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My recently published note on the East Asian Miracle made me wonder why South Asian “turtles”¬—economies that have shown relatively slow growth—show no signs of overhauling East Asian “hares.” Starting from roughly comparable levels of per capita GDP in the mid- 1960s, South Asian countries have lag...

The nature of South-South cooperation has evolved significantly over recent decades, from bilateral engagements to triangular cooperation mechanisms into a new phase: true participation in the multilateral system. The emergence of Southern-led multilateral development banks (MDBs) such as the Asian ...

Our research revealed that the rise of Southern MDBs has redefined the development finance aspirations of the Global South. Southern MDBs are thought to be more attuned to the interests of recipient countries. These banks are perceived as innovators—introducing new financial instruments, channelling...

The broader use of safety nets—not just in response to or anticipating a crisis—can help mitigate the impacts of crises. Specifically, pre-existing safety nets have the potential to offset the effects of natural disasters and pandemics by serving as a tested conduit for rolling out aid in a reliable...

In many low- and middle-income countries, women often don’t participate in the formal labor force. In these settings, the labor market returns to schooling are unlikely to be salient for parents making schooling choices for their children. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in these same settings, girls face ...

As Asia and the Pacific transitions from demographic dividends to deficits, policies focusing on labor mobility and regional cooperation are essential. Investing in human capital and flexible migration policies can address workforce imbalances, ensuring continued economic growth and stability across...

Why do we see these improvements three months after the floods? We show that the anticipatory cash transfer increased the choices available to household before the flood peak. Compared to no-cash households, recipient households took more action in preparation for the incoming floods, including evac...

Nearly a billion children live in countries highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Environmental shocks and long-term climate shifts impact children's wellbeing, yet our understanding of how education systems interact with these events is limited. South Asia in particular is susceptible...