by Meri Helleranta A rapid response and partnerships between the Haitian Government and key institutions, including the IDB, helped to curb the cholera epidemic, decreasing the number of new cases per week from 14,000 in January 2011 to fewer than 1,000 a year later. Five years ago, in October 2010, Haiti was hit by a serious cholera epidemic. Coming only nine months … [Read more...] about When Cholera Strikes: A Coordinated Emergency and Longer-Term Response
What does and doesn't work in development
Knowledge without borders
by Joaquim Tres Training and reducing trade costs improve regional integration and competitiveness in Latin America and the Caribbean. Truck driver Eduardo Escobar regularly drives his containers across the border between El Salvador and Honduras at the El Amatillo crossing. Just like him, 200 truck drivers cross the border each day. But while carrying out the … [Read more...] about Knowledge without borders
Best invention ever? Hands down, the washing machine … after electricity, of course
By Irani Arraiz* Imagine life without access to electricity. No TV, no fridge, no washing machine! (Have you ever had to consistently wash all your clothes by hand?) When I was a child, I spent summers in my grandpa’s ranch in the plains in Venezuela, without access to electricity (because of the ridiculously low population density). I loved being in contact with … [Read more...] about Best invention ever? Hands down, the washing machine … after electricity, of course
Empowering communities helps reducing crime in Trinidad and Tobago
By Dana King* Trinidad and Tobago shows how working with the community is the best weapon to fight crime. Betheem Gardens is a low-income neighborhood and crime “hotspot” that sits on the outskirts of Port of Spain and runs alongside the East/West corridor highway and Trinidad’s largest landfill. For those that live in this community, the stigma associated with the … [Read more...] about Empowering communities helps reducing crime in Trinidad and Tobago
What does energy efficiency have to do with hotels in the Caribbean?
By Christiaan Gischler* and Alice Driver** The Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency Action Program (CHENACT) helps hotels embrace renewable energy and energy efficiency. Around 25 million tourists visit the Caribbean each year, making tourism a key driver of the economy that accounts for 30 to 50% of direct and indirect employment in some countries. In most families, at … [Read more...] about What does energy efficiency have to do with hotels in the Caribbean?