Data in action: a decade of remote, rapid damage assessments
As disasters grow more frequent and severe, the need for fast, reliable information in the immediate aftermath has never been greater. Governments, development partners and
Navigating the human impact of disasters: Introducing a new climate toolkit
Droughts, floods, storms, and heatwaves are no longer isolated events—they are reshaping how people live, work, and thrive. Beyond damaged roads or lost harvests, disasters
Delivering at scale: Six principles to tackle learning poverty
Most children in low-and middle-income countries lack foundational skills. An estimated 70% of 10-year-olds are unable to read and understand a simple story, despite increased access
China’s electronics export juggernaut and lessons for the US
In 2021, China’s electronics exports exceeded those of the other five leading exporters combined. This column analyses the rise of China as a centre for
Childhood friendships and the gender equality paradox in education
The most economically prosperous and gender-equal societies often display stronger gender segregation in educational choices – a pattern known as the ‘gender equality paradox’. This
Gender-neutral economics can no longer be the default
Economic research often treats tools such as tariffs, subsides, interest rates, monetary policy, and austerity measures as gender neutral. This column argues that when sex-disaggregated
Beyond fragmentation: Building self-reliance in a shifting aid landscape
The global development landscape is undergoing seismic shifts. Foreign aid, a critical lifeline for billions, is shrinking, after becoming fragmented at an alarming rate over the
What does it mean to live in a country that is 0.517 poor?
According to the UNDP’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), the Republic of Chad has a poverty score of 0.517. But what does this number mean? Is it
Building debt transparency and resilience across East Asia and the Pacific
As the world continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, countries face new and unexpected challenges. Elevated debt levels, persistent inflation, and
Part-time work slows the narrowing of France’s lifetime gender earnings gap
France has narrowed its gender lifetime earnings gap, but has not managed closed it. Despite legal guarantees, French women still earn 30% less than men
