The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed households’ financial fragility. Prior to the pandemic, six out of ten people in Latin America and the Caribbean reported they lack the resources to cover an emergency, and among the poorest quintile, the figure was only two out of ten. As in the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 has revealed the need to advance a policy agenda aimed at … [Read more...] about Financial Literacy in the Caribbean: The Case of Barbados
The Importance of Good Regulations: When Investing Well Is Not Enough
Part of our "behind the scenes" series of posts for our 2020 flagship publication From Structures to Services: The Path to Better Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean Improving the quality, efficiency, and productivity of water, power, and transportation could have significant benefits for economic growth and income distribution. In a recent blog, we showed that … [Read more...] about The Importance of Good Regulations: When Investing Well Is Not Enough
Boosting Math Education with Technology during the Pandemic and After
Education in Latin America and the Caribbean is facing an unprecedented crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced governments to close schools in the vast majority of countries, forcing study to take place at home partly through computers and other devices. But many teachers are still unprepared to use technology effectively in the learning process. And there are long standing … [Read more...] about Boosting Math Education with Technology during the Pandemic and After
How Better Electricity Storage Can Help Make Latin America’s Energy Generation Greener
With plenty of hydropower and recent additions of wind and solar generation, Latin America and the Caribbean boasts one of cleanest electricity grids in the world. And yet, as we show in our recent flagship publication “From Structures to Services”, we are falling short of the goal of limiting warming to 1.5° C and even 2° C. Due to their declining costs, wind and solar … [Read more...] about How Better Electricity Storage Can Help Make Latin America’s Energy Generation Greener
Combating Inequality in the Covid-19 Era
Latin America and the Caribbean is the world's most unequal region, after sub-Saharan Africa, and income inequality there is getting worse as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the expected long-term effects of the pandemic, inequality is likely to continue worsening for many years to come if the right policies are not put into place. This would be a tragedy for a … [Read more...] about Combating Inequality in the Covid-19 Era