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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Global Prosperity Wonkcast
The Climate Change Vulnerability Index — David WheelerMay 21, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Climate Change Tags: Climate Change, Climate Vulnerability Index
Rapid climate change is upon us, and governments, multilateral organizations, and development agencies are preparing to dole out billions of dollars in adaptation assistance. Nevertheless, little research has gone into calculating which countries are most vulnerable to global warming. On this Wonkcast, I’m joined by David Wheeler, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, who created an index for determining which countries should be prioritized when the money starts to flow. His paper, “Quantifying Vulnerability to Climate Change: Implications for Adaptation Assistance”, provides an index for comparison of cross-country vulnerability to some of the most extreme climate threats. An accompanying map makes it easy to see which countries will be hit hardest. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment »Haiti: Where Has All the Money Gone? – Vijaya Ramachandran and Julie WalzMay 15, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Aid Effectiveness Tags: Aid Effectiveness, Haiti, USAID
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment »Leapfrogging Technology, the Case for Biometrics: Alan GelbMay 8, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Global Development Tags: Biometrics, Haiti
This show was originally posted on January 11, 2011 In developed countries, official identification systems are a fact of life, providing the foundation for a myriad of transactions including elections, pension payments, and the legal system. Without functional ID systems, citizens of many developing countries miss out on the benefits of official identification. On this week’s Wonkcast, I am joined by CGD senior fellow Alan Gelb who has been researching the potential for new biometric technology, such as computerized finger printing and iris scans, to help poor countries leapfrog the long and complicated process of setting up ID systems. In our conversation, Alan explains the depth of the problem in the developing world. “In most rich countries there are already identity systems that work more or less well,” he says. “In many poor countries, not only is there no consistent identity system but at least half of the people don’t have records of birth at all. They simply don’t exist.” Comment »Latin American Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis – Liliana Rojas-SuarezMay 1, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Finance, Latin America Tags: financial crisis
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Comment »U.S. Support for Sustainable Energy for All—Nigel PurvisApril 23, 2012By Lawrence MacDonald in Climate Change, Private Investment Tags: Climate Change
My guest on this week’s Wonkcast is Nigel Purvis, CEO of Climate Advisors, a visiting senior associate at CGD, and the co-author of a new CGD report “Energizing Rio+20: How the United States Can Promote Sustainable Energy for All at the 2012 Earth Summit.” We spoke last Friday following the launch of the report at a CGD event that concluded with a keynote address by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Podcast: Play in new window | Download 1 Comment » |
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This Wonkcast was originally recorded in April 2011.
Since the 2010 earthquake, $6 billion has been disbursed in official aid to help the people of Haiti. Nearly all of it has gone to intermediaries such as international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private contractors. Yet there has been a surprising lack of reporting on how the money has been spent. CGD senior fellow 
Conventional wisdom has it that when the United States catches a cold, Latin America gets pneumonia. But when the United States caught financial pneumonia in 2008, Latin America escaped with little more than a cold. What’s changed?
