to the Arabian Sea.

B. Rain Water:
Another source of water is the rain fall. Irrigated areas of Indus Basin receive on average 40 million acres feet of water annually.

C. Ground Water:
The third source of water is the ground water. It provides approximately 40 percent of crop water requirements of the country.

Challenges in Indus Basin Irrigation System

For any sustainable irrigation system that is dependent on river water supplies, it is necessary to have a system of affluent disposal. However, when the British engineers designed and constructed the barrages and canals in Punjab and Sindh, they did not install an affluent disposal system. This lack of an affluent disposal system gave rise to the twin problems of water logging and salinity. The problem is currently being addressed through construction of a network of disposal drains, many of which have been completed while more are under execution.

The Economic Impact of Indus Basin Irrigation System

The agricultural produce, in addition to providing food security constitutes:

A. 23 percent of GDP

B. 70 percent of total export earnings

C. 54 percent employment of labour force

The overwhelming majority of its produce comes from the areas irrigated in the Indus Basin. The IBIS is therefore essential in sustaining the agriculture and consequently economic well-being of Pakistan. The Indus Basin now serves as the bread basket of Pakistan. Its land use is furnished below.

Current Problems and Recommendations

Farmers in Pakistan receive their share of irrigation waters on a rotational basis. To protect the right of share of their water, the farmers are using more than the optimum quantity of water required for healthy crops. Lack of modern irrigation techniques and agricultural practices further add to the wastage of irrigation water. Some solutions outlined below can potentially serve to address this issue:

1. Increase plantation of fruit trees.

2. Expand forested areas.

3. All existing dams small and large should be used for fish breeding and harvesting.

4. Develop agricultural based industries and timber factories in the rural areas to provide employment to small farmers and increase the percentage of value added goods for export.

5. Group small farms into larger units for cooperative farming using the latest irrigation and farming techniques and modern agricultural practices.

6. Increase the production of beans, lentils and edible oil seeds to reduce their imports.

7. Develop pastures for cattle farming and increase milk and meat production.

8. Big land holdings more than five thousand acres of area should be made available for co operative farming.

9. The level and standard of research should be enhanced in the existing agricultural universities of Pakistan.

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Indus Basin Irrigation System of Pakistan

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Pakistan, a country of enchanting landscapes offers a combination of beaches, mountains, beautiful deserts and valleys. Its vast farm lands are sustained by the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS), the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world.

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Paper 2 - Challenges in the urban environment - opportunities, challenges and urban regeneration in HIC UK city

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Urban stability case study - Birmingham - Urban change in the UK - AQA - GCSE Geography Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about and revise the challenges that some British cities face, including regeneration and urban sustainability, with GCSE Bitesize Geography (AQA).

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Closing the Development Gap Tourism in Jamaica

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Closing the Development Gap Tourism in Jamaica

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Paper 2 - Changing Economic World

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The Caribbean's beauty, the warmth a, d the hospitality is world renowned. It is an intoxicating mix of natural paradise and welcoming accommodations. The Caribbean's tourism product is as diverse in its offerings, luring visitors to keep coming back year after year. Countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad &Tobago, The Bahamas, and Grenada are some of the world's most favored tourist destinations. These countries not only offer the wonderful perks of nature but world-class attractions as well.

As you may have imagined, tourism has made significant contributions to the economies of the Caribbean. Such contribution ripples through different sectors of society, positively affecting almost every area of life in the Caribbean.

This article represents the first of a three-part series on the benefits of tourism to the Caribbean, specifically to Jamaica, Trinidad &Tobago and Grenada. Today, we will be focusing on the myriad of benefits that Jamaica enjoys as a prime stop for thousands of tourist every year.

Commerce

The economic benefits of tourism to Jamaica are unquestioned. In fact, each year the sector posts the highest levels of foreign exchange receipts (approx. US$2b). From expensive five star hotels to the orange vendor on the street, the impact of foreign dollars exalts tourism attractions as national treasures.

Of course, the government's coffers also directly benefit from the welcomed visitors. Not only does tourism raise tax revenues, it also creates jobs as well. The benefits also trickle down to service providers of all kinds such as restaurants promoting local cuisine and even the farmers who supply them with fresh produce.

Jobs

With the improvement in commercial activity comes the creation of more jobs. Thousands of Jamaicans work directly or indirectly in tourism. In fact, tourism employs the second largest number of Jamaicans (approx. 200,000) both directly (in hotels, transport, attractions, and craft), as well as indirectly (trading, manufacturing, banking, etc mainly in and around resort towns).

How does tourism employ so many people? The industry is simply huge in Jamaica; with just under 30,000 rooms (with some 8,000 planned hotel rooms still on the table), Jamaica probably has the Caribbean's most diverse room stock and tourist offerings.

