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Project
The economic case for improving air quality in Kigali, Rwanda
Poor urban air quality is increasingly recognised as a cause of premature mortality. With transport contributing significantly to poor urban air quality in Kigali, it is therefore critical for research to be developed to better understand the options for policymakers. The Rwandan government has recently announced an ambition to electrify mobility in the country by...
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Project
Informal workers and labour market risk during COVID-19 in India
Informal work, such as through casual, temporary, and contract work, is a defining feature of labour markets in many developing countries and more recently in developed countries. India has one of the highest shares of informal work in the world, estimated to be between 75-90 percent of all workers. It typifies the current concerns over informal workers suffering...
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Project
Do farmers’ ability and community networks matter in agricultural adaptation to climate change? A case study of Bihar
The consequences of climate change have led to significant implications for agricultural productivity. Most especially in poorer Indian states such as Bihar, where farmers rely on traditional agricultural practices, have less room-to-maneuver in response to climate uncertainty – and the resulting changes to overall agricultural productivity. Although, mitigation and...
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Project
Food security during pandemic times: Insights and perspectives from rural Bihar
COVID-19 and the government-enforced lockdown has adversely impacted peoples’ livelihoods. The impact of the lockdown is very severe in the rural areas due to closures, restricted farming, and other economic activities. In a poor state like Bihar where nearly 90 percent of the population lives in rural areas and out-migration numbers are extremely high, the flow of...
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Project
Electricity usage: An early signal of the impact of COVID-19 on Uganda’s economy
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on the world, several governments have taken unprecedented measures to contain the speed of transmission and buy time to build much-needed testing and treatment capacity. The problem, however, is that in a rapidly changing global and domestic environment, official government statistics that would typically be availed...
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Project
Uganda’s energy sector: A fiscal risk
Uganda is a low-income country -- with middle-income ambitions -- that has made the energy sector a cornerstone of its development policy. The country allocates a large share of its public resources on providing a reliably supply of electricity to new businesses and to its citizens. Uganda has used debt to finance hydropower dams, transmission lines, and other large...
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Project
Special economic zones in Uganda: An impact analysis
As Uganda embarks on an ambitious plan for investing in industrial parks, there are opportunities for the government to target scarce resources towards tackling challenges facing firms in ways that are less financially and politically demanding compared to wide scale reforms. Many countries have used similar spatial policies as a catalyst for economic growth, with...
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Project
Artisanal small-scale gold mining and sustainable development in Liberia
In a context of gold price boom, the rapid development of Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASgM) raises several challenges for local communities, as well as local and national governments. At the same time that it could provide economic opportunities for local communities, it could also lead to issues related to health, the environment, and social cohesion. With mines...
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Diagnosing constraints in Rwanda's agricultural market
As the Government of Rwanda continues to deliver policies for post-COVID recovery, analytics that diagnose constraints in key sectors and inform progress of programmes have the potential to enhance the effectiveness of the overall strategy in policy response. The World Bank’s Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) team aims to support this response through remote data...
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Project
Estimating income losses and consequences of the COVID-19 crisis in Uganda
COVID-19 continues to take its toll on the world and more recently, the African continent. While the continent still accounts for fewer cases or deaths, in cities such as Uganda, the incidence of the disease has risen sharply. Uganda is not new to infectious diseases and has successfully battled outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg and even HIV/AIDS. Whilst COVID-19 has...
Project
Female politicians and economic growth: Evidence from state elections in India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS7YtrR2yjU&feature=emb_logo The project studies close elections between men and women for election to India's state legislative assemblies. It finds significantly higher growth in economic activity in constituencies that elect women. Given average GDP growth in India of about 7% per year (during the study period), the researchers...