Development In Low-income Countries Research Articles

Machine Learning to Enhance the Detection of Terrorist Financing and Suspicious Transactions in Migrant Remittances

Migrant remittances have become significant in poverty alleviation and microeconomic development in low-income countries. However, the ease of conducting global migrant remittance transfers has also introduced the risk of misuse by terrorist organizations to quickly move and conceal operational funds, facilitating terrorism financing. This study aims to develop an unsupervised machine learning algorithm capable of detecting suspicious financial transactions associated with terrorist financing in migrant remittances. To achieve this goal, a structural equation model (SEM) and an outlier detection algorithm were developed to analyze and identify suspicious transactions among the financial activities of migrants residing in Belgium. The results show that the SEM model classifies a significantly high number of transactions as suspicious, making it prone to detecting false positives. Finally, the study developed an ensemble outlier detection algorithm that comprises an isolation forest (IF) and a local outlier factor (LOF) to detect suspicious transactions in the same dataset. The model performed exceptionally well, being able to detect over 90% of suspicious transactions.

Characterising global antimicrobial resistance research explains why One Health solutions are slow in development: An application of AI-based gap analysis

The global health crisis posed by increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) implicitly requires solutions based a One Health approach, yet multisectoral, multidisciplinary research on AMR is rare and huge knowledge gaps exist to guide integrated action. This is partly because a comprehensive survey of past research activity has never performed due to the massive scale and diversity of published information. Here we compiled 254,738 articles on AMR using Artificial Intelligence (AI; i.e., Natural Language Processing, NLP) methods to create a database and information retrieval system for knowledge extraction on research perfomed over the last 20 years. Global maps were created that describe regional, methodological, and sectoral AMR research activities that confirm limited intersectoral research has been performed, which is key to guiding science-informed policy solutions to AMR, especially in low-income countries (LICs). Further, we show greater harmonisation in research methods across sectors and regions is urgently needed. For example, differences in analytical methods used among sectors in AMR research, such as employing culture-based versus genomic methods, results in poor communication between sectors and partially explains why One Health-based solutions are not ensuing. Therefore, our analysis suggest that performing culture-based and genomic AMR analysis in tandem in all sectors is crucial for data integration and holistic One Health solutions. Finally, increased investment in capacity development in LICs should be prioritised as they are places where the AMR burden is often greatest. Our open-access database and AI methodology can be used to further develop, disseminate, and create new tools and practices for AMR knowledge and information sharing.

Being Well-in with the Joneses? A Lab-in-the-Field Experiment on Conspicuous Consumption among Rural Communities

Conspicuous consumption, specialised consumption of high visibility but without apparent economic benefit, is reducing investment in productive assets and thus hindering economic development in low-income countries. In previous research, the phenomenon was commonly explained by status-seeking and herding behaviour. Our study follows a novel angle in testing the role of risk sharing, assuming that investment into social status is perceived to increase access to informal credits in times of crises. We conduct a random-effects hurdle model along a lab-in-the-field experiment along a sample of 197 wheat farmers in Uzbekistan, a country characterised by high levels of risk and uncertainty. Within our experimental setup, both risk attitude and real-life risk management decision are found to be significant determinants of conspicuous consumption. Our findings support the notion of a complex decision-making process with risk sharing as one important motivator. Providing first empirical evidence on the topic, our findings have implications beyond our narrowly defined study case: We argue that strengthening options of formal risk-sharing tools might remove one of the motivators for conspicuous consumption; thus, it could improve the economic welfare of low-income households worldwide by allowing for more productive investment of scarce financial resources.

Impact of Financial Integration on Economic Development: A Dynamic Panel Quantile Regression Analysis

This paper investigated the impact of financial integration on economic development using the dynamic panel quantile estimator on a sample of 95 countries from 2004-2019. The results showed that the impact of financial integration on economic development varied across income levels. This study found that financial integration impacted economic development negatively in middle and high-income countries. However, financial integration did not significantly affect economic development in low-income countries.

