More than 10 years into the impact bond experiment, pandemic conditions have tested the financial tool’s effectiveness and sustainability. In the course of these trials, the market managed to expand and produce new case studies. It is no longer just the developed world experimenting with impact bonds.
“Ambiguous” Impact Bonds
Impact bonds, also known as social impact bonds, development impact bonds or pay-for-success projects, are a relatively recent financing tool for implementing public works, introduced in 2010 in the U.K. The basic premise is that private investors (for-profit or philanthropic) front the costs for public programs, receiving returns on investments from their government partners if programs meet performance targets.
These bonds are at times lauded as a “win-win” solution for policymakers and investors; a government protects itself from the cost of failed programs while private entities have the opportunity to profit from investments. Supporters also hold that impact bonds foster innovation and cooperation in tackling pervasive social issues. There can be a great deal of experimenting with impact bonds.
Detractors raise concerns about technical complexities posing a barrier to implementing these bonds and the associated programs. It can be difficult to find trustworthy investors with aligned interests. There also are more general concerns about ethics, accountability and transparency in these programs. These concerns apply both to government institutions and investors. Inviting private enterprises into public works might mean giving investors more control of public policy.
Impact bonds remain “ambiguous” with neither side being proved right or wrong. It is difficult to disprove either side and, because of a lack of control studies, it remains undetermined whether impact bonds themselves contribute to a program’s success. Impact bonds and research around them are relatively young, with only a small market to examine.
The Developing Market
The existing market still offers valuable insight. The Brookings Institution reported that there were 214 active impact bonds in 35 countries as of June 2021. These bonds became concentrated in developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. However, developing countries such as India and South Africa began experimenting with impact bonds as well.
Of 49 completed bonds globally as of July 2020, Brookings found that only two failed to meet performance targets and did not lead to repayment to investors. Of those that yielded returns in addition to repayment, the average return was $2.5 million. On the surface, this indicates that impact bonds are successful, but further study is still necessary.
In addition to the Brookings report, a study identified the number of impact bonds launched in different areas of intervention as of August 2020. Fifty-one bonds, the greatest number in any area, were launched in the employment and training sector. There were comparatively fewer bonds launched in the family welfare, health and homelessness sectors — around 30 to 33 each.
Twenty-seven bonds were due to be launched in the education and early childhood development sectors in 2020. These new programs all deferred start dates due to the pandemic. However, pre-existing bonds in both these areas were active throughout the pandemic.
Impact in the Developing World
The Quality Education India Development Impact Bond fared well in 2020, meeting targets and improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for more than 200,000 primary school students halfway through its contracted duration. The program was initiated in 2018 to meet the needs of marginalized students. As of 2018, only 74.4% of Indians were literate and most of them were men from urban areas. Girls in rural areas were the most disadvantaged in accessing education.
Two South African bonds ended in 2020. Bonds4Jobs was initiated in 2018 with the aim of helping unemployed youth find positions via training and more effective “job-matching” services. The unemployment rate in South Africa is staggeringly high, sitting at more than 30% at the end of 2020. Though the program ended early due to the pandemic’s negative economic impact, it successfully met its targets in its first year and nearly met its 2020 targets before shutdowns began. The bond delivered 7-11% returns to investors in addition to full repayment.
The other South African investment, the Impact Bond Innovation Fund, ended its program in November 2020 as planned. The program “provided home-based early learning services to preschool-aged children in two impoverished communities in the Cape Metro area: Delft and Atlantis.” Only one in three South African children attend preschool or Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers. In three years, the program recruited and retained more than 2,000 children in its early education programs. It struggled to reach its other targets, but experimenting with impact bonds provided South Africa with a useful test model for home-based early education, among other strategies.
Post-Pandemic Growth
Experimenting with impact bonds holds advantages. Studies posit that impact bonds would be a particularly useful tool in the education sector of a post-COVID-19 world. Within this sector, targets are more readily set and evaluated and there is strong appeal for potential investors. Furthermore, partnerships around impact bonds could help foster growth and development in student skills.
