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on Development |
| By: | Boris Gershman; Ameesh Upadhyay |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the relationship between local ethnic divisions and conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using census subsamples and large-scale household surveys, we construct a new subnational dataset on ethnic inequality capturing group-level differences in education, asset ownership, and access to basic amenities for several hundred regions in thirty-five countries. To distinguish between deep-rooted and more recent ethnic divisions, we incorporate groups from our sample into Ethnologue's linguistic tree model and generate alternative measures of both ethnic fragmentation and inequality based on ancestral languages. Our analysis, leveraging within-country variation and accounting for numerous regional characteristics, reveals a robust positive relationship between ethnic fractionalization and conflict, especially when using deeper linguistic cleavages to define distinct groups. In contrast, ethnic inequality shows no systematic association with conflict frequency or severity. These findings suggest the primacy of ethnic identity over socioeconomic disparities between groups as a driver of local conflict. |
| Keywords: | conflict, ethnolinguistic diversity, ethnic inequality, Sub-Saharan Africa, subnational analysis |
| JEL: | D31 D74 O10 O15 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:amu:wpaper:2025-01 |
| By: | Amélie Allegre; Oana Borcan; Christa Brunnschweiler; Christa N. Brunnschweiler |
| Abstract: | We examine colonial-era primary education as a determinant of modern-day attainment and gender disparities in education. We construct a novel dataset from the French Protectorate in Morocco, combining archival data on colonial school locations in 1931 and 1954 with the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data in arbitrary grids. We analyse the influence of colonial schools on the probability of attaining primary and secondary education in 2004. Overall, schools dedicated to Moroccans in 1931 exhibit a persistent positive impact on education outcomes, but only in the absence of nearby schools reserved for Europeans. Stark gender gaps in access during the Protectorate were narrowed in places with schools for Jewish Moroccans. These had a positive impact on girls’ contemporary levels of education, but a negative impact on the enrolment for boys following the dismantling of Jewish communities after 1948. DHS measures of preferences for female education point to a social norms transmission mechanism between Jewish and Muslim Moroccan communities. |
| Keywords: | education, colonial legacy, female education, Morocco, French Protectorate |
| JEL: | N37 O15 I21 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11725 |
| By: | Mhamed Ben Salah (South Mediterranean University, Mediterranean School of Business); Cédric Chambru (ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon, CERGIC - Center for Economic Research on Governance, Inequality and Conflict - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon); Maleke Fourati (South Mediterranean University, Mediterranean School of Business) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses spatial variations in the enrolment rate of Tunisian pupils in 1931 to estimate the weight of colonial history on medium- and long-run educational attainment. We assemble a new dataset on the location of public primary schools and the number of pupils and teachers, together with population data for 1931. We match these data with information on education at the district level, derived from two population censuses conducted in 1984 and 2014. We find that a one per cent increase in the enrolment rate in 1931 is associated with a 2.37 percentage points increase in the literacy rate in 1984, and a 1.89 percentage points increase in 2014. We further investigate the exposure to colonial public primary education across different age cohorts. We find that our results are mainly driven by older generations, and tend to fade for younger cohorts. While we provide qualitative evidence that a cultural transmission of education may have contributed to this persistence, we also argue that the continuous effort and investment made by Tunisian governments to achieve universal primary enrolment best explain the decline in spatial disparities in educational attainment. |
| Keywords: | Colonial investment, Colonial settlers, Primary education, Literacy, Tunisia |
| Date: | 2024–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05004027 |
| By: | Margolies, Amy; Amunga, Dorcas; Pather, Kamara; Craig, Hope; Olney, Deanna K. |
| Abstract: | Despite progress in reducing child stunting over the past 15 years, Kenya is now facing new nutrition challenges, including overweight and obesity. The double burden of malnutrition (DBM), which is the coexistence of under- and overnutrition within individuals, households, and populations [1], manifests as child stunting and adult overweight (mostly in women) at the population and household levels. Dietary diversity is low and affects different population groups (particularly young children, adolescents, and women), predisposing them to micronutrient deficiencies. However, recent data on micronutrient intake and status are lacking. Households living in urban areas are vulnerable to being overweight, a consequence of increasingly unhealthy dietary patterns. In Kenya’s informal urban settlements, limited dietary diversity, reliance on cereals, and widespread consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contribute to high rates of child stunting, underweight, and the DBM, with affordability and accessibility driving food choices. Compounding factors include food safety concerns, clustering of unhealthy food vendors, and external shocks. Urban nutrition interventions have had mixed results, with some programs improving child health and maternal knowledge, but others showing no significant impact. Kenya aims to eliminate malnutrition by 2027, but national policies focus mostly on rural areas, leaving urban nutrition challenges insufficiently addressed. Programs such as Afya Jiji and the Nairobi City County Food System Strategy target urban health, but gaps in urban-specific strategies, poor coordination, and limited funding hinder progress. The national school meals program serves only a small portion of schools, and urban food policies are still underdeveloped. |
