-
Blog post
How Pakistan can finance its greenhouse gas emissions reduction
Meeting targets for emissions reduction requires innovative strategy, especially in coal-dependent, emissions-heavy countries. This strategy also requires a comprehensive plan to finance the energy transition. The Government of Pakistan can leverage concessional climate finance from abroad through nature-based debt swaps, carbon-trading provisions, and more comprehensive...
-
Blog post
Front-lining green jobs in the sustainable urbanisation agenda
The global transition to a carbon-neutral economy is expected to create many opportunities in the labour market, often referred to as ‘green’ jobs. In developing countries, active public policy at the national and local levels are needed for reskilling and upskilling workers into greener, higher-productivity occupations. This requires a better understanding of what...
-
Blog post
Which jobs were ‘lost’ during India’s COVID-19 lockdowns? Evidence from online vacancy postings
COVID-19 and associated lockdowns across countries have had a devastating impact on the global economy and labour markets. In India, data show a historic economic contraction by 23.9% over the last quarter. Using real-time 2020 data from a large online job portal, this article finds that hiring activity (in mostly urban, formal-sector jobs) declined dramatically due to the...
-
Blog post
Good governance through spatial evidence-based planning
Without a guiding framework, public spending in Balochistan, Pakistan remains ad-hoc and weakly aligned with the development needs of the province. The province could benefit from a spatial approach that links investments in its future development with present spatial realities. The government of Balochistan is working towards developing such a spatial strategy and –...
-
Blog post
Remote sensing for property valuation and taxation in Pakistan
Effective property tax administration and revenue collection require detailed and accurate property information. However, collecting this information through large surveys is both time consuming and costly. Remote sensing can simplify this process by mapping and identifying taxable properties in real time. The provincial capacity to generate fiscal revenue has been low in...
-
Blog post
Do Rwanda’s cities increase worker productivity and welfare?
Developing economies are quickly urbanising and must weigh the amenities and disamenities of city life as they grow because the urbanisation process is important for productivity and wage growth. Rwanda is urbanising rapidly and recognises the importance of urbanisation to overall economic growth. Starting from the current urbanisation rate of 18.5%, Rwanda’s Vision 2050...
-
Blog post
Impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Ethiopia
The conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions against Russia triggered price increases of key commodities with far reaching impacts on welfare, production, and economic growth for developing countries, including Ethiopia. Economic sanctions were imposed on Russia by the US and EU to deter Russia from further escalating the war with Ukraine. The ongoing conflict has...
-
Blog post
The role of inter-governmental transfers in financing Africa’s cities
Financial transfers from central governments to subnational governments in African cities can be successful in aiding urbanisation and development. However, these inter-governmental transfers need to be sufficiently sized, transparent, predictable, and based on feasible conditions to be effective. Inter-governmental transfers (IGT) are the transfer of finance between...
-
Blog post
In-kind transfers as insurance: Evidence from India
While academics and policymakers prefer unconditional cash transfer to the poor, they value in-kind transfers that protect against price fluctuations A fundamental question in the public economics literature, as well as in the practical design of social protection programmes, is whether transfers from the government to the poor should take the form of cash or kind...
-
Blog post
Has Uganda recovered from the COVID-19 lockdowns?
The economic effects of the pandemic were rapid and difficult for policymakers to respond to. Moreover, conventional economic indicators require longer time periods for efficacy. In our study, we utilised electricity consumption as an indicator for economic activity during and after the pandemic in Uganda, and find a decline in electricity consumption during...
Blog post
Industrialising Africa: The transformative potential of infrastructure
Infrastructure is key for economic growth, impacting productivity and integration in global markets. These are both crucial to industrial advancement and connectivity in Africa. Good infrastructure contributes to economic growth by reducing costs and facilitating more efficient use of productive inputs. As such,rarely embark on economic development without first...