This hypothesis will be tested as the market continues to develop alongside new bonds and associated programs. With further experimentation, especially in terms of evaluating program success, impact bonds will continue to shift and change until there is an accurate picture of their titular impact.
– Mckenzie Howell
Photo: Flickr
Improving Mongolia’s Childbirth Practices
Poverty in Mongolia
Mongolia has made significant economic and social improvements over the past few decades. Since 1991, its GDP tripled and the maternal death rate decreased by 87%. Poverty reduction rates vary widely across the country, with rural areas seeing the greatest change. From 2016 to 2018, poverty declined by 5%, whereas urban areas remained unchanged. This is due to increased prices for livestock and no wage growth in urban areas. Cities have also faced heavy air pollution and tripled rates of respiratory illnesses over the last 10 years.
Additionally, COVID-19 has posed a major risk for Mongolian citizens. Overall, the pandemic caused the economy to shrink by 7%. Other factors that worsen poverty are extreme weather conditions, lack of sanitation and food insecurity. With a small population of 3 million, those living as nomads face great difficulty accessing healthcare and other services.
The History of Mongolian Nomads
Nomadic herders make up 25% of the Mongolian population. Nomads live in traditional Mongolian housing districts called gers — portable round tents. These gers exist all over the plains and mountains of Mongolia. However, environmental challenges have hit these gers harshly. The average temperature since 1940 has risen 2.2 degrees Celsius, which is significantly greater than the world average temperature change of 0.85 degrees Celsius. There is also less rain, making ponds and rivers dry up. Herds of livestock and horses have a difficult time finding water and cooling off in the warmer months, because of their thick fur that keeps them warm in -40 degree Celsius winters. Consequently, cities draw young adults away from nomadic life, with easier access to healthcare and education.
Mongolia’s Childbirth Practices
In rural areas, limited access to hospitals and doctors makes childbirth risky. In 1995, the U.S. State Department sponsored a medical team from Tripler Army Medical Center to a hospital in Mongolia for training. They observed dim lighting, physicians reusing gloves and aprons between patients, limited supplies of IV fluids and use of anesthesia without proper safety checks. There was also almost no equipment for natal care and mothers after giving birth.
As a result, many women in the 1990s gave birth at home, which had the potential to be traumatizing if they had a difficult labor. Since then, there have been significant improvements in Mongolia’s childbirth practices. The Mongolian government began reform movements that opened maternity waiting homes across the country. Expecting mothers from nomadic areas can visit these facilities if their pregnancy is high-risk. This way, women can be closer to hospitals in case of an emergency. It is now standard for healthcare providers to encourage women to visit one of the prenatal clinics two weeks before their due date. Online information and telehealth also provide access to reproductive health information. Success is evident. From 1990 to 2019, infant mortality rates have decreased from 77 per 1,000 births to 13.4 deaths.
The Rotary Club’s Work
Julie Dockrill is a midwife and childbirth educator from New Zealand. In 2013, the Rotary Club of Waimate asked if she could join them in a project training medical workers to improve childbirth practices in Mongolia. A major thing she noticed was that mothers only received basic care information. Thus, Dockrill held training classes for pregnant women using baby dolls and anatomical models, expanding on the knowledge displayed in traditional pamphlets.
In Mongolia, people often treat labor as a quick process, which can lead to complications. Dockrill explained to her training class that medical professionals should not rush labor and that they should treat the procedure with care. The class led to immense success, influencing the Rotary team and Dockrill to continue through 2015 and 2016. Additional phases of the project included a Mongolian midwife shadowing Dockrill in New Zealand, training over 300 healthcare workers in Mongolia and bringing medical supplies.
In 2018, the team returned to Mongolia to provide healthcare and education to rural communities. Dockrill also wrote an updated training manual that covered immunizations, pain relief, diet and doctoral instructions. As a result, the Mongolian Ministry of Health endorsed and adopted the manual. In 2019, Nepal adopted the text as well. Mothers must now take childbirth education classes and receive more advanced resources for childbirth services.
