Development reads this week
Is ecotourism worth the hype — especially in a country that recently experienced civil war? Is giving birth at home all it’s cracked up to be? How about the latest malaria vaccine?
These are a few of the questions we explored this week in The Development Set. Happy reading!
Nicaragua’s Ecotourism Industry Hopes to Do Good. Is It?
By Elizabeth Yuko in The Development Set
After an 11-year-long civil war, this economically disadvantaged Central American country is rebuilding its tourism industry by combining accommodation and social impact work. But ecotourism can mean many things, some good — and others, not so much.
Are Children of Single Parents Less Satisfied with Life?
By Tom Jacobs in Pacific Standard
Fascinating, depressing research. “Among their findings: Individuals brought up by a single mother for their entire childhood earned an average of 30 percent less than those raised in two-parent families. They were more likely to be unemployed, less likely to be in a romantic relationship, and had fewer friends.”
Dutch Moms Are Choosing Hospitals Over Home Births — And Maybe That’s A Good Thing
By Olga Mecking in The Development Set
“In natural birth circles in the U.S. and around the world, the Netherlands is often seen as a mythical place where all women give birth at home under the care of midwives.” But, as Mecking found during her own birth experience, that’s not exactly true.
Stop Celebrating the Malaria Vaccine That Hasn’t Proven Itself
By Jennifer Foth in The Development Set
“Is spending US$49.2 million to “learn” and lay the groundwork for a vaccine with only ~40% efficacy really the best use of donor dollars?”
World Refugee Week: Best Reads
By Charlotte Alfred in Refugees Deeply
In a bit of a meta-moment for our newsletter, here’s a fantastic roundup of refugee coverage from this week!
