State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Poverty / Development26

  • Cities Are Where the Action Is, Post-Rio

    Cities Are Where the Action Is, Post-Rio

    Representatives of the worlds’ cities came to Rio in June for a series of events focused on the problems pressing in on the burgeoning urban population. Mayors around the world already are working on solutions and came out of Rio with concrete commitments for the future.

  • Household Survey in Kenya Lays Groundwork for Fight Against Poverty

    Household Survey in Kenya Lays Groundwork for Fight Against Poverty

    A new survey conducted in three informal settlements in Kisumu, Kenya, examined poverty at the household level, gleaning information on the quality of life experienced by individuals living in such settlements. A follow-up workshop gave researchers a chance to share the information with local residents and hear their thoughts on the needs of poor neighborhoods.

  • Building a New Model for Development with the Honduran Government

    Building a New Model for Development with the Honduran Government

    Together with the Honduran government, the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development and Earth Institute colleagues will design a sustainable development plan that tackles agriculture, education, health, energy, climate change mitigation and business development to address the root causes of poverty in Golfo de Fonseca.

  • In Myanmar, Searching for the Roots of Peace

    In Myanmar, Searching for the Roots of Peace

    An understanding of the issues that influence conflict in Myanmar is necessary to think about how sustainable peace might be reached. But our research instead focuses on identifying “latent peace capacities” that already exist in and outside of the country, while also exploring means of transforming the underlying structures that give rise to conflict.

  • Mining for Peace in Sierra Leone

    Mining for Peace in Sierra Leone

    Risk factors for the decade-long war in Sierra Leone must be addressed before its abundant natural resources can be equitably exploited for economic growth.

  • Building “Bloom & Bud,” An Educational Garden in Kisumu, Kenya

    Building “Bloom & Bud,” An Educational Garden in Kisumu, Kenya

    The following is a guest blog, authored by Meagan HoChing, a Harvard University student and volunteer with the Millennium Cities Initiative. I have recently had the absolute pleasure of spending two weeks in beautiful Kisumu, Kenya. I am working with two other students to perfect what we would like to call “Bloom and Bud,” which…

  • A Celebration of Sustainability Innovation

    A Celebration of Sustainability Innovation

    The 2012 Equator Prizes were awarded to 25 local initiatives from Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Nicaragua, Swaziland and Brazil and elsewhere, for work by local groups toward the advancement of sustainable development solutions.

  • Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    UNESCO Director General Irena Bokova said sustainable development cannot be achieved by political agreements, financial incentives or technological solutions alone. There must be a fundamental change in the ways individuals think and act.

  • A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    Population growth is a key contributor to the pressures pushing at our planetary boundaries. In Rio+20 discussions, implications of population growth have become shrouded in platitudes. It is important that discussions on planetary limits clearly lay out possible strategies that can alleviate these pressures.

Columbia Climate School Giving Day on October 28, 2026, featuring students and renewable energy imagery

October 28, 2026 is Columbia Giving Day! Your gift to Columbia Climate School helps advance interdisciplinary research, educate the next generation of leaders, and transform bold ideas into real-world solutions for climate, Earth, and society.

  • Cities Are Where the Action Is, Post-Rio

    Cities Are Where the Action Is, Post-Rio

    Representatives of the worlds’ cities came to Rio in June for a series of events focused on the problems pressing in on the burgeoning urban population. Mayors around the world already are working on solutions and came out of Rio with concrete commitments for the future.

  • Household Survey in Kenya Lays Groundwork for Fight Against Poverty

    Household Survey in Kenya Lays Groundwork for Fight Against Poverty

    A new survey conducted in three informal settlements in Kisumu, Kenya, examined poverty at the household level, gleaning information on the quality of life experienced by individuals living in such settlements. A follow-up workshop gave researchers a chance to share the information with local residents and hear their thoughts on the needs of poor neighborhoods.

  • Building a New Model for Development with the Honduran Government

    Building a New Model for Development with the Honduran Government

    Together with the Honduran government, the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development and Earth Institute colleagues will design a sustainable development plan that tackles agriculture, education, health, energy, climate change mitigation and business development to address the root causes of poverty in Golfo de Fonseca.

  • In Myanmar, Searching for the Roots of Peace

    In Myanmar, Searching for the Roots of Peace

    An understanding of the issues that influence conflict in Myanmar is necessary to think about how sustainable peace might be reached. But our research instead focuses on identifying “latent peace capacities” that already exist in and outside of the country, while also exploring means of transforming the underlying structures that give rise to conflict.

  • Mining for Peace in Sierra Leone

    Mining for Peace in Sierra Leone

    Risk factors for the decade-long war in Sierra Leone must be addressed before its abundant natural resources can be equitably exploited for economic growth.

  • Building “Bloom & Bud,” An Educational Garden in Kisumu, Kenya

    Building “Bloom & Bud,” An Educational Garden in Kisumu, Kenya

    The following is a guest blog, authored by Meagan HoChing, a Harvard University student and volunteer with the Millennium Cities Initiative. I have recently had the absolute pleasure of spending two weeks in beautiful Kisumu, Kenya. I am working with two other students to perfect what we would like to call “Bloom and Bud,” which…

  • A Celebration of Sustainability Innovation

    A Celebration of Sustainability Innovation

    The 2012 Equator Prizes were awarded to 25 local initiatives from Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Nicaragua, Swaziland and Brazil and elsewhere, for work by local groups toward the advancement of sustainable development solutions.

  • Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    UNESCO Director General Irena Bokova said sustainable development cannot be achieved by political agreements, financial incentives or technological solutions alone. There must be a fundamental change in the ways individuals think and act.

  • A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    Population growth is a key contributor to the pressures pushing at our planetary boundaries. In Rio+20 discussions, implications of population growth have become shrouded in platitudes. It is important that discussions on planetary limits clearly lay out possible strategies that can alleviate these pressures.