The Future for Mongolia
Mongolia’s reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates over the last 30 years has led to decreased poverty rates in the country. One of the major steps to reducing poverty currently in place is focusing on the rural communities of Mongolia. Access to healthcare is one of the main ways to improve Mongolia’s childbirth practices. With progress like Dockrill’s work and the Tripler Army Medical Center, further progress in eliminating poverty is clearly in motion.
– Madeleine Proffer
Photo: Flickr
The Big Ten’s Initiatives Against Global Poverty
10 of the Big Ten’s Initiatives Against Poverty
Moving Forward
The Big Ten’s initiatives against global poverty raise awareness of conditions in impoverished communities through research and regional policy mobilization. Prospective students, current affiliates and interested locals alike can donate and participate in each school’s studies.
– Julia Fadanelli
Photo: Flickr
Tackling Elderly Poverty in Belarus through Pensions
As it spends around $5 billion yearly on pensions, Belarus, a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, has seen a significant reduction in elderly poverty in the past two decades. Experts estimate at least a 25% reduction in elderly poverty in Belarus since 2002. Pension programs in Belarus contribute to lower rates of elderly poverty in the country.
Pension Programs in Belarus
Belarus has various social pension programs, including veteran and survivor pensions. However, the program with the most recipients is the old-age pension. The direct transfer of wealth through the old-age pension began in 1990, with men 60 and older and women 55 and older becoming eligible for pensions. The average pension is $150 per month. If the elder served in a war, has a disability, has more than five children or earned an above-average income, the elder must meet fewer qualifying conditions, but will still receive no more than around $300 a month.
In 2019, 5% of the Belarusian population lived under the poverty line. Elders, or people 50 and older, represent 20% of Belarusians and are roughly 3% less likely to fall into poverty than the general population. Elders remain vulnerable to falling into poverty, and many continue working past retirement age. Nonetheless, Belarus has achieved overall success in combating elderly poverty in recent decades.
Economic Growth Despite the Financial Crisis of 2009
During the years leading up to the 2009 financial crisis, Belarus began outperforming the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region in terms of the $5/day poverty metric. In 2001, Belarus’s $5/day poverty rate was roughly the same as the ECA average. However, by 2009, Belarus had a significantly lower $5/day poverty rate than the ECA average.
Furthermore, between 2006 and 2011, Belarus’s rate of growth of expenditures in the bottom 40% of the population was 9% per year, the highest rate in Europe. Most European countries registered negative expenditure for the bottom 40% of incomes as they were recovering from the financial crisis. Belarus’ superior economic growth resulted largely from favorable energy pricing from its neighbor Russia and the resulting strong trade relations between the two countries.
Strong, reliable economic growth led to the expansion of sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture and enabled high levels of employment. Manufacturing and agriculture exports increased by 85% and 90% respectively from 2001 to 2008, with average wages increasing 10%. Therefore, the state budget grew and the funds set aside for pensions grew as well. Growing sectors offered increased employment opportunities for capable elders. As pensions and employment rose, elderly poverty dropped.
Growth in Both Urban and Rural Areas
From 2003 to 2008, the majority of elderly poverty reduction in Belarus occurred in urban areas such as the capital city, Minsk. However, from 2008 to 2015, the greatest change occurred in rural areas, which saw a 75% reduction in poverty between 2003 and 2014 while poverty decreased by 54% in cities.
Rising Demand for Pensions
With the country’s economy on a positive trajectory for more than two decades and the poverty rate falling, the average elder in Belarus receives a $150 monthly pension. In addition, increased exports spurred growth in agriculture and manufacturing, which provided job opportunities for elders seeking to increase their income during retirement. While the country is currently recovering from the 2014 recession, strong growth must persist in order to maintain low rates of elderly poverty as Belarus’ population is aging and the demand for pensions will continue to rise.
– Max Sidorovitch
Photo: Unsplash
Experimenting With Impact Bonds Continues
“Ambiguous” Impact Bonds
Impact bonds, also known as social impact bonds, development impact bonds or pay-for-success projects, are a relatively recent financing tool for implementing public works, introduced in 2010 in the U.K. The basic premise is that private investors (for-profit or philanthropic) front the costs for public programs, receiving returns on investments from their government partners if programs meet performance targets.
