By Luis Tejerina and Juan Miguel Villa According to the US government, the 2020 census could cost as much as $15.6 billion, or $49 per inhabitant. While in developing countries, according to a study of 77 countries carried out by Development Initiatives, the average cost of conducting a household survey ranges from $1 million to $1.6 million, These initiatives to … [Read more...] about Latin America and the Caribbean should tap into big data to reduce the cost of measuring poverty
poverty
How Do We Know if We Are Improving Lives? Multidimensional Poverty and Subjective Well-Being
The mission of the IDB is to work with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to improve the lives of their citizens. However, this process is not an exact science, so it is not always easy to ascertain whether that objective is being achieved. How can we know for certain that Bank-supported projects are helping people live more prosperously? Responding to this … [Read more...] about How Do We Know if We Are Improving Lives? Multidimensional Poverty and Subjective Well-Being
Turning trash into light – Liter of light
By Carmen Fernández-Sánchez The simple act of filling recycled plastic bottles with water and chlorine has allowed light to enter millions of previously unlit homes around the globe. What’s more, this innovation has saved low-income families up to 40% on electricity bills. No-one could have told Alfredo Moser, a Brazilian mechanic, that his invention would spread … [Read more...] about Turning trash into light – Liter of light
When you are 64
Right after you sing this to the tune of the Beatles song “When I’m 64” Sent you a pension, wrote you a check Stating full amount Indicate precisely how much is your min And please tell us your next of kin This is to help you avoid the fall Who could ask for more We will support you, staying alive When you’re sixty-five Tu ru ru tutu tu ru ru tuuu turuuu tu … [Read more...] about When you are 64
Shelter from the storm
In 1997, a small group of Chilean students started working as volunteers in poor areas in the beautiful Bio Bio region in Chile. A few years later, the group decided to start building provisional emergency housing – called mediaguas in Chile – designed to house a family of four. In 2000, over 600 volunteers helped build 5,700 houses, under the umbrella of an NGO originally … [Read more...] about Shelter from the storm