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Financial Health and the Coronavirus: Another Failure to Prepare
Even before the coronavirus crisis, global financial health was surprisingly precarious, with many people unprepared to weather a significant financial shock. As Elisabeth Rhyne points out, this issue is becoming painfully clear now that the pandemic is causing mass disruptions in income and employment. She explores the lasting consequences this will have, and calls on policymakers to provide relief now – and to make financial health an urgent priority going forward.
- Categories
- Finance
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New Data and Technologies are Transforming Energy Access – Public Policy Must Catch Up
Technologies like geospatial imagery, machine learning and affordable batteries are generating ever more innovative ways to target customers with off-grid energy solutions. But according to analysts at the Duke University Energy Access Project, public policy is struggling to keep up with these rapid-fire developments, leaving vast amounts of human capacity and productivity untapped. They explore how to address this disconnect between government and the private sector.
- Categories
- Energy
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A Best Practice in the Making? How Dominica is Building the World’s First Climate Resilient Nation
In 2017, Hurricane Maria left unprecedented devastation in the Commonwealth of Dominica, with damages and losses amounting to 226% of the Caribbean nation's GDP. But according to Pepukaye Bardouille and Colin Scaife at the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica, the country has responded with a plan that could serve as an important pilot case for developing resilience in the age of climate change.
- Categories
- Environment
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African Nations Impose Stricter Measures as Coronavirus Spreads
Though the continent is still far behind Europe and Asia in the total numbers of Covid-19 cases, the disease has now reached about half of its countries.
- Categories
- Coronavirus
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Senegal’s New Start-Up Laws to Favor Women Entrepreneurs
According to the project manager at Senegal’s $50 million state fund for start-ups, Thierno Sakho, the law will unleash the talent of young entrepreneurs to have a real social impact.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public policy, startups
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Trump’s Latest “Visa Ban” Poses a Threat—and an Opportunity—to Nigeria’s Tech Ecosystem
While Nigeria is not the only country affected by the “ban”, it is, by far, the most high profile country affected by what the Trump administration describes as a penalty for unsatisfactory security and information sharing standards.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public policy
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Internet and Social Media Shutdowns Cost African Economies Over $2 Billion in 2019
Shutting down internet and social media access—an increasingly popular choice for governments on the continent in response to protests and dissent—came at a cost of $2.1 billion last year.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Authors of New York’s P2P ‘Public Venmo’ Bill Hope for Greater Decentralization
Published on Oct. 17, 2019, the white paper sets out the Inclusive Value Ledger (IVL) plan, which aims to bolster the mechanisms of the state’s monetization, production, saving and spending with the help of new digital technologies.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- North America