These bonds are at times lauded as a “win-win” solution for policymakers and investors; a government protects itself from the cost of failed programs while private entities have the opportunity to profit from investments. Supporters also hold that impact bonds foster innovation and cooperation in tackling pervasive social issues. There can be a great deal of experimenting with impact bonds.
Detractors raise concerns about technical complexities posing a barrier to implementing these bonds and the associated programs. It can be difficult to find trustworthy investors with aligned interests. There also are more general concerns about ethics, accountability and transparency in these programs. These concerns apply both to government institutions and investors. Inviting private enterprises into public works might mean giving investors more control of public policy.
Impact bonds remain “ambiguous” with neither side being proved right or wrong. It is difficult to disprove either side and, because of a lack of control studies, it remains undetermined whether impact bonds themselves contribute to a program’s success. Impact bonds and research around them are relatively young, with only a small market to examine.
The Developing Market
The existing market still offers valuable insight. The Brookings Institution reported that there were 214 active impact bonds in 35 countries as of June 2021. These bonds became concentrated in developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. However, developing countries such as India and South Africa began experimenting with impact bonds as well.
Of 49 completed bonds globally as of July 2020, Brookings found that only two failed to meet performance targets and did not lead to repayment to investors. Of those that yielded returns in addition to repayment, the average return was $2.5 million. On the surface, this indicates that impact bonds are successful, but further study is still necessary.
In addition to the Brookings report, a study identified the number of impact bonds launched in different areas of intervention as of August 2020. Fifty-one bonds, the greatest number in any area, were launched in the employment and training sector. There were comparatively fewer bonds launched in the family welfare, health and homelessness sectors — around 30 to 33 each.
Twenty-seven bonds were due to be launched in the education and early childhood development sectors in 2020. These new programs all deferred start dates due to the pandemic. However, pre-existing bonds in both these areas were active throughout the pandemic.
Impact in the Developing World
The Quality Education India Development Impact Bond fared well in 2020, meeting targets and improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for more than 200,000 primary school students halfway through its contracted duration. The program was initiated in 2018 to meet the needs of marginalized students. As of 2018, only 74.4% of Indians were literate and most of them were men from urban areas. Girls in rural areas were the most disadvantaged in accessing education.
Two South African bonds ended in 2020. Bonds4Jobs was initiated in 2018 with the aim of helping unemployed youth find positions via training and more effective “job-matching” services. The unemployment rate in South Africa is staggeringly high, sitting at more than 30% at the end of 2020. Though the program ended early due to the pandemic’s negative economic impact, it successfully met its targets in its first year and nearly met its 2020 targets before shutdowns began. The bond delivered 7-11% returns to investors in addition to full repayment.
The other South African investment, the Impact Bond Innovation Fund, ended its program in November 2020 as planned. The program “provided home-based early learning services to preschool-aged children in two impoverished communities in the Cape Metro area: Delft and Atlantis.” Only one in three South African children attend preschool or Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers. In three years, the program recruited and retained more than 2,000 children in its early education programs. It struggled to reach its other targets, but experimenting with impact bonds provided South Africa with a useful test model for home-based early education, among other strategies.
Post-Pandemic Growth
Experimenting with impact bonds holds advantages. Studies posit that impact bonds would be a particularly useful tool in the education sector of a post-COVID-19 world. Within this sector, targets are more readily set and evaluated and there is strong appeal for potential investors. Furthermore, partnerships around impact bonds could help foster growth and development in student skills.
This hypothesis will be tested as the market continues to develop alongside new bonds and associated programs. With further experimentation, especially in terms of evaluating program success, impact bonds will continue to shift and change until there is an accurate picture of their titular impact.
– Mckenzie Howell
Photo: Flickr
Protests in Eswatini, Africa’s Last Absolute Monarchy
Poverty in Eswatini
In 2018, Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini. It borders South Africa and Mozambique. According to NPR, the country is Africa’s last absolute monarchy, and political parties are banned there. The ruler of the country is King Mswati III, who has reigned since his coronation in 1986.
