With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), world leaders made a bold pledge in 2015 to leave no one behind on the path of development by 2030. Half-way to the target date, some 22 countries…

Samuel Kofi Tetteh Baah, Christoph Lakner, Umar Serajuddin |

Less than half of EU member states that operate passenger railways offer services with commercial speeds over 200km/h. Nearly a third of passenger railway routes in the EU between medium or large…

Shomik Mehndiratta, Daniel Pulido, Luis C. Blancas, Victor Aragones, Mercedes Gutierrez |

Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced low economic growth per capita, a very slow decline in poverty incidence, and the number of people living in extreme poverty has been rising steadily. As a…

Johannes Hoogeveen, Johan A. Mistiaen, Haoyu Wu |

When conflicts end, the tragic impact of lives lost, damages, and the countless needs of people left in its wake are overwhelmingly visible. There are also other long-lasting and damaging…

A.S. Harinath, Ahmed Ali |

Across the Sahel, young women are key contributors to the socio-economic development of their communities and countries.

Eleonora Cavagnero, Rohini P. Pande, Judith F. Helzner |

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Rapid increase in defaults poses a threat to financial stability of the two economies. From a social standpoint, excessive debt can decrease households’ disposable…

Fernando Dancausa, Martin Melecky |

Like many of its neighbors, Benin is experiencing growing threats of conflict. The country’s proximity to Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Mali—all experiencing violent extremism—makes it…

Solene Rougeaux, Saint-Martin Kodjovi Mongan Agbeshie |

School leadership plays a major role in shaping the quality of education, acting as a strategic lever to foster conducive learning conditions for students. Despite this, the characteristics of…

Nathalie Guilbert, Carolina Alban Conto, Fabricia Devignes, Juan D. Barón |

The Grand Nokoué metropolis of Benin has struggled with a lack of services for safe disposal and treatment of human waste for years. A new fecal sludge plant, built in Sèmè-Kpodji with support…

Mariam Sou, Xavier Chauvot De Beauchene, Kevin Ahouandjinou |

The West African Economic and Monetary Union community, which comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, is facing a deficit of decent housing of…

Mazen Bouri |