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Blog post
A policy trade-off? The impacts of stringent COVID-19 lockdowns
New evidence suggests more moderate virus containment measures may be as effective in saving lives as stringent lockdowns – while saving economies. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 170 countries around the world implemented some form of lockdown by 31 March 2020. Governments had to make urgent policy decisions with limited evidence. ‘Stay at home’...
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Blog post
Beirut blast: Restoring power is important, as is trust
The blast in Beirut has exposed Lebanon’s corrupt energy sector and therefore should be the starting point for a wholesale reform of a crippled political system to rebuild trust and ease rising public agitation. It did not take too long after the deadly Beirut port explosion, which devastated the city’s most vibrant neighbourhood and transformed the lives of thousands...
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Does the gender of your co-worker matter? Evidence from call centres in India
Gender integration in the workplace may have negative effects on employee productivity (Akerlof and Kranton 2000, Bertrand et al. 2015). This could decrease employee productivity if employees of different genders are (1) uncomfortable or distracted by each other’s presence (Kandel and Lazear 1992), (2) face communication barriers while interacting (Hamilton et al. 2012),...
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Impact of COVID-19: Firms, jobs, and women’s employment
Many businesses in the developing world have reopened following the end of lockdown restrictions. However, low demand is dragging on revenues and profitability, slowing any corresponding recovery in labour activity and employment. The nature of the shock means women’s employment is likely to be disproportionately affected, threatening to reverse progress in gender...
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Impact of COVID-19: Poverty and livelihoods
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are stretching far beyond the spread of the disease. Efforts to contain transmission have triggered the worst global economic crisis in a century, devastating the livelihoods of millions. In the developing world, reduced incomes, food insecurity, inadequate education, and increased domestic violence, are all contributing to a...
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Impact of COVID-19: Health and community
COVID-19 has upended healthcare systems and derailed non-COVID-19 related treatments. Facing this, traditional and religious leaders, as well as community health workers, are playing a pivotal role. The COVID-19 pandemic is testing healthcare capacity the world over. With poorer facilities and fewer resources across the developing world, public health measures remain...
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Blog post
COVID-19 funding in federal systems: Lessons from Nepal
With COVID-19, the federal governments of many developing countries are grappling with a crisis that requires both a central and local response. Coordinating across spheres can be tough, especially when the effects of the disease are amplified by other emergencies. Our survey of local governments in Nepal shows how mismatches between COVID-19 caseloads and funding can...
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Blog post
Ideas Matter: How migrating to cities can ease seasonal poverty
Migrating to cities can help rural families escape downturns in the agricultural cycle. But for urban migration to be an effective tool for poverty alleviation, the costs of getting to cities, finding a job, and leaving home behind, need to be as low as possible. Lean seasons have been common throughout farming history. In The Discovery of France, Graham Robb describes how...
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Blog post
The gateway to carbon pricing? Air pollution policy
Buying carbon is too cheap and easy. 'Gateway tax', focussing on air pollution, could be initial step. Outdoor air pollution causes 4 million deaths a year. When it comes to climate policies, of those available, the economist’s preferred tool tends to be the elusive carbon tax’. Despite notable successes, the implementation of carbon...
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Blog post
Ideas Matter: Sparking insights from the demand and supply side of electricity
Understanding of both the demand and supply side is crucial for ensuring the proper functioning of the electricity market and the provision of electricity. Approximately one billion people, mainly located in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, do not have access to electricity in their homes. This limits productive activities at the household level (prime example being...
Blog post
Power planning in fragile and conflict-affected states
Traditional methods of energy planning are likely to provide results that may be inappropriate in fragile and conflict-affected countries. The risks of violence and damage, significant delays and cancellations in infrastructure projects, or projects coming in at very high cost, are rife in these states. Security issues can significantly hamper, or make infeasible, the...