Show Notes
Beyond theoretical debates, what are the tangible, on-the-ground impacts of development projects, and what barriers do practitioners face when implementing them? This episode moves into the realities of aid in practice, exploring the immediate and long-term consequences of recent aid cuts, the intricate complexities of localisation, and the actual effectiveness of varying donor approaches.
To examine these practical challenges at a time when global aid funding is at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals are significantly off-track, hosts Ivica Petrikova (Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London) and Melita Lazell (Associate Professor in Political Economy and Development at the University of Portsmouth) continue the Global Aid Rethink series.
Joining Ivica and Melita for this discussion are Tamsin Bradley, Professor in Development Studies at the University of Portsmouth, and Olusola Adeyemo, African Lead in Sustainable Farming, Distribution and Extension at AGRA. Drawing on their extensive field experience, they share insights into how aid projects are delivered, the barriers to achieving sustainable impact, and the unintended side effects that can arise. The conversation also addresses vital priorities for future funding amidst reduced Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets, advocating for a critical focus on systems, education, youth, and local innovation.
Read the transcript here
This is a Research Podcasts production.
Episode credits: Presenters: Ivica Petrikova, Royal Holloway, University of London and Melita Lazell, Portsmouth University Guests: Tamsin Bradley and Olusola Adeyemo Producer: Catherine McDonald, Research Podcasts Music: MFCC via Pixabay
This podcast was generously funded by the ESRC-funded Royal Holloway Social Science Impact Accelerator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Global Aid Rethink
Given that the nations least responsible for global emissions bear the heaviest burdens of the climate crisis, how can global aid be restructured to deliver genuine climate justice? This episode interrogates the complex relationship between international environmental finance and sustainable development, exploring how major initiatives - such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) - navigate the structural tensions between emission mitigation and social justice in the Global South.
As traditional overseas aid drops to historic lows, is the growing reliance on private sector instruments a genuine solution or a geopolitical pivot? This episode investigates the increasing financialisation of development cooperation, exploring how aid is being channelled through development finance institutions (DFIs) to crowd in private capital, and what this structural shift means for accountability, transparency, and state capacity in the Global South.
Following the catastrophic funding drops of 2025, what does the immediate future hold for international development cooperation? This episode investigates the immediate impacts of deep aid cuts on the ground, addressing the driving forces behind fragile public support in donor nations, the severe consequences of funding withdrawals on health sectors, and how the current geopolitical environment is accelerating a shift away from traditional donor-recipient paradigms.
With global funding at its lowest in decades and the Sustainable Development Goals significantly off-track, what does the future look like for the global aid landscape? This concluding episode synthesises insights from across the series, reflecting on profound systemic shifts, the implications of recent deep aid cuts in the UK and US, and the immense challenges of rebuilding the moral and political case for international assistance.
Does the growing reliance on private sector markets and financial logic in delivering international development assistance lead to capital being extracted from the Global South? This episode interrogates the critical and often overlooked dimension of aid as extraction, exploring whether the increasing financialisation of aid genuinely fosters sustainable development or simply prioritises profit generation over the needs of the most vulnerable.