Por Steven Collins* Uruguay is demonstrating that there is more to renewable energy than lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy is a big deal inUruguay; over two-thirds of the country’s energy comes from hydropower. However, droughts in past years have left the country’s reservoirs dangerously low, and as a result, hydropower facilities have struggled to meet … [Read more...] about Winds of Change in Uruguay
What does and doesn't work in development
Are School Funds like a Party Cake? Taking Leftovers Home
Imagine that you are a parent and that last year you contributed US$20 to your child’s school to buy cleaning supplies, fix broken windows and pay for the phone service. Different from last year, now imagine that this year you get to choose with other parents what to do with government funds that could be used to buy cleaning supplies, fix broken windows, and pay for the phone … [Read more...] about Are School Funds like a Party Cake? Taking Leftovers Home
Democratizing public transportation
By Sergio Deambrosi* Despite the great benefits that Cali, Colombia’s new mass transportation system has brought to the city, low useage poses a challengefor its long-term sustainability. Just three years ago Cali, Colombia’s third city by population, had chaotic traffic. Streets and avenues were congested most of the day with a proliferation of buses, which contributed … [Read more...] about Democratizing public transportation
The Macho River: Source of Life, Electricity and Employment
By Carlos Echevarría* Modernization of the Macho River hydroelectric plant in Costa Rica has created more than 300 direct jobs and will supply electricity to more than 228,000 homes. Springing from the virgin forests of Cerro de la Muerte (Death Peak) in Costa Rica, crystal clear waters form a powerful outflow that creates the Macho River and are a source of energy for … [Read more...] about The Macho River: Source of Life, Electricity and Employment
How far away is your water?
By Jorge Oyamada* More than 10,000 households in rural areas of Paraguay enjoy a safe drinking water system thanks to funding from the IDB and FECASALC. Paraguay’s Virgen del Rosario Community houses 111 families and until a little over a year ago it had no potable water, forcing villagers to walk long distances to fetch water every day. “I used to carry … [Read more...] about How far away is your water?