Inequality in human development across the globe

The Human Development Index is the world's most famous indicator of the level of development of societies. A disadvantage of this index is however, that only national values are available, whereas within many countries huge subnational variation exists in income, health and education. Here we present the Subnational Human Development Index (SHDI), which shows within-country variation in human development and its dimension indices for over 1600 regions within 160 countries. The newly observed variation is particularly strong in low and middle developed countries (home to 70% of the world population) but less important in the most developed ones. While education disparities explain most of the SHDI inequality within low-developed countries, income differences are increasingly responsible for SHDI inequality within more highly developed countries. The new SHDI opens the possibility of studying global socio-economic change with unprecedented coverage and detail, increasing the ability of policy-makers to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals

South–South cooperation and the geographies of Latin America–Caribbean integration and development: a socio-spatial approach

Structured around the case of South–South cooperation in the construction of “complementary economic zones” among the member states of the ALBA-TCP, Petrocaribe, CARICOM and MERCOSUR, this article argues for a socio-spatial approach to the study of the Latin America–Caribbean integration and development. Two interrelated arguments are developed: first, in contrast to methodologically nationalist approaches, which typically view the regionalisms that are to form the complementary economic zones as ideologically separate, incompatible or conflicting projects, a sociospatial approach in conjunction with a South–South cooperation analytical lens explains their commonality and, subsequently, their interrelatedness and convergence. Second, while this South–South cooperation space is not per se non-capitalist, a socio-spatial analysis also facilitates “seeing” the production of a socialist “counter-space” within this South–South cooperation structure

Asset Accumulation: An Alternative Approach to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are unlikely to be achieved by 2015, owing to conceptual flaws in their design as well as the structural and political constraints faced during implementation at the country level. While criticism of the MDGs is widespread, innovative ideas on addressing these operational challenges are still scanty. By reviewing a number of experiences, including those of the Foundation for the Promotion of Local Development (PRODEL) in Nicaragua and the Ministry of Cities in Brazil, this article highlights the importance of incorporating an asset-accumulation perspective into MDG-related policies and programmes as a way of generating an enabling environment that opens up new opportunities for poverty reduction in the cities of low- and middle-low-income countries

Final report. Volume 6, Study of vehicle behavior and performance

Spine of report binding cut and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display format PDFSponsored by: Empresa Brasileira de Planejamento de Transportes, United Nations Development Programme, Instituto de Planejamento Econômico e Social (Brazil) and Secretaria de Cooperação Econômica e Técnica Internacional (Brazil

Inception report. Research concepts and procedures (Report I)

A research project is underway in Brazil to develop mathematical models for highway planning. Cost models will be developed relating highway construction, maintenance and utilization. The 42-month project began in September 1975. This initial project report describes the background and previous work in the areas as well as the concepts and proposed methodology for the research. Three basic activities are proposed and described: 1) a series of road user costs surveys to determine operating costs in Brazil, 2) road user and traffic experiments torelate speed and fuel consumption and 3) pavement performance and maintenance experiments. All of these studies will relate construction,maintenance and utilization costs to road construction and design standards, and pavement performance and maintenance. Analysis of results will incorporate previous work sponsored by the World Bank and results of a Transportation Road Research Laboratory study in Kenya. The first results of the current study are expected in 1977. The project is sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Transport and the United Nations Development Program. Key words: Highways, highways costs, World Bank, pavement performance, maintenance·, vehicle operating costs, user cost, road user cost, speed, fuel consumption, traffic, United Nation Development Program, GEIPOT, Brazil.Spine of report binding cut and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display formatSponsored by: Empresa Brasileira de Planejamento de Transportes, United Nations Development Programme, Instituto de Planejamento Econômico e Social (Brazil) and Secretaria de Cooperação Econômica e Técnica Internacional (Brazil)mv201

Midterm report. Preliminary results and analyses (Summary)

This summary of the project midterm report presents achievements and results at Midterm. The accomplishments of the 150- man research team are presented, and include preliminary equations relating roadway characteristics to vehicle speed and fuel consumption. The extent of vehicle overloads in Brazil is highlighted. A program is outlined to update the combined MIT/TRRL/ World Bank Highway Design and Maintenance Standards Model (HDM) .Spine of report binding cut and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display formatSponsored by: Empresa Brasileira de Planejamento de Transportes, United Nations Development Programme, Instituto de Planejamento Econômico e Social (Brazil) and Secretaria de Cooperação Econômica e Técnica Internacional (Brazil)mv201

Midterm report. Preliminary results and analyses (Report II)

Spine of report binding cut and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display formatSponsored by: Empresa Brasileira de Planejamento de Transportes, United Nations Development Programme, Instituto de Planejamento Econômico e Social (Brazil) and Secretaria de Cooperação Econômica e Técnica Internacional (Brazil)mv201

Final report. Volume 5, Research on the Interrelationships Between Costs of Highway Construction, Maintenance and Utilization