| Keywords: | dietary diversity; micronutrient deficiencies; obesity; stunting; Kenya; Africa; Eastern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–02–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:cgiarp:173368 |
| By: | Marein, Brian (Wake Forest University, Economics Department) |
| Abstract: | Most of the world’s highest homicide rates are found in the Caribbean basin. Common explanations for the region’s violence—such as inequality and long-standing culture—fail to explain the explosive growth of violence in recent decades. This paper examines the role of drug trafficking, a leading explanation among law enforcement but one that is difficult to establish causally due to the illicit and covert nature of the trade. I leverage an exogenous shock to drug trafficking: the 1973 Chilean coup, which abruptly redirected trafficking routes northward to Colombia and through the Caribbean. Using Puerto Rico, the Caribbean territory with the best data coverage, and a synthetic control constructed from US states—which share federal gun laws and other policies affecting violence—I estimate that the shock caused a 50% increase in homicides. Evidence from other parts of the region supports drug trafficking as the key driver of the Caribbean’s extraordinarily high levels of violence. |
| Keywords: | homicide; crime; Latin America; Caribbean |
| JEL: | K42 N96 |
| Date: | 2025–04–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:wfuewp:0126 |
| By: | Motta Café, Renata |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the fiscal and extra-fiscal effects of decentralizing the collection of Brazil's rural land tax from the federal level to local governments. Using a difference-in-differences research design, we assess the impact of local tax enforcement on revenue, land use, and environmental outcomes. Decentralization led to sustained revenue gains, increased agricultural production, expanded reported environmental protection areas, and slightly decreased land concentration. Our findings highlight the role of property taxation as a policy instrument for environmental conservation and sustainable development. |
| Keywords: | fiscal decentralization;extra-fiscality;Land use;sustainable develop-ment;rural property tax |
| JEL: | H23 H30 H77 |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:14081 |
| By: | García-Suaza, Andres; Mondragón-Mayo, Angie; Sarango-Iturralde, Alexander |
| Abstract: | The Venezuelan migration crisis has led to large-scale displacement, with over 2.5 million Venezuelans seeking refuge in Colombia. This study assesses the impact of the PEP on labor market outcomes for Venezuelan migrants. Using data from the EPM survey and a difference-in-differences methodology, the study compares preand post-migration labor conditions. Findings indicate that while PEP holders have increased access to formal ways of employment, it does not significantly mitigate occupational downgrading, as many migrants, especially those with white-collar experience, transition to blue-collar jobs. The results suggest that, although the PEP improves employment access, it does not fully address the quality mismatch between migrants' skills and available job opportunities. The findings underscore the importance of policy initiatives targeting skill development and matching migrants' qualifications with job market needs to enhance labor market integration and reduce inequality. |
| Keywords: | Migration, occupational downgrading, labor mobility, work permits |
| JEL: | F22 O15 J24 J61 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1606 |
| By: | Jared Gars; Laura Prada; Egon Tripodi; Santiago Borda |
| Abstract: | A large share of the global workforce lacks access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. In Colombia, where labor informality is high, the government introduced the Beneficios Economicos Periodicos (BEPS) program to promote voluntary retirement savings. However, many enrollees fail to contribute regularly. We conduct a randomized controlled trial with 2, 819 BEPS users, assigning them to different planning and monthly reminder treatments, where reminders are tailored in their timing. We find that personalized reminders significantly increase both the frequency and amount of savings, with individuals who recognize their forgetfulness more likely to demand reminders. Our findings highlight the role of reminders tailored to individuals’ preferred timing in sustaining engagement in voluntary savings programs. |
| Keywords: | retirement savings, personalized reminders, limited attention, financial inclusion |
| JEL: | D91 G41 O16 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11738 |
| By: | Margolies, Amy; Amunga, Dorcas; Craig, Hope; Folson, Gloria; Olney, Deanna K. |
