Shock-responsive social protection in Central America, and other news (22 May 2019)

Every week we highlight some of the international development stories from across the globe that have caught our attention.

• OPM have participated in the 3^rd Social Protection Conference in Belize City, focusing on social protection response in emergencies. Alongside the World Food Programme, we are currently conducting a study on shock-responsive social protection in Latin America and the Caribbean, key learning points from which were shared at the conference. Read more in Belize News.

• We are working with a number of partners on an ongoing project for ‘Minimising the risk of tailings dam failures through the use of remote sensing data’. The UK Space Agency’s IPP funded project aims to use meteorological forecasting and hydrological models to secure tailings dams, which store by-products of mining, often including toxic waste. Read more in Water Power Magazine.

• Since 2014, DFID have given N4 billion as child development grants to over 52,000 women in Zamafara State, Nigeria. The monthly cash grants are aimed at improving childcare and supporting women’s activities for those living in poverty. Read more in Punch Nigeria.

• The 2019 Global Food Policy Report has highlighted the need for revitalization in rural areas to achieve zero hunger and end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. Stronger policies, investments in rural areas, job creation, and a greater accountability, will help stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty in rural areas. Read more in the Global Food Report.

• A DFID funded forum on Woman in Business in Nairobi is taking place this week, to discuss creating economic empowerment for female business leaders. The SheTrades initiative, implemented by the International Trade Centre, aims to increase economic growth through engaging women-owned businesses in international trade. Read more in The Star (Kenya).