This Volume records the activities of the PICR User Cost Surveys Group which conducted a large vehicle operating cost survey in Central, Western and Southern Brazil during the period 1975 to 1981. The Group was responsible for the collection and analysis of vehicle maintenance parts and labor costs, tire costs, depreciation and interest charges, and drivers' salaries. In addition, fuel consumption and speed data were collected, the latter when easily available, to serve as consistency checks on the equations derived from experimental data. The Group was also responsible for collecting data on surface roughness, as well as vertical and horizontal geometry characteristics of the routes of those operators registered in the survey. The primary data collection phase ran from 1975 to 1979. and 26 staff members were employed , comprising 14 field workers , 8 clerical assistants and 4 supervisors. More than two years was spent in developing and testing appropriate methodologies, documentation and data p.rocessing systems for the collection, checking, .storage and analysis of both operating cost and highway characteristic data. Contact was made with over 300 companies and more than 2500 vehicles were regis tered for survey membership. Operating cost data were then collected on_ a regular basis from company records. Many difficulties had to be overcome during this period. A number of companies only had records of a few cost components and, where possible, assistance was givento provide the necessary documentation and training to collect missing items. Some companies dropped out of the survey and data collection in others was discontinued because the route characteristics of their vehicles were found to be redundant to the needs of the PICR. Finally, data on over 1600 vehicles derived from 132 companies were available in for preliminary analysis. 1979 Highway characteristics were collected using two specially instrumented vehicles. Roughness was measured with a Maysmeter and calibration maintained through a GM Profilometer and Quarter-Car~Simulator which generated a se~ies of profile~ for a calibration course of highway sections established near Brasflia. Vertical geometry w~s measured using a linear accelerometer connected to a panel scale capable of recording grade changes + of - 1% + to - 12%. Horizontal measurements were taken from a standard aircraft directional gyro compass, mounted in the survey vehicles. Over 85,000 km of roughness and geometry data were collected after measuring more than 36,000 km of operators' routes. After .editing, these data had then to be combined with the vehicle operating cost data so that a single file comprising both dependent and independent variables could be made available for analy~is. The second PICR Phase covered the period 1980 to 1981. The staff was reduced to 5, who were principally engaged in conducting more detailed analyses. The statistical methods employed were rationalized into distinct groups of techniques and advanced econometric procedures employed. An important technique which provided a number of the equations reported herein was the generalized least squares estimation of the error ~omponent model. The latter considers. the company specific error term and the vehicle specific error term which jointly form the components of the unknown random error term consider~d by ordinary least squares techniques. This is one of the first reported application of error components analysis in the field of transportation stu - dies. All the different techniques are detailed in the analysis pro - cedures section of this Volume. The analyst was able to run a selec - tion of these techniques simultaneously on any data set. This made comp~rison of the results and the choice of recommended equations an easier task. Vehicle operating cost information presented for analysis cover the full range of vehicles operating on Brazilian highways. These are grouped into cars_. utility vehicles, buses, medium trucks and heavy articulated vehicles for analysis purposes. The results of the anal - yses of fuel consumption, oil and grease consumption, maintenance parts and labor, tire consumption, depreciation and interest charges and vehicle speed are presented. All five vehicles classes are used in the analyses except for speed which is restricted to cars and buses, and tire costs which are analysed by tire size. The equations recommended in this Volume concentrate on estimating roughness, vehicle age, vehicle characteristics (where appropriate) and geometry effects only when these appear unambiguous. A substantial amount of time was spent estimating the effect of geometry on the various operating cost items and details on the progress made are given in both main text and selected appendices. It is clear that more time is needed to resolve th~ issue. Further small analyses, .together with the findings of the operating cost study in India, presently being analysed, may result in the emergence of a more coherent pattern of the geometry effect on user costs. The PICR User Survey data are the most comprehensive collec~ ed to date and are important both to Brazil, where out-of-date cost tables are widely used and the international research community~ where they .complement the Kenya. Caribbean and India studies. The PICR survey data covers a spectrum of vehicle types and appears to be the only study with a full range of truck classes. The data have now passed through several phases of analysis and the results presented in this Volume. together with the relevant technical memoranda, can be regarded as an interim final form. They are now ready for extensive evaluation in a variety of economic exercises. When they have passed these tests they can be viewed as being in final form for the period ending December 31, 1981. Comparistins are made between total operating costs predict - ed from the various equations recommended in this Volume and prevail - ing transport service rates and tariffs. The results are encouraring and give confidence to the view that the recommended equations will provide better predictions of vehicle operating costs than anything currently used in Brazil. It is recommended that a user cost manual be prepared to allow the results of the PICR survey to be widely disseminated.Spine of report binding cut and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display formatSponsored by: Empresa Brasileira de Planejamento de Transportes, United Nations Development Programme, Instituto de Planejamento Econômico e Social (Brazil) and Secretaria de Cooperação Econômica e Técnica Internacional (Brazil)tm201

Final report. Volume 9, Model of time and fuel consumption (MTC)

Spine of report binding cut and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display format PDFSponsored by: Empresa Brasileira de Planejamento de Transportes, United Nations Development Programme, Instituto de Planejamento Econômico e Social (Brazil) and Secretaria de Cooperação Econômica e Técnica Internacional (Brazil