King Mswati III has received heavy criticism for living in luxury while nearly two-thirds of Eswatini’s population of 1.2 million live in poverty. This gaping inequality is one of the reasons for the current pro-democracy protests in Eswatini.
Additionally, more than 330,000 people in Eswatini struggle with food insecurity. The country is still reeling from COVID-19 and a 2016 drought that ravaged the country’s food supply. Most of its people face poverty while their king lives in splendor.
Pro-Democracy Protests in Eswatini
Over the past few weeks, protests have broken out in Eswatini. People have rallied in opposition to the monarchy, and specifically the king. They are also expressing displeasure about restrictions on political expression and the poor state of the economy.
The protests have also caused immense damage both to the country and its people. At least 40 people have died, and more than 150 protestors have been taken to hospital with injuries. Additionally, violence and looting have caused a lack of basic necessities for many citizens. Protestors are calling for greater political participation, a limit on the monarchy’s power and a popular election for a Prime Minister instead of an appointment by the king.
Light in the Darkness
However bleak the forecast may seem for the protests in Eswatini, there is a ray of hope. Following the social unrest in Eswatini and South Africa, female religious leaders organized a Day of Prayer for their countries to heal.
The Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life in Southern Africa (LCCLSA) organized an online Day of Prayer. The event encouraged participants to pray for peace, healing and an end to the violence. Some people also shared testimonies of how the violence has affected them and their families, allowing for collective healing.
“Though painful and sad to listen to, the testimonies proved to be inspiring and gave a glimmer of hope in the midst of the hopelessness that people are feeling,” Sr Nkhensani Shibambu, President of LCCLSA, told Vatican News. “Many people were moved and touched by the initiative and felt inspired to begin the rebuilding of the country from the ashes that had surrounded them in the past weeks.”
While protests ravage Eswatini, highlighting the inequity between the lavish lifestyle of King Mswati III and the two-thirds of citizens living in poverty, there is hope in people coming together to pray for healing and a better future for the country.
– Laya Neelakandan
Photo: Flickr
How Migration in India can Mitigate Poverty
The migrant population is a large driver of India’s economy. India has one of the largest migrant economies in the world. Many Indian workers travel hundreds of miles to work in certain areas of the country to support their families back home. GDP growth rose by over 8% between 2005-2012. In addition, over 137 million people escaped poverty as a result of large-scale migration. There is tremendous potential in using migration in India as a poverty alleviation tool based on past numbers. The Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act of 2005 (MGNREGA) is the primary national legislation of the nation geared towards solving its poverty crisis. However, it stagnated as of late due to COVID-19. Migration is a tool towards recovery from the consequences of COVID-19 and it offers a long-lasting solution to poverty in India.
About MGNREGA
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a poverty alleviation legislation. It went into effect in August 2005. The act guarantees a hundred days of wage employment in any given financial year to rural households who have adults willing to volunteer for unskilled manual labor. The MGNREGA focuses on empowering women both socially and economically. The act also focuses on providing green and decent work by conserving natural resources. Although the MGNREGA is successful to some extent, greater poverty alleviation demands the use of migration as well.
Many Indian policymakers fail to recognize the potential benefits of migration. They often view it as a response to tragedy instead of those seeking greater economic freedom and opportunity. The MGNREGA originally intended to provide 100 days of work, now only providing 50 days of work in the majority of Indian states. Migrants can find higher-paying and more stable work within large urban areas and cities. MGNREGA reform is necessary along with the implementation of new migration legislation in order to further mitigate poverty in India.
The Benefits of Large Scale Indian Migration
Based on the same rate of migrant increase in the 2010s, over 56 million individual migrants would have traveled in 2020. Those benefiting back home in rural villages would have totaled 224 million, had COVID-19 not occurred and MGNREGA not reduced Indian migration. In comparison, 37 million families will benefit from MGNREGA during the fiscal year 2020-2021 according to the rural development ministry. Migration benefits a much higher percentage of the Indian population in poverty than MGNREGA does.
