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Scaling Big Data for Social Good: Weighing the Benefits and the Risks
Each day, the world generates about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data, and the entire digital universe is expected to hit 44 zettabytes this year. According to Hayden Dahmm at SDSN TReNDS, this data can provide major benefits if it's shared between the public and private sectors – but the risks are equally significant, particularly in emerging markets. He explores how to ensure that big data is used safely and ethically.
- Categories
- Technology
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New Era, New Data: Why ‘Financial Inclusion 2.0’ Will Require a Different Approach to Measurement
Financial inclusion is entering a new era, says Grant Robertson at FinMark Trust. The movement’s first era focused largely on boosting financial access – but its impact on poverty and wellbeing was limited. The new era – "financial inclusion 2.0" – will focus more on expanding real economic opportunity. But to support this goal, the sector will need a new approach to data.
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- Finance, Impact Assessment
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Solving the Credit Impasse: How Big Data and AI are Generating Funding Opportunities for Smallholder Farmers in Africa
Smallholder farmers provide over 80% of the food in much of the developing world, making a major contribution to poverty reduction and food security. Yet as Iftin Fatah at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation points out, in Africa, less than 3% of total bank lending goes to the sector – even though it accounts for about 70% of all employment and over 40% of GDP. She explores some innovative, tech-driven solutions to this perennial problem.
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- Agriculture, Technology
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Viewpoint: Can Big Data Fight a Pandemic?
The COVID-19 crisis has intensified the debate over big data and privacy. Governments are pulling together data from public and private systems in order to predict and counter the spread of COVID-19. But setting aside privacy protections in a time of crisis could lead to new, permanent norms. We asked Yale SOM’s K. Sudhir about the role of India’s nationwide identity system, Aadhaar, and the use of big data around the world.
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- Coronavirus, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Big Data in a Time of Crisis: Maximizing its Value – And Avoiding its Risks – In the Fight Against COVID-19
About 2 million people around the world have been infected by the coronavirus, and the numbers continue to grow. Yet this data reveals only a fraction of the scale of the crisis. As Jessica Espey at SDSN TReNDS points out, the pandemic has exposed the acute weakness of the world’s data systems. But she cautions that, in modernizing these systems, we must not sacrifice our long-term data rights for short-term benefits.
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- Coronavirus, Health Care, Technology
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Reducing the Costs of Migration: How Better Data Can Lead to Better Policy – and Better Prices – in Migrant Remittances
International migration has become a pressing global issue, and one that's likely to grow in the coming years. One way to help economies absorb migrants with minimal disruption is to improve their access to affordable, formal cross-border remittances. But according to Damola Owolade at FinMark Trust, this goal may be easier said than done, as accurate data on remittance pricing can be surprisingly hard to acquire.
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- Finance
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China Looks to Robots, Big Data to Drive Agriculture Forward
The “Digital Agriculture and Rural Area Development Plan 2019-2025” acknowledges (in Chinese) that data resources are scattered and coverage rates remain low. But top Party agencies are serious about the digitalizing the countryside and building 5G networks in these areas.
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- Agriculture, Technology
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Employment, Entrepreneurship and Data: Announcing NextBillion’s 2020 Special Series
NextBillion is pleased to announce the topics of our 2020 special series. These three year-long series will cover innovations and challenges in employment, the "untold stories" of social entrepreneurs, and the risks and opportunities of Big Data. Each will be managed by a different member of our editorial team. Check out the descriptions here, and email the appropriate editor if you’d like to discuss a potential guest article. We’re looking forward to following the discussion!
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, NextBillion Originals, Technology
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