-
Blog post
Torn safety nets: How COVID-19 has exposed huge inequalities in global education
In 2018, 258 million children of primary and secondary school age were out of school. Now, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 1.2 billion children find themselves out of school, at least physically. In both the developed and developing worlds, schools have been more than just places of learning; policy designs have moulded them into safety nets for children....
-
Blog post
World Environment Day: Championing clean energy post COVID-19
Combating climate change and ensuring clean air for all is an interdependent effort. As developing country governments electrify their populations, renewable energy offers a range of clean ways of doing so. The recent plunge in energy demand and oil prices, which threatens to reverse recent gains in renewables, should not act as a barrier to transitions towards clean energy...
-
Blog post
A window into life during COVID-19 in developing countries
Our country economists in Ghana, Mozambique, Myanmar, and South Africa share insights on how lives have changed during the pandemic. With over 360,000 global deaths from COVID-19 as of writing, the pandemic has affected and upended daily life in almost every single country in the world, including all of the countries that IGC works in. While our in-country teams are...
-
Blog post
Tourism and COVID-19 in Zambia
COVID-19 is a real threat to Zambia’s tourism sector and there is a high risk that many firms will shut down and disappear, undermining any ultimate economic recovery when international travel resumes. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could cut 50 million jobs worldwide in the travel and tourism industry. The industry,...
-
Blog post
Responding to COVID-19 in fragile states: The case of Sierra Leone
Lessons from the Ebola outbreak supported a prompt response. A financing gap undermines efforts, requiring adaptive coordination among stakeholders. Sierra Leone was the last country in the Mano River Union (MRU) basin to record a positive case of the COVID-19 virus, on 31 March 2020. As of 12 May, the country now has 338 (cumulative) confirmed cases, 72 recoveries, and 19...
-
Blog post
Freetown just implemented a new tax system that could quintuple revenue
In the next few weeks, residents of Freetown are expecting to receive new property tax bills as part of a revamped and more progressive system. Approved as Sierra Leone was entering lockdown in mid-April, the revised arrangement places a greater onus on the richest and could increase the capital’s tax revenue five-fold. The new system has been in the works since Yvonne...
-
Blog post
What happens after the lockdown ends? Lessons from the 2015 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone
There have now been over 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world, with the number of deaths moving towards 350,000. Policymakers in many countries have responded to the pandemic by implementing measures related to social distancing and a large share of humanity remains in some form of lockdown condition. As a consequence of the uncertainty caused by the...
-
Blog post
Urban agriculture: A viable safety net for the urban poor during times of crisis?
One of the most devastating side effects of COVID-19 and the associated national lockdowns is the impact it is having on food access for the poor. Sub-Saharan Africa, with an already fragile food system, where rapid urbanisation and the rise of urban poverty pose substantial challenges to food security and nutrition, is likely to be hit the hardest. A simulation by the IGC...
-
Blog post
Event highlights: The impact of COVID-19 on informal and migrant workers in India
In IGC’s third online public event on addressing the economic challenges of COVID-19 in developing countries, we turn to India, where a nationwide lockdown amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has critically dislocated its migrant population. On 24 March 2020, the central government of India imposed a lockdown and closed businesses when cases of COVID-19 in the country...
-
Blog post
Rwanda’s response to COVID-19 and future challenges
Containment efforts have been effective; however, an impending global recession means the economic impacts of the pandemic will continue to be felt. In Rwanda, as of 19 May 2020, there have been 297 cases of COVID-19, of which 94 are active. There have been no deaths. These statistics are remarkable for the low number of cases and the fact that there have been no deaths so...
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...