Impact

Over nearly 60 years, IDS has played a key role in development thinking, policy, and practice around the world.

A girl with long dark hair in a pink long-sleeved top leans over to write on a flip chart .
A girl contributes to a participatory research group in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo credit: CLARISSA

Our research, teaching and action on topics as diverse as social protection, agricultural livelihoods, and pathways to change has influenced generations of development professionals.

Our work is creating impact by:

  • Changing awareness and understanding of complex social, environmental and economic issues, helping to shift attitudes around particular issues.
  • Building and strengthening networks and communities of practice that can enable research to be produced, shared, and connected with policy and practice.
  • Strengthening the capacity of institutions, individuals or systems, empowering communities and creating the conditions under which knowledge can be turned into action.
  • Influencing the creation or implementation of policies or practices which can stimulate more effective development.

Stories of impact

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Showing 37–48 of 77 results

Impact Story

Supporting our learners through the pandemic

We remain as committed as ever to transforming development knowledge, action and leadership through our teaching and learning programmes. During the Covid-19 crisis a huge range of new measures were put in place to continue this work while adapting and responding in the best interests of our...

19 June 2021

Impact Story

Collaborating to reform Freetown’s property tax system

Researchers from the IDS-based International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) worked with the city council of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown and the International Growth Centre to create a more equitable, efficient property tax system. Revenue potential has since increased fivefold,...

14 June 2021

Impact Story

Achieving climate justice in South Asia’s Sundarbans delta

An IDS research project in the Sundarbans delta of South Asia is showing how partnerships with local communities can yield new knowledge and ideas for more climate-resilient livelihoods. This year, the TAPESTRY project offered lessons for policymakers, practitioners, researchers and civil...

2 June 2021

Impact Story

Basic water and waste services for marginalised Christian communities in Lahore, Pakistan

Religious minority communities in Lahore, Pakistan, are frequently deprived of basic services such as access to clean drinking water and waste management which are available to neighbouring religious majority Muslim residents, according to research by local NGO, Hive, supported by Al Khoei...

Maryam Kanwer & 2 others

29 April 2021

Impact Story

Strengthening international networks for development

In 2020 we launched a network of IDS International Initiatives focused on the geographies at the leading edge of development thinking and practice due to accelerating geopolitical change. These Initiatives are already having collaborative impact in strengthening mutual learning for development...

26 March 2021

Impact Story

Strengthening responses to epidemics

The Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) has played a key role in the global response to epidemics over recent years. A partnership between the Institute of Development Studies, Anthrologica and The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, SSHAP provides vital insights in...

10 February 2021

Impact Story

Research on pastoralism highlights new directions for development

Insights from more than fifty years of IDS research on climate, environment and pastoralism have challenged conventional thinking about environmental change and led to wide-reaching impacts in practice and policy. The world is an uncertain, challenging environment for many people. This is true...

21 January 2021

Impact Story

Working towards stronger, fairer tax systems

Collaborations between researchers and revenue officials can guide bold reforms with big impacts, boosting domestic revenue mobilisation to finance the Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM3cLpJ70uA&feature=youtu.be Many low- and middle-income countries...

14 December 2020

Impact Story

Achieving climate justice in India’s Sundarbans

Women on the frontline of climate change in India have been making their voices heard and demanding climate justice, with help from a research partnership including the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and led by Noragric, NMBU and funded by the Research Council of Norway. Communities in...

4 December 2020

Impact Story

Shaping UK international development policy

The IDS-led Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development Programme (K4D) has supported the learning of thousands of UK government staff and global partners to more effectively innovate and respond to rapidly changing and complex development challenges. By fostering a greater understanding of...

30 September 2020

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