Migrants additionally have an easier time assimilating to their destination once their financial situation improves with higher quality work and wages. Women working in agriculture in the Eastern Indian state of Bihar can more than double their daily wages by moving to Patna, the capital of Bihar. Men from Bihar can increase their earnings even more at an increase of approximately 66% by relocating to Punjab and can have an even higher earning potential if they decide to move to major cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Delhi or Mumbai.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Migration in India
India’s lockdown period due to the COVID-19 virus lasted over a year, beginning on March 25, 2020. As a result, migration throughout the country came to a standstill as trains and planes stopped operating leaving many Indians trapped. Many migrants lost their jobs due to the toll the virus took on major Indian industries and were far from their homes without any options to get back.
Reducing poverty in India is no small task as it possesses the second largest population in the world. Passing anti-poverty legislation that provides migrants in India more options to travel within Indian borders for work could create millions of new jobs and greatly benefit both the Indian economy and people.
– Curtis McGonigle
Photo: Flickr
COVID-19’s Impact on Women and Poverty in Croatia
COVID-19 and Unemployment
COVID-19 devastated many countries in a social, political and economic areas. However, Croatia was particularly hit hard. Starting in 2008, the country experienced a global financial crisis that had tremendous consequences. The European Commission Autumn Economic published a report estimating a recession of approximately 9.6% GDP in 2020, nearly 7% worse than the previous year. The main reasons behind the decrease are the fall in the tourism sector, domestic consumption and eradication of exports. In addition, registered unemployment skyrocketed by 21.3% during the first year of the pandemic.
Poverty in Croatia also increased after two earthquakes in 2020 negatively impacted Croatia’s pandemic and health crisis management. In response, the European Union deployed resources for the recovery of all the member countries, especially those who also suffered natural disasters during the pandemic.
Despite this bleak outlook, an analysis by The Ministry of Finance argues for an “optimistic growth of 5%” in 2021, provided Croatia sees an increase in domestic demand and continues receiving recovery funds from the European Union.
Women and Poverty in Croatia
According to a report by the World Bank, COVID-19 is not the only factor pushing women towards poverty. Undoubtedly, women are more likely to be employed in the informal, low-skilled and part-time jobs that were hardest hit by the pandemic. In many cases, these jobs disappeared and women suffered income loss. In addition, women who lost their jobs or work at home are less likely to be guaranteed social security and health coverage by the emergency packages created since the outbreak of COVID-19. For this reason, COVID-19’s impact on women and poverty in Croatia has been severe.
Both the European Union and the World Bank are aware of the many barriers women have to overcome. In response, they created several policies to find a solution. Some of the policies include providing equal access to the labor market for all women and removing any barriers to women’s employability.
The Government Response
Croatian authorities have become aware of the extreme need to reduce poverty in Croatia, especially for women. In 2019, authorities passed a National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security (NAP) to be carried out until 2023. This plan aims to prevent, protect and guarantee women’s rights in the country. The policy seeks to ensure that every woman has access to education, public health and active participation in the labor market.
The NAP prioritizes nine objectives to aid in prevention, participation, protection and implementation. Among these objectives are an increase in women’s role in decision-making processes and the promotion of women’s rights in conflict settings. The NAP works on the back of previous legislation that aimed to increase women’s participation in higher education. For example, women represented 59.9% of university graduates from 2015 to 2018. The same period saw a 4% increase in women in human resources and a 2% increase in female professors.
To support women’s employment, authorities introduced legislation to improve family life through maternity and parental benefits. For example, the Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy (MDFYSP) supports projects such as lengthening daycare operations, creating alternative education programs and providing children with meals. By supporting scholarships and child care, parents have more time to dedicate to their professional careers.
Hope for the Future
In conclusion, COVID-19 drastically affected Croatia in many ways. In particular, women suffered heavy damage from the health crisis. But, the international community and the Croatian authorities stepped in to design programs and resources for the eradication of poverty. Which, if the data is any indication, has promising results for the future of poverty in Croatia.
