12 recommendations on government reform
The idea that some policy “works well” is grounded on three assumptions. First, it assumes that the evidence is rigorous in the sense that causality can be established and policy implementation leads...
View ArticleCows and kilowatts: opportunities for development
by Jesús Tejeda A program in Ecuador is a classic example of how electrification in isolated rural and urban areas can raise living standards and boost economic growth. Each morning at 4 a.m. as the...
View ArticleCan animal waste be harnessed to promote development?
By Horacio Aguirre-Villegas. Using bio-gas to produce energy can reduce GHG emissions and increase agricultural productivity. But it also can vastly improve the quality of life for people living in...
View ArticleTurning trash into light – Liter of light
By Carmen Fernández-Sánchez The simple act of filling recycled plastic bottles with water and chlorine has allowed light to enter millions of previously unlit homes around the globe. What’s more, this...
View ArticleImproving the quality of life of senior citizens
The risk of falling into poverty increases substantially with age, not only because the ability to perform a job and ensure an income falls, but also because expenses mount as health deteriorates and...
View ArticleThe Juana Azurduy Voucher Program: health services for mothers and their...
“I didn’t go to the health center because it took a long time, and on top of that they treated me badly,” recounted a Quechua woman in the town of Oruro, Bolivia. “We have our own customs for...
View ArticleWould you leave your children home alone while at work?
By Claudia Piras Free daycare services do not ensure a significant increase in women’s participation in the labor market. Why? The results of an after-school activities program in Chile may have the...
View ArticleDignified dwellings for Suriname’s Amerindian and Maroon communities
By Carolina Piedrafita and Carol Nijbroek Beneficiaries in their new home. Image: IDB Maseja Amoloe is a single mother in Pikin Pada, a small Maroon village in Suriname’s hinterland. These villages...
View ArticleDo Productive Development Policies Work for Micro, Small, and Medium...
By Lucas Figal Garone Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Argentina accounted for more than half of the gross domestic product (GDP) and three-quarters of all jobs in the second half of the...
View ArticleDrawing on Experience to Improve Natural Disaster Risk Management in Haiti
By Sebastien Gachot, Gines Suarez, Bruno Jaquet and Carmine Paolo de Salvo Artibonite river, Haiti. Image: IDB. Water is the most essential element to life on earth, yet too much water all at once can...
View ArticleFive lessons for successful government partnerships
Educational quality improvement program in Peru. Governments in Latin America spend billions on social programs each year, reaching millions of people with critical public services. But can governments...
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