'The paper discusses the application of the Water Poverty Index (WPI) as a monitoring tool for Benin's water sector. The Water Poverty Index allows monitoring of a combination of aspects affecting rural water management, including water sources, access to and use of water, human capacity to manage water, and environmental impacts. The application of this index is tested for Benin at the regional level. A series of variables have been chosen for inclusion into the index following data collection more...

Summary: 'Important gaps remain in delivering on the global commitments in the areas of aid, trade, debt relief, and access to new technologies and to affordable essential medicines. In the countdown to 2015, urgent responses are needed to bridge the existing implementation gaps to make good on the promises made to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

A recently released report by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force identifies these gaps in detail and provides more...

The United Nations World Water Development Report, released every three years in conjunction with the World Water Forum, is the UN’s flagship report on water. It is a comprehensive review that gives an overall picture of the state of the world's freshwater resources and aims to provide decision-makers with the tools to implement sustainable use of our water. Reports for 2003, 2005 and 2009.

Latin America and the Caribbean Continues to Grow, in Spite of Deteriorating International Economic Context. ECLAC report estimates a deceleration in 2009 due to volatility and uncertainty, as well as rising inflation and other factors. Produced by Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) 2008

'Every year some 3.4 million people, mostly children, die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Over half of the hospital beds in the world are filled with people suffering from water- and sanitation-related diseases.

In 2002, participants in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, made a commitment to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by the year 2015. The United Nations Deve more...

'This publication, which consists of two parts, underscores the importance of population issues, including reproductive health, as a critical component of national efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs. The first part highlights key arguments on the benefits to be gained when governments make reproductive health and rights a development priority. The second part includes the 'Stockholm Call to Action', a list of practical ways to invest in reproductive health which was endorsed by a num more...

The specific project objectives are to improve the livelihoods and empower the target rural poor in Tamil Nadu (particularly women and other disadvantaged groups) through:

• Developing and strengthening pro-poor local institutions/groups (including village panchayats);

• Building skills and capacities of the poor; and

• Financing productive demand-driven subproject investments.

'Orissa, one of the poorest states of India, is today poised to make a significant economic turnaround. Its economy has clearly shifted gear and is now on a higher growth trajectory. While no one can deny the debilitating burden of still having 45 percent of its people living in poverty, the long-beleaguered state is today emerging from a period of economic stagnation and deep financial stress. The gross state domestic product (GSDP) has grown at 8.5 percent on average during the Tenth Plan peri more...

'You have manifested your support to our program to boost agricultural productivity called the FIELDS or Fertilizer, Irrigation and other rural infrastructure, Extension work and research, Loans, Dryers and other post harvest facilities, and Seeds, which was presented to you in detail by Secretary Art Yap.
We hope to see the same enthusiasm for our HEARTS program coined by Secretary Ralph Recto and presented by Secretary Nonoy Andaya earlier. HEARTS stands for the priority programs that would b more...

'The PPAF Project aims to reduce the incidence of poverty in the country through provision of resources and services to the poor and low income, particularly women. This objective is to be achieved through an integrated approach including provision of micro-credit loans; grants for small scale infrastructure projects, training and skill development and social sector interventions.'