– Cristina Alverez
Photo: Flickr
Tools to Maximize Crop Yields
Precision Farming
Precision farming is the newest agricultural method maximizing crop yields. It minimizes the time, cost and labor involved in cultivation. Precision farming uses technology to closely observe and care for crops. It cuts down on the time-consuming practice and does not require a large labor force.
The Scientific American article states, “precision farming, by contrast, combines sensors, robots, GPS, mapping tools and data-analytics software to customize the care that plants receive without increasing labor. Farmers receive the feedback in real-time and then deliver water, pesticide or fertilizer in calibrated doses to only the areas that need it. The technology can also help farmers decide when to plant and harvest crops.” Using precision farming techniques allows farmers to be more attentive to their respective crops. In addition, farmers save more energy, time and resources while increasing the proportion of the harvested crops.
Irrigation is also a vital element of cultivating crops. Automatic monitoring and control systems that water crops base their specific watering needs on climate conditions. Precision farming optimizes the condition of crops’ care. Moreover, these automatic irrigation systems ensure that crops get the right amount of water they need to thrive in their climate. This minimizes water waste that oftentimes accompanies manual water systems on farms. Additionally, farmers can divert their attention to other crop-yielding tasks rather than closely monitoring crops.
Fungicides are the New Pesticides
Crop loss is largely attributed to pests and other vermin that attack food crops. Pesticides are often used to maximize food crops and protect yields. However, pesticides can oftentimes be expensive and are inaccessible for farmers in rural regions of developing countries. Furthermore, pesticides can be harmful to crops such as fruits and vegetables, decreasing the portion of crops harvested. On the other hand, fungicides are less expensive and less harmful alternatives to pesticides.
Maximizing the portion of food crops harvested helps decrease hunger-related poverty, providing more food options to individuals. Additionally, ensuring that crop yields are large stabilizes the price of food and provides enough supply for the demand. In this way, tools and technological advancements such as precision farming, automatic irrigation and fungicides help maximize crop yields and limit poverty-related hunger.
– Kristen Quinonez
Photo: Flickr
Combating Illegal Fishing in Indonesia
What is Illegal Fishing?
When fishing vessels do not possess the proper documentation and equipment required by Indonesian law to fish in Indonesian waters, these vessels engage in illegal fishing. To deter illegal fishing, the Indonesian government mandates that each fishing vessel possesses the necessary licenses and declares its fishing gear. This helps the government collect data on the types of equipment used and the number of vessels in the country. The government limits the number of vessels present at a certain time to prevent overfishing and to ensure fishermen practice ethical fishing techniques.
Impacts of Illegal Fishing
Indonesia is situated in the Coral Triangle, an area encompassing most of maritime Southeast Asia. The Coral Triangle contains more than 2,000 species of coral reef fish, making it one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Moreover, this diversity in fish species directly correlates with why fishing remains an integral part of the region’s economy of the region. As it stands, “the Coral Triangle sustains at least 120 million people.” In Indonesia specifically, the fishing industry employs an estimated 12 million people, which allows the nation to be the second-largest fish producer in the world.
Indonesia’s reliance on ocean life is a fundamental aspect of the country’s way of life, and as such, threats to the fishing ecosystem can have severe consequences. Overfishing has had a detrimental impact on fish populations over the years, illustrated by a 95% decline in fish populations in the region over the last 60 years. Furthermore, destructive fishing practices that use explosives to stun fish — known as “dynamite fishing” — destroy marine habitats, leaving extensive damage. These practices continue to harm the fishing industry in Indonesia. Low incomes for fishers have already led to a decline in professionals in the industry within the last 20 years.
USAID’s SEA Program
The USAID SEA project clamps down on illegal fishing in Indonesia and protects local fisheries by collaborating with local communities. Initiated in 2016, this five-year program worked in the provinces of West Papua, Maluku and North Maluku, where illegal fishing practices have hit fishing communities the hardest. USAID SEA sought direct collaborations with locals to “raise awareness about marine conservation, educate others in their community about these issues and report harmful practices to local authorities.”
