Environmental and Social Safeguards

Rural villages such as the ones located in the Andean mountains of southern Peru present an interesting dilemma. For an external observer, there is usually little doubt that people from these villages should be considered as indigenous: they are the descendants of pre-colonial societies, speak an ancestral native language (Quechua), and have worldviews, social norms, economic … [Read more...] about “I’m not Indigenous!” Identity and Exclusion in Indigenous Development

In Part I of this blog (The Allure of Cash Compensation in Resettlement Processes), last week I told the story of Fernando, a man forced to leave his home as a result of a new hydropower project, who received a large sum of cash as compensation but ultimately ended up in financial ruin. Accordingly, I would like to return to the question: if resettlement cannot be avoided, is … [Read more...] about Part II: Safeguard Considerations in the Use of Cash Compensation in Resettlement Processes

Fernando was excited about a large amount of money he had just received. The money came from a public energy agency as compensation for the loss of his house and the source of his livelihood. He used to live and work by a nearby river, panning for gold on the riverbanks, until he was informed that he needed to vacate the area. A new hydropower plant was going to be built … [Read more...] about Part I: The Allure of Cash Compensation in Resettlement Processes

Water is a shared resource; the quality and quantity of water available to each stakeholder depends on how others use it. Water is essential for life and much more - rivers, lakes, floodplains and coastal areas provide flood protection, energy, navigation routes, recreational sites, building materials and food. A shared and essential resource should be used carefully, but … [Read more...] about A tool for achieving sustainable water use

See what three top experts told us about climate change  Earlier this year, the IDB sponsored a series of in-house presentations from leading experts in the field of climate change. The goal was twofold: to educate ourselves & the public on this important issue and provide an internal forum for collaboration within the Bank. Like any other large organization, the IDB … [Read more...] about See what three top experts told us about climate change