Residents' perception and impact of COVID-19 on ecotourism in West Africa: The case of Banco National Park in Côte d’Ivoire

Ecotourism, as a means of fostering socio-economic level of local communities and contributing to the conservation of forest resources, is important for development in low-income countries. This work investigates the extent to which local people support the continuation of ecotourism during the COVID-19 pandemic and their attitudes towards resource conservation in Banco National Park in Côte d’Ivoire using social exchange theory (SET) as a foundation. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to conduct a survey with 150 informants selected among residents around the park. The data were analyzed using descriptive, correlational, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approaches. The results showed that residents' perception of the impacts of ecotourism strongly affects their support for tourism development during the COVID-19 pandemic (β = 0.918, p < 0.05). The socio-cultural (β = 0.275, p < 0.05) and environmental (β = 0.309, p < 0.05) benefits of ecotourism are the key determinants of the residents' perception and their support for ecotourism within the park during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also revealed that economic benefits from ecotourism are linked to residents' perceptions of the qualities of the tourism place (β = 0.363, p < 0.05). Overall, local people around Banco Park recognize that ecotourism produces more benefits than detriments. The COVID-19 pandemic, a painful and unexpected event, has not blunted their support for the continuation of ecotourism. This study calls for the integration of local residents' opinions in the development of the ecotourism sector in Côte d’Ivoire. It is a first step in determining residents' attitudes towards ecotourism in West Africa in a post-COVID context, and the results constitute a starting point for future studies.

The Application of Institutional Economics Theory in Solving Developing Countries Market Problems - Taking Ethiopia Grain Market and China Tomato Market as Examples

Since the 1990s, when the new institutional economics was first introduced, many economists have been looking for a way to incorporate its ideas into the field of development economics. In this paper, we investigate the prospects of using development economics theory, which is grounded in institutional economics, to address the economic challenges faced by developing nations. In this paper, we conclude that institutional economics theory can be successfully applied to the problem of economic development in low-income countries. Developing nations shouldn't discount the harm caused by irrational trading decisions. When people act irrationally in the market, it can have a negative impact on the economy as a whole. As such, developing countries could benefit from implementing brokerage institutions to lessen the blow of irrational behavior on economic growth.

The seed sector development in low-income countries: Lessons from the Malawi seed sector policy process

IntroductionExternal conditionalities have shaped public policy development in borrowing nations. This has been through top-down policy support programs, an example being the policy reforms under the structural adjustment program. Under the seed sector reforms Malawi committed to the Southern Africa Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa harmonized seed regulations technical agreements.MethodsTo contribute to the debate, we analyzed the Malawi seed sector policy process by investigating three questions: What were the leading events? Who were the stakeholders involved, and their roles? Which factors influenced the policy process? Qualitative tools were employed based on policy process theory using the Kaleidoscope Model. We used stakeholder inception, planning, feedback workshops, and key informant interviews (N = 17). This data was complemented by grey literature as secondary information. Snowball sampling was used to identify key informant interview participants based on the saturation principle. Narrative analysis focusing on content, structure, and dialogic context was used.ResultsOur results show a strong external influence on the seed sector policy process. This began after independence when development partners supported the establishment of the public agricultural research system to improve production for food security and export. Failure to achieve the earlier objectives resulted in economic reforms aimed at private sector-led seed sector development based on market-oriented policies. The increase in the private sector's role called for adopting and enacting regulatory policies and legislation that used policy transfer theory. International financial institutions, multinational companies, and regional economic communities led this process. Our evidence suggests that the civil society community in Malawi contested the policies for not recognizing farmers' rights. This affected the domestication process of the harmonized seed regulations technical agreements.DiscussionTherefore, we recommend critical consideration and embracing of existing domestic social, political, and technical conditions to support economic policy reforms. This would help reduce unintended consequences and improve inclusivity. Governments may need to play an interlocutory role for the various actors in the policy domain during the domestication process.

High-Speed Internet, Financial Technology, and Banking

Exploiting the staggered arrival of fiber-optic submarine cables, we show that high-speed internet promotes the role of banks and credit in Africa. Variation within country and across multicountry bank networks indicates that high-speed internet induced a 22% expansion in credit supply. We investigate the role of plummeting telecommunication costs in promoting the bank adoption of new financial technologies and study a specific technology used in the interbank market, the real-time gross settlement system (RTGS). We find that upon connecting to high-speed internet, banks adopt the RTGS more extensively, reduce inside liquidity, and increase interbank transactions and lending. We also observe that high-speed internet particularly strengthens firms in countries with weak preexisting interbank markets. This paper was accepted by David Sraer, finance. Funding: This work was supported by a Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries (PEDL) of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) grant and Università Bocconi. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4703 .