Designed to curb illegal fishing in Indonesia, the USAID SEA project helps assure ethical fishing practices. Illegal fishing practices like overfishing deplete fish populations, negatively affect the livelihoods of fishers and hurt the country’s economy. The project raises awareness about the importance of marine conservation and its long-term benefits for these communities. As such, it helps defend a way of life for millions of Indonesian people.
– Nikhil Khanal
Photo: Flickr
Restoring Trust: Polio Vaccines in Liberia
After enduring a surge in COVID-19 cases during the month of June 2021, Liberia may be experiencing some relief in its battle to beat the pandemic. According to Dr. Francis Karteh, a chief medical officer in Liberia, the country’s COVID-19 cases declined in the week leading up to July 12, 2021. However, Karteh also emphasized that the Liberian people must remain diligent in their COVID-19 prevention measures. The highly contagious Delta variant may regain strength if individuals become too relaxed. Nevertheless, this news offers hope for the country’s desire to move toward reopening businesses. But, even as COVID-19 infections decline in Liberia, vaccine hesitancy persists. This distrust of vaccines does not solely apply to the coronavirus vaccine though. UNICEF is currently undertaking efforts to reassure Liberians about the safety of polio vaccines in Liberia.
History and New Vaccine Hesitancy
In 2008, Liberia declared itself a polio-free country as a result of its mass vaccination success. However, Liberia recently discovered a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) strain that stems from what was originally contained in the oral polio vaccine but has evolved to behave “more like the wild or naturally occurring virus.” Consequently, VDPV is more transmittable to the unvaccinated, especially in areas with inadequate sanitary conditions.
For this reason, the eradication of the poliovirus relies on the continued vaccination of children. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Liberia to halt immunization programs, and as poliovirus infections increased, in February 2021, Liberia’s Ministry of Health announced the poliovirus outbreak as a “public health emergency” for the country.
On top of this, as Liberia begins to resume its polio vaccination operations, individuals are more hesitant about the polio vaccines. Following a year of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation circulating the globe, many Liberians wonder if one can trust any vaccine. Comfort Morphe, a midwife at Hydro MERCI Clinic, says she can “feel the weight [of the misinformation].”
Additionally, Mohamed Shariff, a teacher in the Liberian city of Monrovia, said that the campaign for polio vaccines in Liberia has had to evolve since there have been “so many refusals.” Many find the polio vaccine hesitancy peculiar since Liberia has “been using [the poliovirus vaccine] for years.” With vaccine uncertainty festering throughout the country, it is more challenging to quell the current rise in poliovirus infections.
UNICEF Partnership
Fortunately, in an effort to reduce vaccine hesitancy, UNICEF is partnering with Liberia’s Ministry of Health to communicate factual polio vaccine information through “radio talk shows, community engagement meetings, SMS” as well as posters and banners. The use of SMS notifications is especially beneficial since some communities in Liberia do not have stable internet access.
Volunteers also use the door-to-door approach to speak with parents on the importance of vaccinating children. Ummu Paasewe, for example, who works for Liberia’s Ministry of Health as a community mobilization officer, described how her team assures mothers that the vaccine is “the same kind of oral polio vaccine but more advanced” to combat this specific variation of the poliovirus. As a mother herself, Paasewe’s children are vaccinated and she contends that “immunization is a preventative method.”
Looking Forward
Other countries also see the benefits of supporting Liberia’s vaccination efforts. The Japanese government has supplied UNICEF with $2.7 million since 2020 to support women’s and children’s health in Liberia. Moreover, one of the Japanese government’s chief objectives is to get Liberians vaccinated against the poliovirus and COVID-19.
UNICEF representative to Liberia, Laila Omar Gad, stated that “just one child affected by polio is a risk to all children.” However, UNICEF volunteers remain optimistic and report that they have convinced many Liberian families about the polio vaccine’s safety and reliability. Through the dedication of Liberia’s Ministry of Health and support from UNICEF and Japan, vaccinating communities against the poliovirus looks to be an achievable goal.
– Madeline Murphy
Photo: Flickr