In the ZEF blog, ZEF researchers share impressions, experiences and insights from their research work, journeys and activities. Assessments and opinions expressed in these texts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the institutional position and views of the Center for Development Research (ZEF).
- Internationally Acclaimed, Yet Dying Within: The Slow Decimation of Kenya’s UNESCO World Heritage Kaya Forests
By Joslyn Muthio Nzau, post-doctoral researcher in the research project Local Dynamics and Integration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Outstanding Universal Value: Evidence from Cultural Landscapes in Ethiopia and… - Nature, Livelihoods, and Vector-Borne Diseases in Uganda: The Need for Interdisciplinarity
Blog post by Maureen Nabatanzi, Junior Researcher in ZEF’s Research Group on Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (LAND). Our study investigates the role of biodiversity loss, land use changes, and… - Mother Earth on Fire: Insights from the Bolivian Amazon
In 2024, we witnessed a concerning increase in wildfire activity worldwide. North and South America were among the regions hit hardest since wildfires were first recorded in 2003. Bolivia and… - NEPAL Part 3. Rethinking Inclusion: Development That Truly Reaches Those Farthest Behind
In May 2025, a group of ZEF researchers paid a visit to Nepal within the framework of the Bonn Global Cooperation Fund (BGCF) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of… - NEPAL part 2. From Survival to Displacement: Migration in Nepal’s Bajhang District
In May 2025, a group of ZEF researchers paid a visit to Nepal within the framework of the Bonn Global Cooperation Fund (BGCF) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of… - NEPAL part 1. Hidden in Plain Sight: Women’s Role in Nepal’s Agriculture
In May 2025, a group of ZEF researchers paid a visit to Nepal within the framework of the Bonn Global Cooperation Fund (BGCF) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of… - Job Shadowing in Sunny Italy: Spending One Week at the La Sapienza University in Rome
Blog post by ZEF-colleague Andreas Gohlke, who works with ZEF’s Cultural and Political Change research group (ZEF-CPC). From March 24 to 28, 2025, he spent a week shadowing the National… - “We survive by the Grace of God”: Textile and Garment Industry Workers in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has been implementing an industrialization plan since 2010 and become a global player in the textile and apparel sector. The annual export value of (non-)knitted and (non-)crocheted garments has… - More than Tarmac: Africa’s Roads are Pathways to Rural Development and Conflict
For some, roads are avenues for new business opportunities that provide access to new markets. For others, roads pave the way for deforestation, agricultural expansion, and biodiversity loss. In their…