If we continue to produce plastics at the current rate, the amount of plastic waste produced globally will cause species to die, damage entire ecosystems, and accelerate climate change. In South…
COVID-19 has been a global catastrophe killing millions, damaging economies, and impairing human development. Yet, the pandemic has also been a catalyst for much needed health system reform,…
South Asia, battered by three years of upheaval from the COVID-19 pandemic and spillovers from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, faces a combination of good and bad news for its economies. On the…
Sipu-Naya Basti is a village in Uttarakhand in India, too high and remote for roads and internet but often the first stop for heavy rains and cloud bursts. In this Himalayan hamlet, Sameera, an…
In August 2022, a harmful invasive species, the Giant African Snail, started spreading uncontrollably in India's southern state of Kerala, causing damage to crops and posing a risk to human…
Beyond brick and mortar: Key lessons learned on the impact of infrastructure on economic development
A new paper that synthesizes over 300 studies over 40 years is one of the most significant attempts to date to understand the impact of infrastructure on development outcomes. With some caveats,…
At the border between India and Bangladesh, a new digital platform is helping authorities process trucks faster and make trade more efficient—an important and encouraging first step toward…
Digital public infrastructure can enable essential society-wide functions and services such as identification, payments, and data exchange.
As the dust settles on the road to the Dawki Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Meghalaya, near the India-Bangladesh border, a winding queue of some 750 trucks can be seen lined up on the side. The…
More than ever, governments need to tap private sector expertise and financing for deploying battery energy storage systems (BESS). A new report provides insights on their merits and…