Energy, Environment and Resources in Developing Countries student blogs 2025

Each year, students enrolled in the Energy, Environment and Resources in Developing Countries module (part of the Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment programme) at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources undertake the task of writing a 500-word blog on a contemporary issue related to energy, environment, or resource management in one or more developing countries. The assessment encourages students to craft a clear, evidence-based perspective on multifaceted topics, while developing skills in communicating ideas to wider, non-specialist audiences. It also offers the opportunity to showcase their work beyond the classroom.

This year’s top three blogs cover diverse and timely issues:
 

• The Rift Between Coastal Communities and Coral Reef Degradation by Kit Yee Lim
  • An examination of the dual role coastal communities play as both stewards and stressors of coral reefs, highlighting the intertwined local and global responsibilities for protecting these critical ecosystems.
• Driving on Destruction: How EVs are Exploiting Congo’s Mines by Mercy Kalu
  • A powerful critique of the hidden human and environmental costs behind electric vehicles, exposing the troubling realities of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Jal Sahelis: The Women Fighting Drought in Bundelkhand by Rachel Buzinin
  • An inspiring account of grassroots leadership, detailing how women in drought-prone Bundelkhand, India, are transforming water management and challenging entrenched gender norms.