Opinion

Pastoralists, peasants and agrarian struggles

Ian Scoones

The value of water goes far beyond its stock price

In the midst of a global pandemic, when the presence of water in our lives has never seemed more important, its future availability has also never been more uncertain.  Water scarcity is now such a threat that it is even possible to trade in ‘water futures’ - joining commodities like gold...

Lyla Mehta

Alan Nicol

Frequently asked questions about our master’s degrees

On 6 March 2021 more than 80 prospective students joined our webinar on international development-related master's degrees. The webinar comprised of a short presentation given by Linda Waldman, Director of Teaching and Learning at IDS, and Ayusha Misra, Student Representative, MA Development...

Linda Waldman

Mutual learning: development fad or foundation?

Is ‘mutual learning’ simply a development trend, or an important foundation for development cooperation and global governance? Who benefits from mutual learning? And what role should organisations like IDS play in mutual learning for development? What do we mean by mutual learning? The...

Alex Shankland & 3 others

Bridging social divides – can Covid-19 become a catalyst for societal transformations?

Covid-19 is shining a spotlight, bringing into sharp relief a range of fissures, cracks and marginalisations in societies throughout the world. As highlighted by Melissa Leach, Hayley MacGregor and Annie Wilkinson in a recent IDS opinion piece, the pandemic is frequently characterised as a...

Peter Taylor & 2 others

The challenge of changing the media narrative on climate change

The media landscape in 2021 is set to be dominated by the big ‘c’s of climate change, COP26 and Covid-19.  But, for those working in communications there is another one – competition. How to secure engagement and attention of time pressed journalists, politicians and social media...

Sophie Robinson

Covid-19: Quetta citizens more critical of local government than of Hazara Shias

In the first of our three part series on the impact of Covid-19 on attitudes towards Hazara Shia in Quetta, Pakistan, Sajjad Hussain and Raheela Habib describe how a survey of non-Shia population in Quetta, Pakistan, reveals that, in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, distrust in local government...

Sajjad Hussain Changezi

Raheela Habib

Impacts and implications of violence against cultural heritage in Syria

Heritage destruction, and the ideological motivations behind it, is vital for understanding conflict as well as addressing questions on what heritage is documented, preserved and rebuilt. In the first of two blogs on Daesh’s heritage destruction in Iraq and Syria, Sofya Shahab describes the...

Sofya Shahab

The UK’s ‘anti-protest’ bill is a symptom of broader backlash

Chloe Skinner

Water2me and shared water security

Water is a collective resource and we face a number of shared water security challenges, but understanding our many and varied water values can help. This year’s World Water Day campaign  (#Water2me) highlights that people value water in many different ways including for health and hygiene,...

Rachel Cooper

Social protection during conflict: reflections on Tigray

Conflict and an ensuing humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have led to substantial population displacement and threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions. In a situation where rising needs outstripped preliminary humanitarian responses and where safety net programmes...

Rachel Sabates-Wheeler

Jeremy Lind

Vaccine politics in Zimbabwe

Ian Scoones