This PhD thesis focuses on certain characteristics of the state and of state formation in Malawi, with particular emphasis on the effects of development aid. It consists of three papers for publication in journals, each focusing on different aspects of the state and state formation, and an introductory discussion. The first paper looks at the institutional set-up of the state. The second paper focuses on bureaucratic practice. The third paper explores some observed and some potential consequences of the poverty line. All papers refer to different academic debates, but they all point to aspects of state formation associated with aid and development. They demonstrate some forms of dissonance: here used as a metaphor for the difference between how social phenomena appear when seen through the logic of the state, and how social life is experienced in actual, local, daily interactions. The conclusion is that aid can increase this dissonance.

The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) 2011/2012 annual report outlines UNDP’s field programmes and its contributions to raising awareness and changing policy. The report describes activities and achievements under each of UNDP’s four focal areas: poverty reduction and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); democratic governance; crisis prevention and recovery; and environment and sustainable development, including access to sustainable energy. Each chapter also includes a section spotlighting a UNDP initiative, such as increasing public consultations in Vietnam, rebuilding in Haiti and reviving mangroves in Senegal. Moreover, the report highlights UNDP's efforts to help countries adopt initiatives to increase access to sustainable energy and combat climate change.

In order for developing countries to address the issue of climate change, developed countries are required to provide significant financial assistance for low carbon and climate resilient development. This synthesis report examines the nature of climate change finance in Asia and the Pacific. It was prepared for the Asia Pacific Climate Finance and Aid Effectiveness Dialogue, held in October 2010. The report begins by discussing the existing international climate finance framework and agreed climate finance principles to-date. It then draws upon five country case studies, which include: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Economic risk and the economic efficiency of selected adaptation options of the DFID development assistance portfolio in Bangladesh is estimated by means of Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) accounting for uncertainty and dynamic driving forces of hazards, vulnerability and exposure. A key concept employed in this analysis is the probabilistic representation of risk and benefits of risk reduction by loss-frequency functions. For valuing benefits of public sector interventions, the expressed preference- approach was used using available market prices for goods, such as used for reconstructing a damaged building. Two frameworks for the estimation and monetary quantification of disaster risk for the purposes of a CBA were presented: (a) The more rigorous risk-based framework combining data on hazard and vulnerability to an estimate of risk and risk reduced; and (b) The more pragmatic impact-based framework relying on past damages focusing on past damages.

This report details a process to screen the DFID Bangladesh bilateral aid portfolio for climate risks. It pilots a methodological process for screening and assessment of adaptation options, explained in section 1. In section 2, it provides a brief analysis of the way that climate change has been and could be tackled through national policies and programmes. It then assesses the emerging challenges in relation to DFID’s policy context and its strategy and programming in Bangladesh. Section 3 and 4 summarise the state of knowledge on future scenarios of climate change and present a set of revised data based on data from a range of models. Section 5 then assesses the secondary impacts of these changing climatic conditions through their effect on existing climate-related hazards. Section 6 looks into the implications of climate-hazards for the economy, and summarises the damages from major existing hazards, particularly flooding. Section 7 provides recommendations.

The World Bank’s environment strategy for 2012-2022 aims to support countries’ efforts to secure a sustainable future through initiatives that are green, clean and resilient. The strategy underlines that green initiatives emphasise the sustainable management of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security. It describes clean initiatives as working towards cleaner air, water and oceans through low emission development strategies, including climate smart transport, energy, agriculture and urban development. Resilient projects include better preparation for shocks and natural disasters, and improving risk management and climate change adaptation policy. In Africa, the main focus will be on natural resource management and expanded energy access. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Bank will mainly support the management of protected areas and biodiversity conservation, as well as payment for ecosystem services and green cities.

This 2011/2012 European Report on Development (ERD) stresses that better governance and a combination of public and private action are necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report, commissioned by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and the German Development Institute (GDI), predicts a 40 per cent increase in energy and water demand by 2030 and a 50 per cent increase in demand for food over the same timeframe. The report underscores that achieving inclusive and sustainable growth in the poorest countries requires a radical transformation in the management of the water, energy and land (WEL) nexus. In order to address the WEL challenges, ERD recommends that: demand patterns should reflect scarcity; quantity and quality of supply should be improved; efficiency should increase; and resilience against shocks should be increased along with benefits to the poorest.

This annual report by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) highlights that climate-related emergencies top all categories of humanitarian assistance with 149 million US dollars provided in financial assistance. The report details the early response activities the fund has provided to several crises. It indicates that climate-related emergencies, including the impact of droughts, floods and storms, expose the poor and the most vulnerable to long-term health risks and disrupt livelihoods and wellbeing. The report notes that almost a quarter of CERF funds in 2011 were allocated to drought-related emergencies in eight countries and the largest humanitarian emergency was to respond to the drought and food insecurity in the Horn of Africa.