The interesting thing is, it's not simply about the major players in the industry. The small man benefits as well. To cite one example, Jamaica's Sandals Resort Farmers Program grew in 1996 from 10 farmers supplying two hotels to 80 farmers in 2004 supplying hotels island-wide. Sales increased from $60,000 to $3.3 million in just 3 years, while the hotels received higher-quality produce for less than it would cost to import. A Hotels that buy local produce, decorations, and furnishings set themselves apart and provide unique experiences, encouraging longer stays and possibly entire vacations.

Infrastructure

Accommodating tourists requires huge investments in infrastructure. This is not simply limited to hotels and resorts, but also public facilities and institutions as well. To accommodate cruise mega ships for example; Jamaica invests in expanded port facilities while seeking to attract more visitors. Improvements in airports and roads often lag behind, to the frustration of hotel and resort operators, because arrival by ship is usually the most economical, and passengers spend money throughout the communities, not just at one resort.

Like most industries, uncertainty seems to define how Jamaica's tourism sector will do this year, but there are a few bright spots â€" namely, increase in airlift from new markets and the possible start of major infrastructure as early as this year.

Recent developments

A notable change in Jamaica's export economy since Independence has been the development of non-traditional exports. These include flowers and ornamental plants, specialized tropical fruits, art, and crafts. New growth industries include garment manufacturing, particularly as a result of the Caribbean Basin Initiative, data processing, music, and entertainment.

Jamaica is also poised to benefit from the Health Tourism Industry, a growing market in the country. The sector has been quoted as a US $35 B/yr industry. Such capacity makes health tourism appear to be a viable income-generating option, which, if pursued, could bring vast sums into the country's coffers.

The country has numerous world-renowned, natural tourist attractions and more than one million tourists visit every year. Tourism continues to contribute to the national income and developing infrastructure. It is therefore vital that the continued development of the tourism industry be of top priority, in creating the world's premier tourist destination. This vision is born of the recognition of the ever-changing environment facing world tourism today. At the core of this concept is a coherent, comprehensive partnership between the public and private sectors as well as the Jamaican people, to ensure benefits for all.

By: Norvan Martin

Comments

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The Caribbean's beauty, the warmth a, d the hospitality is world renowned. It is an intoxicating mix of natural paradise and welcoming accommodations. The Caribbean's tourism product is as diverse in its offerings, luring visitors to keep coming back year after year.

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Paper 2 - Changing Economic World - Development Gap

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When we began working in India in 1998, microfinance institutions were emerging as a significant force in providing poor, rural communities with financial services. During the early years of our work, we gave funding and technical advice to microfinance institutions to help them reach and serve even more people, and partnered with microfinance associations on industry-wide initiatives aimed at strengthening the entire sector.

India has experienced tremendous economic growth and urbanization in the past two decades, but poverty remains a significant challenge, especially in rural areas. An estimated 30 percent of Indians live below the poverty line and only 27 percent of low-income adults can access financial services at a formal institution. Digital technology offers exciting new ways to reach these communities.

Through our subsidiary, Grameen Foundation India, and through Freedom from Hunger India Trust, an independent affiliate, we work with government agencies, microfinance institutions, commercial banks, mobile network providers and others to make financial services and health information more accessible and affordable to underserved households, particularly women. Our joint venture company, Grameen Capital India, also helps socially minded organizations get the funding they need to effectively serve their clients.

Key projects in India include:

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When we began working in India in 1998, microfinance institutions were emerging as a significant force in providing poor, rural communities with financial services. During the early years of our work, we gave funding and technical advice to microfinance institutions to help them reach and serve even more people, and partnered with microfinance associations on industry-wide initiatives aimed at strengthening the entire sector.

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Paper 2 - Challenges in Urban Environments -- The opportunities & challenges living in an NEE city

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4.2.1 Social and Economic Opportunities of living in Lagos Lagos is a megacity struggling to cope with massive population growth (3.1 million added in just 8 years!). Urbanisation has led to millions of people leaving the rural areas to come in search for a better quality of life in Lagos.

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Paper 1 - Challenges of Natural Hazards

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Paper 1 - Challenges of Natural Hazards unit.

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River Flood Management in Boscastle, UK (2004).

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River Flood Management in Boscastle, UK (2004).

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Paper 1 - UK physical Landscapes.
Watch the video clip to find out about the management schemes used in Boscatle to prevent flooding in the future.

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Changing Economic World
Read the article to discover how the Nigerian Economy has developed.

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Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse federation of 36 autonomous states and the Federal Capital Territory. The political landscape is partly dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC) which controls the executive arm of government and holds majority seats at both the Senate and House of Representatives in parliament, and majority of the States.