Management Development in Low-Income Countries: Challenges and Strategies for Creating Future Managers

Management Development in Low-Income Countries: Challenges and Strategies for Creating Future Managers

Social Capital Typologies and Sustainable Development: Spatial Patterns in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi

Bonding, bridging and linking social capital can be a useful mechanism to promote sustainable development in low-income countries. Social capital typologies vary spatially, with the rural poor having a specific combination. Similarly, bonding, bridging and linking social capital’s association with sustainable development is also likely to differ spatially across a country, but there is limited research in low-income countries. This study aims to improve understanding of the spatial variation of bonding, bridging and linking social capital in low-income countries using Malawi as a case study. Using secondary data and spatial statistics, including kriging and geographically weighted regression, we explore the spatial variation of social capital typologies and their spatial associations with various sustainable development indicators. There were three key combinations of bonding, bridging and linking social capital, which differ from the standard model of social capital typologies for the rural poor. We also found social capital’s association with sustainable development indicators depends on the social capital typology, study area and the sustainable development indicator in question. With this in mind, development practitioners, researchers and policymakers should aim to understand the specific social capital context prior to sustainable development research or project implementation.

Learning for adaptation and 21st-century skills: Evidence of pupils’ flexibility in Rwandan primary schools

Recent global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the growing importance of children learning 21st-century skills for adaptation and flexibility. Competence-based curricula encourage creativity and problem solving but little is known about their development in low-income countries or relationship with conventional academic outcomes like literacy. This study examines pupils’ cognitive flexibility, the underlying basis for many 21st-century skills, in Rwandan primary schools and finds little association with their reading abilities. The findings advance international knowledge regarding child development in resource-poor contexts, suggest a need for more holistic measurement and offer a new approach for understanding learners’ adaptability.

The Impact of Digital Technology and Business Regulations on Financial Inclusion and Socio-Economic Development in Low-Income Countries

This study aims to test the impact of digital technology and business regulations on financial inclusion and socioeconomic development in low-income countries. Digital technology and business regulations are perceived to be powerful factors to spur financial inclusive economies and ease several social and economic ills and thus enhance the welfare of low-income nations which represent most world regions. Secondary data were collected for 77 low-income countries from different sources including World Bank, IMF, and UNDP while Smart PLS 3. software was employed for data analysis. This study is distinguished by casting a new angle of linking digital technology and business regulations as drivers of financial inclusion and socioeconomic development. It also presents financial inclusion as a means to an end. Furthermore, it contributes to the literature by providing an empirical evidence on the significant positive impact of digital technology and business regulations on both financial inclusion and socioeconomic development using PLS-SEM method. Thus, stakeholders, governments, and supporters ought to sustainably endorse adoption of digital finance and business environment to assist the poor low-income citizens get pulled into a better-quality life and more improved living standards.

Remittances, unemployment, growth and development: a panel cointegration approach

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the short-run and long-run dynamics of the relationship between remittances, unemployment, economic growth and human development in developing countries. Vector Autoregressive Model methodology (VECM) was used to examine the short-run dynamics and direction of causality in three separate panels of 23 low-income, 42 lower middle-income and 48 upper middle-income countries for the 1990 and 2019 period. For the estimation of long-run elasticities of remittance flows, Fully Modified (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) estimation techniques were used. According to the findings of this study, in low-income economies, the direction of causality is from GDP to remittances in the short run. The unemployment rate has a positive long-run effect on HDI in low-income countries, indicating the importance of underutilized labour force in low-income countries. Although remittances affect human development more in low-income economies compared to other developing countries, unemployment in the country of origin has no significant relationship between remittances and development in low-income countries.

