The need for cooperation between the different levels of governance, and in particular the integration of the potential of action by cities and regions, is now widely recognised as a necessary effort to reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement and to make its implementation credible. This was the main message of the International Conference on Climate Action (ICCA) in May 2019 in Heidelberg, which the Director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) summarised as follow: “harnessing the full power of towns and cities to drive the shift to a…
Read MoreMonth: November 2022
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS, INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT AFFECT SURVEILLANCE QUALITY
Variation in the quality of global surveillance systems can be attributed in large measure to disease characteristics. Under certain circumstances— for example, if a disease can be eradicated or if it poses a high risk of a global pandemic—disease-specific control programs have attracted broad support and have employed this support to create comparatively effective surveillance systems. Surveillance for other diseases, including emerging infections has received less international support and is more limited. The best surveillance systems have been established to support international campaigns aimed at eradicating or eliminating certain diseases,…
Read MoreTHE CHALLENGE OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY IN AN ERA OF GLOBALIZATION
Many people consider globalization nothing new – societies have been interconnected for years. But globalization took different forms in the past and the contemporary conjuncture is new. The world has never experienced globalization at this level of intensity before or the speed at which it is transforming and integrating societies. There is no single, all encompassing definition of globalization. Instead, it has become a broad heading for a multitude of global interactions, ranging from the expansion of cultural influences across borders to the enlargement of economic and business relations throughout…
Read MoreYOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CURRENT USE DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERVENTION AND DESIGN
The growing reliance of youth on online support for mental health represents an opportunity for providers of mental health services, apps, and other supports. Online spaces offer unique affordances that can help create scalable, personalized, and timely interventions. For example, we may be able to reach youth who are difficult to reach through more traditional clinical supports or in moments when current providers do not have visibility. Many people, especially youth, may not want traditional mental health support. An online screening platform hosted by Mental Health America, which has screened…
Read MoreSOIL HEALTH : BENEFITS AND CURRENT POLICY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Soil health plays an important role in agricultural productivity, environmental resiliency, and ecosystem sustainability. Soil health is simultaneously remarkably easy and remarkably difficult to define. In the abstract, soil health is a straightforward concept: it is a measure of a soil’s ability to support life, withstand transient environmental stresses, and endure as a core component of a resilient ecosystem. John W. Doran, Soil Scientist and Timothy Parkin, Soil Microbiologist of United States Department Of Agriculture(in 1994) suggest defining soil quality as “the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem…
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