In the decade before the famine, Ireland experienced a boom in Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). This paper analyses the motivations of MFI proponents and practitioners, and finds evidence linking the boom in MFIs with the introduction of the poor law in 1838. Many contemporary writers saw...

This paper provides guidance to the microinsurance movement on how organisational structure impacts performance. We develop these insights through analysis of the Friendly Society Movement, a previously untapped and rich history of insurance for the poor. A particular structure, the Affiliated...

This paper explores the application of rapid urban profiling for sustainability studies (RUSPS) in articulating city strategic plans in developing countries with the aim of determining its implications for urban planning in Ondo State, Nigeria. Ondo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria where...

Cihanbeyli, located in Salt Lake (SL) Basin, is the largest county of Turkey in terms of its area. In total 56.105 people live in the county and its rural population is 7.005. According to data of 2011 year, Cihanbeyli's social development level is at the tenth of 31 counties of the Konya...

Small farms are the largest employment and small business group among the poor. Their businesses use mostly labor and local resources and face local constraints, but at the same time, they are affected by increasingly complex national and global economic changes, which lead to shifts in...

The study explores the dimensions of energy insecurity on small islands in terms of heavy dependence on fossil fuels and the challenges involved in improving efficiency and renewable energy capacity to enhance energy security in the electricity system. Although all inhabited islands in the...

Climate negotiations have been going on for the last two decades and the awareness for impacts of climate change has improved substantially. However, the trends of global CO2 emissions did not reveal any encouraging signs, with developing countries emitting even more CO2 and industrialized...

Numerous microfinance initiatives around the world aim to alleviate poverty in developing countries. However, debate persists about their effectiveness and sustainability - a concern for transnational corporations and the international business community, which contribute about $9.4 billion to...

The present research work aims to analyse the effect that the disaggregated developmental aid has had on the health status and the standard of living in the urban sector after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established. Infant Mortality and Improved sanitation facilities are taken...

More and better quality private sector investment in food systems will be needed if countries are to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals. The key challenge addressed in this paper is how investment in food systems can be redirected such that it is both adequate to drive dynamic food...