Water Supply System Description and Risk Assessment in Brikama Water Treatment Plant System, West Coast Region, Gambia: WHO Water Safety Plan Based Approach

Background: Better water quality, improved sanitation and sound water resource management will improve public health and economic development in low-income countries. Water safety plan-based risk assessment and risk management from catchment to consumers are the modern and efficient approaches to safe drinking water supply established by World Health Organization. Thus, this paper aimed to assess risk from catchment level to consumers in the community of Brikama.&#x0D; Methods: This study report assessments of risk or hazards from catchment to consumers in Brikama Water Treatment Plant (BWTP), West Coast Region, The Gambia. The various means of data collection used include water quality monitoring, visual field inspection and questionnaire survey to explore data on where the water supply system goes wrong from catchment to consumers, so as to provide an improvement plan.&#x0D; Results: Overall, the day-to-day administration of services at BWTP was very impressive. The fencing of all the 17 boreholes at catchment sites has drastically reduced the risk of contamination including treatment systems and distribution lines. There are less risks observed and constant monitoring of the system was ensured. However, at the consumer end, there are some risks with poor practices associated with water handling, storage and hygiene measures at the household level. Some still use some unclean 20-liter containers to store water and indiscriminately kept drinking cups on the floor and unclean surfaces, and 50% lacked WASH knowledge related to water treatment, such as boiling and filtration at households. The overall perception of water storage, sanitation and hygiene practices could be rated moderately good.&#x0D; Conclusion: The overall findings of this study have shown tremendous achievement in the government's commitment to providing potable water to the people in Brikama Local Government Area. WASH education in the study area is recommended to avoid waterborne disease infections.

The Effects of Tunnel Technology on Crop Productivity and Livelihood of Smallholder Farmers in Nepal

Technologies-based production practices are critical for agricultural growth and sustainable development in low-income countries like Nepal. In the last few years, tunnel house has been increasingly promoted as tools to enhance smallholder farmers’ livelihood and tackle climate adversaries. However, little is known about what factor determines its adoption and whether it helps smallholders adapt to climate change and experience better livelihood. We address these gaps using the cross-sectional survey data collected from 62 adopters and 92 non-adopters in three municipalities of Bagmati Province. We employed descriptive analysis and probit model and found out that age, farm size, and ethnicity strongly influence the technology adoption amongst smallholder farmers. Additionally, treatment model and ordinary least square (OLS) regression were utilized to examine tunnel technology’s effect. Our study shows that tunnel significantly increases production by 32 tons/year/hectare and protects crops from climate change effects such as heavy rainfall and temperature change. Likewise, tunnel technology increases the net crop income by $1700/year/hectare. However, the economic benefit is not substantial compared to technology’s adoption cost as adopters incur enormous costs of $12,000/year/hectare on equipment, labor and resources. These results suggest policymakers should concentrate on reducing the technology’s cost, which could be achieved through subsidies, financial support, or price control mechanisms. Ensuring technology’s affordability can contribute to smallholder farmers’ sustainable livelihood in Nepal and countries with similar contexts.

EFFECTS OF RENT-SEEKING ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LOW-INCOME ECONOMIES

Sluggish growth in low-income countries, despite the high performance in other economic indicators, motivates the literature to switch attention to institutions. Despite its crucial economic implications, there is limited attention on rent-seeking as a driver of economic growth in low-income countries. This paper investigates the effect of rent-seeking on growth in low-income countries from 2004 to 2017using the system generalized method of moments estimator. The empirical results reveal that rent-seeking negatively affects growth, implying that it obstructs the pace of economic development in low-income countries. Hence, it is necessary for policymakers in these countries to adopt anti-rent-seeking policies to promote a rapid and sustainable growth.

Nailing of long bone fractures in precarious situations: focus on the Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) nail

Le développement économique des pays à faibles revenus a pour corollaire une augmentation considérable des véhicules motorisés, et en particulier des motocyclettes. Les accidents de la circulation augmentent ainsi que les fractures qui y sont associées. Le traitement des fractures des os longs repose dans la majorité des cas sur l´enclouage centro-médullaire verrouillé, procédé rarement disponible en situation sanitaire dégradée. Pour apporter à ces pays un traitement optimal, le clou SIGN (Surgical Implant Generation Network) a été développé en 1999 par Lewis Zirkle. Il est actuellement utilisé gratuitement dans 53 pays. En contrepartie une base de données internationale doit être remplie afin de l´évaluer et de le faire évoluer. A la lumière de nos expériences en Haïti et au Burundi et d´une revue de la littérature, nous décrivons ici ses particularités conceptuelles et techniques, dont l´implantation dans les pays francophones reste limitée.

