Due to its high altitudes, diverse terrain and weather variability, Nepal’s environment is exceedingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The country faces flooding, landslides, monsoons, food shortages and a rapidly changing ecosystem. Climate change will have untold consequences on Nepal’s population, especially among rural and marginalized groups, and could cause economic, social and health problems. To mitigate these impacts, coordinated efforts among the government, citizens and the international community are needed.

Against the backdrop of full-scale war, missile attacks and infrastructure outages, Ukrainian citizens, civil society, political parties, media, business leaders and key democratic institutions continue to drive recovery and reconstruction planning.

A New Policy Brief Launched By The National Democratic Institute, Transparency International & The Open Government Partnership

A growing number of authoritarian powers have weaponized corruption and information operations to influence elections, policymaking and civic discourse in other countries to benefit their political or geostrategic objectives. From Moldova to Myanmar, interference and disinformation in elections and national politics have become the rule rather than the exception. 

In November 2020, Zambia made headlines when it became the first African nation to default on its debt repayment to foreign lenders during the COVID-19 global health crisis. While many African nations made significant progress in reducing their debt burdens in the 1990s and 2000s, in recent years, countries such as Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique have steadily taken on more and more loans to finance large infrastructure projects and government spending. In 2021, Zambia’s overall debt burden reached 123% of the country’s GDP according to the International Monetary Fund.

Africa has seen significant democratic backsliding in recent years, driven in large part by leaders who undermine constitutional norms, bypass presidential term limits, and shrink political space to gain or maintain power. To stimulate a discussion on how to reverse this trend, NDI partnered with the Government of Botswana to organize an Africa-wide Summit on Constitutionalism and Democratic Consolidation, in Gaborone from July 6 to 8, 2022.