General Elections to elect a new President, Federal and State Legislators and Governors are scheduled for February 2023. President Muhammadu Buhari will complete his second term in office on May 29th, 2023. Since 2011, the security landscape has been shaped by the war against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the northeast in addition to incessant cases of banditry and kidnappings in the north-west and parts of the southwest. The southeast continues to witness unrest resulting from separatist agitations.
Economic overview
Following the pandemic induced recession in 2020, Nigeria's economic growth recovered but macroeconomic stability weakened. Amidst global commodity shocks, a depreciating currency, trade restrictions, and monetization of the deficit, inflation is surging and pushing millions of Nigerians into poverty. Since 2021, Nigeria is also unable to benefit from the surging global oil prices, as oil production has fallen to historic lows and petrol subsidy continues to consume a larger share of the gross oil revenues.

In 2018, 40% of Nigerians (83 million people) lived below the poverty line, while another 25% (53 million) were vulnerable. With Nigeria's population growth continuing to outpace poverty reduction, the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty is set to rise by 7.7 million between 2019 and 2024.

While the economy is projected to grow at an average of 3.2% in 2022-2024, the growth outlook is subject to downside risks including further declines in oil production and heightened insecurity. Meanwhile, continued scarcity of foreign exchange and tighter liquidity could affect the economic activity in the non-oil sector and undermine the overall macroeconomic stability. The uncertainty is also expected to be accompanied by high inflation and continued fiscal and debt pressures.
Development Challenges
While Nigeria has made some progress in socio-economic terms in recent years, its human capital development ranked 150 of 157 countries in the World Bank's 2020 Human Capital Index. The country continues to face massive developmental challenges, including the need to reduce the dependency on oil and diversify the economy, address insufficient infrastructure, build strong and effective institutions, as well as address governance issues and public financial management systems.

Inequality, in terms of income and opportunities, remains high and has adversely affected poverty reduction. The lack of job opportunities is at the core of the high poverty levels, regional inequality, and social and political unrest. High inflation has also taken a toll on household's welfare and high prices in 2020-2022 are likely to have pushed an additional 8 million Nigerians into poverty.

Last Updated: Sep 14, 2022

The World Bank Group enjoys a strong partnership with Nigeria through a strategy to support the government in its development's objectives to end extreme poverty and increase shared prosperity. A new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) was approved in December 2020 to guide the World Bank Group's support to Nigeria from 2021-2024.

The Country Partnership Strategy period (FY2020-FY2024) is structured around four key engagement areas:

Investing in Human Capital and harnessing Nigeria's demographic dividend,

Promoting Jobs and Economic Transformation and Diversification,

Reducing Fragility and building Resilience,

Strengthening the Foundations of the Public sector.

The World Bank is supporting Nigeria with an active investment of $12.2 billion in financing from the International Development Association (IDA) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Nigeria is also one of the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) fastest growing portfolios in the region.

The World Bank Group's support is structured around several priorities as highlighted in the CPF which aims to promote diversified growth and job creation, with a focus on youth, women, and the poor in marginalized areas, and social inclusion, through higher quality and efficiency in social service delivery at the state level. It also aims at fostering macroeconomic resilience and advancing structural reforms for private sector-led, non-oil growth. This includes empowering women and girls and increasing their human capital and economic opportunities, increasing domestic revenue mobilization, and improving the quality of public expenditures and strengthening debt management. The World Bank Group also supports increased engagement in the climate resilient agenda as well as Nigeria's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its post-recovery efforts.

In conflict-affected North-East Nigeria, the Bank Group is stepping up its support to address service delivery gaps, livelihood deficits, and social cohesion issues, as well as providing support to economic diversification.

Last Updated: Sep 14, 2022

AGRICULTURE: The World Bank's support for the agricultural sector, including through the Commercial Agriculture Development Project, the Transforming Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project and West Africa Agriculture Productivity Project -has helped Nigeria strengthen agricultural production:

* Over 7 million farmers received improved agricultural technology

* Farmers cultivating tomatoes and rice contributed 26% and 14.27%, to national production respectively, in 2019

* Cassava farmers realized more than $55 million as revenue and a gross margin of over $36 million in 2019

* Rice, sorghum and tomatoes farmers realized gross margins of over $288 million, $169 million, and $53 million respectively

* A Farmers' Microfinance Bank birthed from FADAMA gives loans at low interest rate of 3.5% for business startup and expansion, with 80% recovery rate. The amount saved from the FADAMA enterprises was over $200,000 as at 2019

* Export of over 10,000 metric tons of smoked fish and other Agric-products

* 3,102 hectares received improved irrigation services through the ongoing rehabilitation of 3 dams located in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano states under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria project

CLIMATIC RESILIENCE: The Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management enhanced Nigeria's capacity on the preparedness to respond to natural hazards, climate risks and natural disasters, which has led to the following;

* About 2,201 hectares of the land area have been reclaimed in the immediate gully site micro-catchments as at June 2020, including reclamation and afforestation programs across northern states

* 16 States now have improved erosion risk maps, towards ensuring better-quality catchment management plans prepared for 31 sites across States.