| Abstract: | Ghana’s urban population has grown significantly, and while undernutrition in children has decreased, urbanization and economic progress have led to a shift toward overnutrition. The rise in consumption of poor-quality diets and ultra-processed foods (UPFs), along with more sedentary lifestyles, is contributing to alarming increases in overweight and obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes. The country is facing an emerging double burden of malnutrition (DBM), in which undernutrition coexists with overnutrition. The prevalence of child stunting is declining in rural areas, but child overweight and obesity is rising in urban areas. Increasing rates of overweight and obesity are also concerning among urban women and adolescent girls. Micronutrient deficiencies affect both urban and rural populations. Ghanaians in urban areas have more diverse diets but higher consumption of unhealthy foods, while those in rural areas face food insecurity and nutrient inadequacies. These challenges highlight the need for targeted dietary interventions to address poor feeding practices, healthy diets, and micronutrient deficiencies. Diet-related NCDs, such as hypertension and diabetes, are rising alongside contributing dietary risk factors, with urban areas and women most affected. Urban youth face higher NCD risks, with low diagnosis rates and socioeconomic factors exacerbating urban-rural disparities. Urban nutrition interventions improved child growth, reduced blood pressure in hypertensive adults, increased nutrition knowledge in schoolchildren. However, some strategies had limitations, and urban programs overlook poor diet quality, failing to address the need for double-duty interventions to tackle the double burden of malnutrition (DBM). Nutrition policies, guided by the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, address food security and healthy diets by targeting vulnerable groups such as young children, women, and adolescents. Ghana has made progress in promoting nutrition and healthy diets through multisectoral advocacy efforts, including the implementation of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes, social protection programs, and a national NCD policy. However, challenges remain, as few policies directly address the urban poor, and insufficient funding, weak governance, unhealthy urban food environments, food safety issues, and the unaffordability of healthy diets require targeted efforts to improve diets and address multiple forms of malnutrition, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas. Strengthening coordination and focusing on obesity and NCD prevention in urban areas are urgent priorities. Double-duty interventions and programs in social protection, agriculture, health, and education should be designed, implemented, and evaluated to tackle all forms of malnutrition. |
| Keywords: | non-communicable diseases; urban population; micronutrient deficiencies; Ghana; Africa; Western Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2025–03–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:cgiarp:173516 |
| By: | Bénédicte Razafinjato (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Luc Rakotonirina (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Laura Cordier (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Anna Rasoarivao (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Mamy Andrianomenjanahary (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Lanto Marovavy (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Feno Hanitriniaina (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Isaïe Jules Andriamiandra; Alishya Mayfield (HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]); Daniel Palazuelos (HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]); Giovanna Cowley (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Andriamanolohaja Ramarson (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Felana Ihantamalala (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar], HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]); Rado Rakotonanahary (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar], HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]); Ann C. Miller (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar], HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]); Andres Garchitorena (MIVEGEC - Maladies infectieuses et vecteurs : écologie, génétique, évolution et contrôle - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRD [Occitanie] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - UM - Université de Montpellier, PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Meg Mccarty (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar]); Matthew Bonds (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar], HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]); Karen Finnegan (PIVOT [Ifanadiana, Madagascar], HMS - Harvard Medical School [Boston]) |
| Abstract: | Despite widespread adoption of community health (CH) systems, there are evidence gaps to support global best practice in remote settings where access to health care is limited and community health workers (CHWs) may be the only available providers. The nongovernmental health organization Pivot partnered with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to pilot a new enhanced community health (ECH) model in rural Madagascar, where one CHW provided care at a stationary CH site while additional CHWs provided care via proactive household visits. The program included professionalization of the CHW workforce (i.e., targeted recruitment, extended training, financial compensation) and twice monthly supervision of CHWs. For the first eighteen months of implementation (October 2019-March 2021), we compared utilization and proxy measures of quality of care in the intervention commune (local administrative unit) and five comparison communes with strengthened community health programs under a different model. This allowed for a quasi-experimental study design of the impact of ECH on health outcomes using routinely collected programmatic data. Despite the substantial support provided to other CHWs, the results show statistically significant improvements in nearly every indicator. Sick child visits increased by more than 269.0% in the intervention following ECH implementation. Average per capita monthly under-five visits were 0.25 in the intervention commune and 0.19 in the comparison communes (p<0.01). In the intervention commune, 40.3% of visits were completed at the household via proactive care. CHWs completed all steps of the iCCM protocol in 85.4% of observed visits in the intervention commune (vs 57.7% in the comparison communes, p-value<0.01). This evaluation demonstrates that ECH can improve care access and the quality of service delivery in a rural health district. Further research is needed to assess the generalizability of results and the feasibility of national scale-up as the MoPH continues to define the national community health program. |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04543860 |
