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Green Mining in Latin America and the Caribbean: Comparative Analysis of Public Policies and Industry Standards to Promote Sustainability in Mining
Get PDFMining is a vital sector in numerous economies of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as an important source of income and investments, an important generator of direct and indirect jobs, and a lever for innovations and chains. At the same time, its poor management can result in negative impacts on the environment and local communities. Enhancing the positive impacts of mining in LAC then implies addressing the challenges that exist for public policy and the development of the industry. This research by the IDB examines various good practices and international standards of the mining industry as references to review the existing policies and regulations in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru on social, environmental and governance sustainability of the mining sector in LAC. This comparative analysis revealed spaces where the regulations are less demanding or ambitious than industry standards and we consider those spaces as opportunities for improvement. Based on the evaluation, this work presents a proposal for a regional road map that identifies interventions to be taken in order to close gaps between local or national standards and the global standards of the mining industry
IDB\u27s Environmental and Social Grievance Protocol 2022: Annual Report
No full textIn addition to the project-led grievance mechanisms and the independent accountability office, MICI, the IDB also provides a channel for stakeholders to contact the institution directly when interested in filing a complaint about the environmental or social performance of IDB-financed projects. An IDB Environmental and Social Grievance Protocol has been set up since November 2021 to guide project teams to respond to claimants and address the issues raised effectively. The 2022 Annual Report of the IDB\u27s Environmental and Social Grievance Protocol provides an overview of the environmental or social-related complaints received in 2022. It includes key themes and lessons learned from the Protocol\u27s first year of implementation
Residential Electricity Consumption and Adaptation to Climate Change by Colombian Households
Get PDFThis paper provides the first empirical estimates of the relationship between temperatures and household electricity consumption in Colombia, using electricity billing and weather data from 2010 to 2019. I find that higher temperatures (or higher values of the heat index) increase electricity consumption, with the largest effects observed for high-income households in regions with hot climates. However, I show that there has been partial convergence between low- and high-income households, with the effect of temperature on electricity consumption in lower-income neighborhoods more than doubling between 2011 and 2019. These results align with survey evidence of increased air conditioning adoption. Nevertheless, further growth in air conditioning adoption and use is required to alleviate the health effects of more frequent and severe heatwaves due to climate change
Cost-Benefit Analysis Methodology for Administrative Prefilling of Value-Added Tax Returns: An Application for Chile
Get PDFTax administrations (TAs) worldwide have increasingly been moving toward digitalization to increase process efficiency and service delivery. This technical note presents a methodology, and its application for the case of Chile, for evaluating the benefits and costs of a particular component of the TAs digital transformation: prefilling of value-added tax (VAT) returns. The analysis identifies and allocates the net benefits from both the financial and the economic perspectives considering two major stakeholders: the government and taxpayers. The results show that prefilled VAT returns could benefit TAs and taxpayers, with a reduction in taxpayers compliance costs being a primary benefit. The application of the model to the Chilean case shows the economic net present value of the prefilling of VAT returns is US1.729 billion and a public sector or budgetary impact of US$3.391 billion. Sensitivity analyses show that the results are robust to changes in assumptions, except for the impact on government revenues from the change in taxpayer compliance. Overall, the results show that prefilling tax returns is an effective solution to high taxpayer compliance costs, the associated tax gap, and the risk of burdensome inspections, audit, and tax evasion
Research Insights: External Crisis Vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean: Is the Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full?
No full textQuantifying risk tradeoffs between different external balance sheet exposures, macroeconomic fundamentals, and global shocks is key to gauging the risk of external crises. This study highlights the need for the countries in the region to carefully manage their external portfolios and buffers. Despite progress, there is ample room for Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce their external crisis vulnerability through strategic risk management policies
Opportunities and Challenges for EMIS Implementation in the Caribbean
Get PDFThis report aims to identify relative strengths and weaknesses in Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) across the Caribbean region, as well as recommendations for improvement, by collating findings from analysis of EMIS implementation in three countries -Barbados (2022), Jamaica (2019), and Suriname (2019-20)- and a description of the Guyana EMIS. The analysis highlights three strengths across the countries analyzed: (i) use of annual school census as a data capturing tool; (ii) use of data and digital content for the management of students, learning, and teaching; and (iii) the availability of technological infrastructure in place to run the EMIS. It identifies challenges in: governance in terms of EMIS policy and design; various aspects of the collection, processing, storage, management, analysis and use of data; and access to the required physical infrastructure, equipment, technology, and internet connectivity. The document points to the need for an EMIS policy linked to ICT and education policies and to national objectives, a change management strategy, ongoing capacity building, and a closer collaboration between countries and with regional bodies, such as the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)
Challenges and Solutions: Scaling Tutoring Programs
Get PDFThe authors partnered with school districts, tutoring providers, and quarterback organizations that support implementation of high-impact tutoring across districts in the United States to learn from their efforts in implementing tutoring. This cross-district implementation study shares a snapshot of lessons learned about common barriers to implementing highly-effective programs and the ways that districts have overcome these barriers with success. Interviewees included administrators, teachers, tutors, and other program staff from nine school districts and one charter management organization, seven tutoring providers, and six quarterback organizations that support implementation across districts. One finding is that funding and belief in the potential of tutoring are two key facilitators for the implementation of high-impact tutoring. Moreover, some of the challenges identified are related to tutor recruitment and training, data use, the scheduling of tutoring during the school day, student attendance and school-level buy-in
Acceleration of Education and Learning
Get PDFIn Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), significant proportions of students struggle to attain basic competencies in reading and mathematics. To address this issue, traditional practices like grade repetition are prevalent, leading to delayed access to grade-level education and overcrowded classrooms. However, emerging research challenges the effectiveness of this approach. Instead, an innovative solution gaining traction is Accelerated Learning, rooted in neuroscience and psychology. It emphasizes learner-centered pedagogy, socioemotional development, and collaboration with families. EdTech platforms also present promising opportunities for learning acceleration. These approaches mark a paradigm shift towards holistic, student-centered learning solutions that aim to enhance educational outcomes and bridge learning gaps
Estimating the Long-term Effects of a Fruit Fly Eradication Program Using Satellite Imagery
Get PDFThis analysis applies a regression discontinuity approach combined with remote sensing data to measure the productivity impacts linked to a fruit-fly eradication program, implemented in Peru. For this purpose, satellite imagery was used to estimate a vegetation index over a 10-year span for a sample of 305 producers -155 treated and 150 controls-. The results confirmed that program participation increased agricultural productivity in the short and long terms, in a range from 12% to 49%. However, quantile regression methods suggest that most productive farmers were able to obtain greater impacts
Caribbean Economics Quarterly: Volume 12, Issue 2: Global and Regional Economies at a Crossroads
No full textThe global economy and Caribbean regional economies are at a crossroads. In general terms, tourism-oriented economies have recovered more rapidly than expected from the sharp pandemic-induced contraction of 2020. Commodity prices have subsided; however, they remain above pre-pandemic levels, with persistent negative effects on households across the region, while at the same time buoying macroeconomic prospects for commodity exporters. Regional economies have grown faster than the global economy, recovering from a deeper shock, but growth rates are likely to converge to pre-pandemic levels unless there are significant structural changes to enhance productivity, country circumstances vary substantially, as noted in the country sections of this report. Some countries (e.g., The Bahamas and Jamaica) tourism sectors have recovered more rapidly than others (e.g., Barbados), and there is the hydrocarbon-fueled extraordinary growth of Guyana that dwarfs the economic growth of all countries in the Western Hemisphere. Key risks and opportunities also vary across countries, and these are analyzed in the country sections of the report