During the China Poverty Reduction International Forum on May 26, 2017, the first case-sharing database for poverty reduction was launched by the Chinese government. The Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge-Sharing Database gathers replicable cases of poverty reduction from users in the hopes of collecting “innovative and successful approaches” toward reducing global poverty.

As part of the Global Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth Portal, which is an online platform with expert’s opinions, trends, and further opportunities regarding poverty reduction, the database is meant to bring worldwide users to the platform. The Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge-Sharing Database is available to anyone with internet access, either to read about individual cases or contribute their own experiences. To encourage participation, it has been designed to be user-friendly and provides a guide to assist users with the template for uploading cases.

The Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge-Sharing Database organizes cases into three different categories for easy access: market-oriented, government-led, and community-driven. Each poverty reduction case is classified into further sub-categories that relate to how poverty was reduced in that developing nation. For further ease-of-use, the database uses tree diagrams and standard templates that make the information easier to comprehend and utilize.

More than 40 global experts and research institutions contribute to the database. For instance, the project was initiated by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and is co-managed by the China International Poverty Reduction Center and the China Internet Information Center. With this strong network of contributors, the database has the potential to connect past and current developing nations in the effort to alleviate global poverty, especially by having China as its main contributor. Once categorized as a developing country, China now has one of the most successful economies in the world and is reported as having the fastest rate of poverty reduction in history.

With worldwide contribution and utilization, the Global Poverty Reduction Online Knowledge-Sharing Database may be the key to ending global poverty.

– Haley Hurtt

Photo: Flickr