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| INSIGHT ON TOPICAL ISSUES Decoding the News The second issue of MacroDev Semestrial Panorama series has just been released! An increased recourse to financing from the domestic banking sector has proved to be an important source of resilience for many developing countries in their efforts to face expenditures generated by the Covid-19 crisis. The second issue of MacroDev Semestrial Panorama offers an analysis of the consequences of an increase in sovereign indebtedness to the local financial sector and of the risks associated with this closer interconnection between states, central banks and commercial banks. Ten brief country surveys complement the issue and, through a summary of the main economic and financial challenges faced by these countries, illustrate the stakes of financing in developing economies. Download the latest issue in our MacroDev Semestrial Panorama series In-Depth Analysis The teams that won the Data4Covid challenge presented the solutions they developed to tackle the consequences of Covid-19 through the use of data sets! In late October, seven months after winning teams were announced, the results of their investigations were made public! Read the latest news on the teams’ projects Read the blog INTERESTING READS Latest Publications Uganda: revising the growth model while preserving debt sustainability After two decades (1990–2010) of strong growth and structural transformation, Uganda’s economy is still confronted with a high level of informality and a concentration of jobs in agricul-ture—a sector that is not very productive. MacroDev No. 35 Social Assistance for Informal workers: Analysis of the COVID-19 response in Brazil and Colombia This paper exposes the measures extended to informal workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzes two South-American countries which have a high percentage of informality, Colombia and Brazil Research papers No. 226 Côte d’Ivoire’s Electricity Challenge in 2050: Reconciling Economic Development and Climate Commitments In closing its economic gap with emerging markets, Côte d’Ivoire will face a substantial increase in electricity demand over the next three decades. Research papers No. 223 Social Contracts for Development Sub-Saharan Africa has achieved significant gains in reducing the levels of extreme poverty in recent decades, yet the region continues to experience challenges across the development indicators, including energy access, literacy, delivery of services and goods, and jobs skills, as well as low levels of foreign direct investment. Africa Development Forum Research Publications Learning from the past to build the future governance of groundwater use in agriculture The use of groundwater is increasing worldwide, particularly in agriculture. This leads to pumping races (from which the poorest farmers are often excluded), environmental disasters and the degradation of groundwater quality. Based on discussions between scientists and operational experts in two workshops held in 2018 and 2020, this paper, after taking stock of the dynamics and motivations of groundwater use in agriculture, reviews the solutions most commonly proposed, in particular by public authorities, to regulate the access to and use of this resource and to limit its over-exploitation. Read the article The Egyptian Labor Market The Egyptian economy has faced many challenges in the decade since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Not only was job creation anemic from 2012 to 2018, but new jobs were also of low-quality, characterized by informality and vulnerability to economic shocks. These challenges pushed many in Egypt, especially the most vulnerable, into a more precarious labor market situation. Then, in the midst of economic recovery brought on by tough reform measures adopted in 2016 and 2017, the country was hit by the widespread disruption of a global pandemic. Read the article Capital stranding cascades: the impact of decarbonization on productive asset utilization The low-carbon transition is likely to induce drastic changes in our economies that will affect how we produce and consume. Changes in the “real” economy will almost certainly impact the financial structures built upon it, including the balance sheets of states, households, and corporations. The assets that compose these balance sheets may dramatically fall in value – a phenomenon known as asset stranding. Read the article Ideas Forum COVID-19: a super spreader of inequality In a world where the COVID-19 pandemic is drastically increasing poverty, a report shows that the most resilient countries are those resolutely committed to reducing inequality. They can show us the way. • Read the article Perception and inequalities: how does bias contribute to reality? In Mexico, individuals want more social mobility, less inequality, and lower taxes. But these desires are not always compatible… To what extent our perceptions and our experiences feed each other? First episode of our series on inequalities. • Read the article EVENTS AND CONFERENCES Save the date |
| February 15th, 2022 1:30-3:30 pm The African economy in 2022: Towards a sustainable recovery? (in French) + Registration |
| Video Alex Chunet : « At AFD, we use artificial intelligence to analyze imaging » AFD and the French Center for Space Research (CNES) have initiated a partnership that will help AFD to use geospacial technology to support its research and development projects. Alex Chunet, a data scientist at AFD, talks about his work and the way he uses data. |