By Jordi Abadal and Javier Cuervo Last January, Suriname inaugurated the first solar plant for rural electrification purposes. The plant, with a capacity of 500 kW, will provide 24 hours electricity to the rural community of Pokigron and to Atjoni under the operational responsibility of EBS, the state-owned electric utility of Suriname, and with financing from the … [Read more...] about The First Solar Plant for Rural Communities in Suriname
Suriname
How can we empower rural women in Suriname?
On a mission to empower rural women in Suriname By Mirjam Gommers On September 12, 2015, Anna Nantawi (52) and Ketoera Aparaka (45) left their village in the southern interior of Suriname to attend a six-month training program in India provided by the NGO Barefoot College to become solar engineers. The women speak no English or Hindi, and one had never left her village … [Read more...] about How can we empower rural women in Suriname?
Suriname’s Debt Surge: What’s Driving It?
The debt to GDP ratio in Suriname increased by 35.6 percentage points in 3 years, moving from 29% of its GDP in 2014 to 64.6% in 2016. It’s the largest increase in a debt ratio recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) over the period. Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and Brazil were the only other countries that experienced double digit increases over the same … [Read more...] about Suriname’s Debt Surge: What’s Driving It?
Fall from Grace: How Suriname’s Macroeconomic Fundamentals Have Changed After The “Perfect Economic Storm”
Suriname experienced a triple commodity shock in 2015. The price of gold declined by 30 percent relative to 2012, oil prices declined by 56 percent relative to 2012 and alumina production came to a halt (Figure 1). With these three commodities being the mainstay of Suriname’s economy, it was like a “perfect storm”. The result was a sharp drop in economic growth and rapid … [Read more...] about Fall from Grace: How Suriname’s Macroeconomic Fundamentals Have Changed After The “Perfect Economic Storm”
Building Sustainable Cities in the Caribbean: 3 lessons from Paramaribo
By Luis Schloeter Climate change is considered one of the main challenges for development. The scientific community has reiterated that anthropogenic climate change - caused by human activities (eg urban transport, energy production, etc.) - has been occurring over the last century, increasing the temperature of the earth, and consequently the probability and intensity of … [Read more...] about Building Sustainable Cities in the Caribbean: 3 lessons from Paramaribo