| By: | Cockx, Lara; De Weerdt, Joachim; Duchoslav, Jan; Jamali, Andrew; Nagoli, Joseph; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James |
| Abstract: | For over a decade, the US has consistently ranked as either the largest or second-largest donor to Malawi. Annual foreign assistance disbursements have averaged over $360 million between 2020 and 2023. In January 2025 the US government suspended all US-funded foreign aid programs. As of April 2025, the available information suggests that funding for many of these programs in Malawi has been withdrawn, resulting in an estimated decline in US foreign assistance to Malawi of around 59% for 2025. As a result, Malawi faces a potential decline in foreign exchange inflows of around $177 million in 2025, a loss equivalent to approximately 6.3% of the annual merchandise import bill. With Malawi’s economy currently highly vulnerable, lacking the buffers needed to absorb shocks, the eco nomic and welfare implications of these recent events are concerning. The suspensions may lead to an economic contraction from reduced activities by US implementing partners, immediate pressure on the exchange rate (endangering the affordability or availability of critical imports) and declining productivity in key sectors such as agriculture. Deteriorating health and education outcomes could further affect the productivity of workers in the longer run. In this policy note we combine qualitative and quantitative information gathered in-country with modeled results of the possible economywide impacts of the reduction of US foreign assistance on key economic and welfare indicators over the next six years. We also discuss policy options that could help mitigate some of the adverse impacts. |
| Keywords: | welfare; aid programmes; economic situation; agriculture; shock; development aid; Malawi; Africa; Eastern Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Date: | 2025–04–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:masspn:174201 |
| By: | Javier Aliaga Lordemann (INESAD Associate Researcher); Alejandro Capriles (Environmental economist); Nayra Antezana (Bachelor in biology) |
| Abstract: | This study analyzes the water footprint profiles of quinoa production in Bolivia, an emblematic crop that faces significant challenges in terms of yield and sustainability. The Total Water Footprint (WH) of quinoa estimated for the Southern Altiplano region of Bolivia is approximately 1, 728 liters per kilogram, with average yields of 1.15 tons per hectare. This result shows a worrying level of inefficiency in the relationship of HH and crop yield, especially in comparison with countries such as Peru and Ecuador. The results show high HH and low yields; therefore, quinoa production in Bolivia in the study area is not optimizing water use. This situation can be explained to a large extent by the low level of organic matter in the soil of the area (verified by soil studies). Thus, a soil with low organic matter content lacks essential nutrients, which impairs quinoa growth and negatively affects its root development due to soil compaction. In addition, the lack of organic matter decreases water retention capacity, which is critical in periods of drought as a result of the increased frequency and intensity of climatic events in the area. Likewise, the lack of organic matter makes plants more vulnerable to pests and diseases, but also reduces microbial biodiversity, which affects key processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling, compromising soil fertility. In summary, this type of soil is less efficient in water use, which can increase the water footprint of the crop by requiring more frequent irrigation. Based on these conclusions, several recommendations are proposed. First, it is crucial to optimize yield and reduce WH by implementing efficient irrigation systems. This includes training farmers in these technologies. The use of vegetative covers that improve moisture retention is also suggested. In addition, advanced irrigation technologies -such as soil moisture sensors- should be adopted and rainwater harvesting systems should be promoted. Training in integrated water resources management is essential, as well as the development of climate adaptation strategies. |
| Keywords: | WH, life cycle, water productivity, econometric analysis, agricultural sustainability. |
| JEL: | Q57 Q56 Q15 Q25 C21 |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:adv:wpaper:202418 |
| By: | Metodij Hadzi-Vaskov; Emiliano Luttini; Mr. Luca A Ricci |
| Abstract: | Income-support policies can boost consumption during a catastrophic episode like the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data on Chilean municipalities, we investigate the impact on private consumption of income-support policies, such as lump-sum transfers and withdrawals of funds from the contributors’ mandatory pension accounts. We find that both emergency income and pension withdrawals had statistically significant effects with an estimated average marginal propensity to consume of about 20 percent. Consumption of durable goods is more sensitive to these policies than other goods, especially in the programs’ initial stages. Higher educational attainment and financial leverage, proxying better access to bank credit, are associated with weaker consumption reaction across municipalities. |
| Keywords: | Covid-policies; Marginal propensity to consume; Pension withdrawals; Income support programs; Ricardian equivalence |
| Date: | 2025–04–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2025/064 |