Demonstration of the integrated rural energy planning framework for sustainable energy development in low-income countries: Case studies of rural communities in Nigeria

With the vast rural population, the availability of locational renewable energy resources and limited finances in low-income (developing) countries, there is the need for an integrated and holistic energy planning framework to unlock their potential for achieving energy-based economic development. The integrated rural energy planning framework provides a unified road map for energy planning and system design with renewable energy integration geared towards improving energy access in rural areas. Therefore, this study presents the application of case studies to this framework to foster improved localized renewable energy access in low-income (developing) countries. Using rural Nigeria as the geographic scope, the site identification and selection and the locational estimation of annual energy demand steps of the framework are performed for rural areas. Utilizing GIS-based tools, rural communities are identified, and their viable renewable energy resources are estimated. Adopting the reference building approach, seasonal disaggregated energy demand profiles are obtained at community scale with an hourly time-step. These are obtained in the absence of smart-metering equipment and measured datasets on energy use. The obtained results provide insights to inform localized energy policy design by combining rural electrification with energy conservation strategies. This framework has wide applicability across areas with similar energy access and rural development issues especially in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia.

CAP measures towards environmental sustainability—Trade opportunities for Africa?

AbstractEnvironmental sustainability is a core aspect of the proposed future EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Policy changes must not compromise socioeconomic development in low-income countries, whereas the extensification of EU agriculture may also create trade opportunities abroad. We apply a global agricultural-economic model to assess EU–African trade-related impacts of potential, environmentally motivated CAP changes. Restrictions on livestock density and nitrogen application reveal reduced EU production levels of meat. This lowers the EU's agricultural environmental burden and share in agricultural trade flows to Africa. However, overall food supply in Africa is not projected to deteriorate substantially, as imports from other world regions and increasing domestic production fill the gap. While this weakens the global emission reduction potential, net livestock producers in Africa may benefit from increasing producer prices. How far potentials for domestic production and trade can be used in African regions depends at least partly on their competitiveness vis-á-vis substituting importers.

Farklı Gelir Düzeyindeki Ülkelerde Ticari Açıklık, Finansal Gelişme Ve Ekonomik Büyüme İlişkisi

Günümüzde küreselleşmenin etkisiyle ticari açıklık ve finansal gelişme ekonomik gelişmenin ön koşulu haline gelmiştir. Sermaye birikimi yetersiz olan ülkelerde ekonomik büyümeyi sağlamanın temel koşullardan bazıları da bu ülkelerde dış ticaret ve finansal gelişimin arttırılmasıdır. Bu çalışmada, 1990-2017 yılları arasında Dünya Bankası’nın gelir grubu sınıflandırmasına göre üç gruba (yüksek, orta ve düşük gelir) ayrılmış 86 ülke için ticari açıklık, finansal gelişme ve ekonomik büyüme ilişkisi incelenmiştir. Çalışmada söz konusu ilişkileri incelemek için panel ARDL/PMG tahmincileri kullanılmıştır. Ampirik analizden elde edilen bulgulara göre, ticari açıklık tüm gelir düzeyindeki ülkelerde reel GSYİH’yı pozitif yönde etkilemektedir. Finansal gelişme ise orta ve yüksek gelirli ülkelerde reel GSYİH’yı pozitif yönde etkilerken, düşük gelirli ülkelerde negatif yönde etkilemektedir. Sonuçlar aynı zamanda beşeri sermaye ve brüt sermaye birikiminin tüm ülkelerde reel GSYİH’yı pozitif yönde etkilediğini göstermektedir. İş gücü değişkeni ise orta ve yüksek gelirli ülkelerde reel GSYİH’yı pozitif etkilerken, düşük gelirli ülkeler için iş gücü ile reel GSYİH arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki bulunamamıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen bu bulgular, düşük gelirli ülkelerde finansal gelişmenin ayrıca incelenmesi gerektiği yeni çalışmalara ışık tutacaktır.