* 75 hydromet stations providing data for integrated catchment planning have been installed across the country

* 2 stormwater master plans have been completed for Onitsha in Anambra State, Aba and Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, strengthening and streamlining the country's Environmental Impact Assessment process

* Issuance of Nigeria's second tranche of Sovereign Green Bond (for $42 million) after the first green bond, to finance climate change activities. Activities financed by the initial tranche of Green Bonds, such as solar plants in seven selected Federal Government Universities and a Renewable Energy Micro-Utility project in Torankawa community in Sokoto State, have been completed

SOCIAL SAFETY NET: The Community and Social Development Project has

* Led to Institutionalization of Community & Social Development Agencies across implementing states, which serves as a platform for program sustainability by state government or further interventions by other donor partners

* Recorded over 3 million direct project beneficiaries including Internally displaced persons in the North East of Nigeria

* 4,662 new communities and over 1.8 million households have access to social services (of which IDPs constitute more than 10% of residents) as against 1,000 communities and 500,000 households baseline values respectively

* 800 new poor communities with access to natural resource management services (of which IDP's constitute more than 10% of residents)

* Over 1,510 rehabilitated and 256 newly built health centers

* Over 2,362 rehabilitated and 300 newly built classrooms

* Increased school enrollment with records of over 18,000 Boys and 14,000 Girls enrolled in primary education schools

* An estimated 36 million people in 13,299 cluster of communities have benefitted directly and indirectly from the original and additional Financing resources

The National Social Safety Net Project has:

* Created a National Social Registry (NSR) for Nigeria

* Captured about 814,376 households included in the National Social Registry and recorded about 3.2 million Direct Project Beneficiaries of the program, 49% of this number are female

* By June 2019, almost a million poor and vulnerable households in the NSR had benefitted from 10,000 Naira bi-monthly Conditional Cash Transfer program; expected to reach 1 million poor and vulnerable households by end of 2019

* Benefitted 20 states from targeted cash transfers

* Helped 1,200 beneficiaries from 30 communities save more than 22 million naira in 18 months from their conditional cash transfers. This fund is being used as start-up capital for small businesses to generate income and improve their livelihood.

Last Updated: Nov 03, 2020

The WBG is an active partner in donor coordination. Partners in Nigeria include: African Development Bank (AFDB); Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); European Union (EU); French Development Agency (AFD); German Agency for International Development (GIZ); German Development Bank-KfW; International Monetary Fund (IMF); Islamic Development Bank; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); UK Department for International Development (DfID); United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and the Agencies of the United Nations, particularly the UNDP and UNICEF.

Last Updated: Sep 14, 2022

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Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse federation of 36 autonomous states and the Federal Capital Territory. The political landscape is partly dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC) which controls the executive arm of government and holds majority seats at both the Senate and House of Representatives in parliament, and majority of the States.

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Emergency services in the Bahamas say the number of missing following Hurricane Dorian stands at 1,300.

The number is down from the 2,500 listed missing earlier this week.

The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said the drop in numbers came after cross-referencing names of the missing with those in shelters.

Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas earlier this month killing at least 50. The death toll is expected to rise as the clean-up operation continues.

Prime minister Hubert Minnis said in a televised address on Wednesday that the government was being transparent and would "provide timely information on the loss of life as it is available."

Dorian was packing sustained winds of 185mph (295km/h) when it made landfall at Elbow Cay on the Abacos on 1 September.

It equalled the highest winds ever recorded for a hurricane at landfall when it struck the Abaco Islands.

Police commissioner Anthony Ferguson said that the search for the victims was a slow process.

"We have to go through all of that rubble, take our time and search. It's going to take a long time before you can really say," he said.

On Thursday the US announced $4 million (£3.2 million) in new humanitarian assistance for the Bahamas. The US Agency for International Development said the money would go towards providing shelter, food, medicine and water to those on Grand Bahama and Abaco, the worst hit islands.

More than 5,000 people have been evacuated from the two islands to New Providence, the island where the country's capital Nassau is located.

According to Nema, the number of people seeking to leave Grand Bahama and Abaco has reduced considerably.

Some 15,000 people are still in need of shelter or food, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency says.

On Thursday, the Bahamas government issued a tropical storm warning.

According to the US National Hurricane Centre, the weather system was not expected to produce a significant storm surge in the northwest Bahamas; however, heavy rain could hamper rescue efforts.

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Number of missing in Bahamas drops to 1,300

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Emergency services in the Bahamas say the number of missing following Hurricane Dorian stands at 1,300. The number is down from the 2,500 listed missing earlier this week. The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said the drop in numbers came after cross-referencing names of the missing with those in shelters.