A Matter of Development: How to Reduce Vulnerability in the Face of Natural Disasters

This document was prepared by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for the "Confronting Natural Disasters: A Matter of Development" Seminar held in New Orleans on 25 and 26 March 2000. Vulnerability reduction is a key investment, not only to reduce the human and material costs of natural disasters, but also to achieve sustainable development. This document deals with vulnerability reduction and the related aspects of democratic governability

Building Support for Taxation in Developing Countries: Experimental Evidence from Mexico

In spite of the importance of taxation for political and economic development, we know relatively little about the conditions under which citizens might not exact a political cost on leaders for adopting a particular tax. Drawing on insights from the literature on institutional design, this article examines how certain features of taxes – such as allowing for civil society oversight, sunset provisions that make the duration of taxes finite, and earmark mechanisms that direct tax revenue for a specific purpose – affect political support behind them. It also evaluates the role of three important aspects of the fiscal exchange, namely trust in government, perceptions of the public good, and level of income. Based on an original survey experiment focusing on the provision of public safety in Mexico, I find that these design features increase political support for taxation, especially among those with low trust in government, perceptions of high quality of the public good, and low income. These findings have important implications for Mexico, as well as a number of other countries that have both low levels of extraction and increased public spending imperatives

Climate Change: A Regional Perspective

The purpose of this document is to contribute to the ongoing discussion on climate change in light of the available evidence on the possible channels of transmission of the economic impact of this phenomenon and the results of the latest session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15), held in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009. This document has been prepared, at the request of the Government of Mexico, by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Inter-American Development Bank on the basis of the work carried out jointly with a number of countries of the region to further the analysis of the economic costs of climate change and with support from the European Union and the Governments of Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.Climate Change, Globalization & Regionalization, Unity Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean, greenhouse effect, cop, CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, carbon emissions, low-carbon economies

A Matter of Development: How to Reduce Vulnerability in the Face of Natural Disasters

This document was prepared by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for the "Confronting Natural Disasters: A Matter of Development" Seminar held in New Orleans on 25 and 26 March 2000. Vulnerability reduction is a key investment, not only to reduce the human and material costs of natural disasters, but also to achieve sustainable development. This document deals with vulnerability reduction and the related aspects of democratic governability.Disasters, Financial Risk, Rural & Urban Development, Governance

Bridging Integration Gaps: Scenarios and Policy Recommendations to Promote Physical Infrastructure and Reduce Intra-Regional Trade Costs

This policy brief is intended to serve as the basis for the discussion of the Ministers of Finance on action needed to promote physical infrastructure and reduce intra-regional trade costs, in the context of the Third Meeting of the Finance Ministers of the Americas and the Caribbean held in Lima (Perú), on May 28, 2010. It is argued that the Latin American and Caribbean region must bridge three interrelated policy gaps in order to advance its integration agenda. First, despite advances in trade liberalization, significant progress still must be made to perfect, harmonize, and bridge existing trade agreements. Second, the logistical costs related to the coverage and quality of physical infrastructure and lack of regulatory harmonization pose a serious constraint to regional integration and global competitiveness. Third, although cross-border strategic investments hold the potential to further advance the region¿s integration, their execution would be accelerated by overcoming certain institutional and operational obstacles.Integration & Trade :: Trade Agreements, Integration & Trade

Climate Change: A Regional Perspective

The purpose of this document is to contribute to the ongoing discussion on climate change in light of the available evidence on the possible channels of transmission of the economic impact of this phenomenon and the results of the latest session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15), held in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009. This document has been prepared, at the request of the Government of Mexico, by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Inter-American Development Bank on the basis of the work carried out jointly with a number of countries of the region to further the analysis of the economic costs of climate change and with support from the European Union and the Governments of Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom