This thesis examines the concept of water cooperatives as an alternative model to create access, supply and manage water services in poor urban and peri urban areas. Two case studies from the Municipality of Moreno, Buenos Aires are presented in this thesis in order to account for the feasibility of the model. The primary data for this research is derived from participant observation, key informant interviews, household questionnaire-based interviews and archival research. The significance of researching water cooperatives is that they have traditionally been dismissed in regard to their potential of being a practical alternative to large water concessions and public run water services in the Global South. Research on alternatives such as water cooperatives is key, particularly in the face of growing de-privatization in the water sector in the province of Buenos Aires. The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area is an important case study for research on water governance because it was intended to be the World Banks model for which other countries would strive to emulate when reforming and improving water services by means of private concessions. The first part of the thesis examines the political and social history of water cooperatives in Argentina and the effects of privatization on the cooperative model. The second part outlines the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of the governance model and positions these theories against the realities of an existing water cooperative and a poor peri-urban community that has a strong affinity for implementing the model in their community. The two case studies presented in this thesis help to elucidate why the water governance model is able to serve poor peri-urban communities that otherwise remain unserviced by the traditional public or private water governance models. This is significant if we are earnest about providing water and sanitation services to all. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

In capital-scarce low income economies, the lack of attractiveness to private foreign investment implies that the only readily available source of external financing for economic development has to come from foreign aid which normally comes with an altruistic motive. However, despite long history of aid-giving to low income countries and especially Sub-Saharan Africa, evidence of effectiveness of such assistance has remained debatable, particularly with the dominance of cross-country studies in such enquiry. With yet no existing country study for Sierra Leone, a typical aid dependent country, this research investigates the relationship between donor intervention (in their aid disbursement) and the development outcomes of economic growth and poverty reduction in the country. In conducting such an enquiry, the study proposed three objectives. The first examines the relationship between aid and economic growth. The second objective investigates the relationship between aid and poverty reduction considering two variants of poverty reduction: improvement of pro-poor growth and aggregate human welfare. The final objective assesses the effect of domestic politics on aid’s effectiveness in improving human welfare. Arising from a pluralistic analytical framework involving a triangulation of econometric estimation approaches complemented with qualitative enquiry, the study finds that aid to Sierra Leone is significant in promoting economic growth in the country. In terms of the impact on poverty, the results show that foreign aid to Sierra Leone has significantly improved long-run pro-poor growth in the country, but this impact could not be confirmed in the short-run. With respect to the other strand of poverty, the study finds that though aid may have not improved human well-being in Africa, it is found to significantly improve human development in Sierra Leone, though the evidence could not support its reduction of infant mortality rate as a second indicator of human well-being. Finally, for the investigation of the link between aid, politics and human development in Sierra Leone, the study finds that though aid is significant in directly improving human development in the country, yet pro-democratic politics (as against autocratic regimes) can also be good a policy option for aid‘s impact on human development in the country. Accounting for disaggregation bias of foreign aid, the study finds that whilst grants seem to consistently improve economic growth, pro-poor growth and human welfare, the study could not find strong evidence to suggest that technical assistance and loans likewise improve economic development the country. The impact of food aid on pro-poor growth is found to be moderate in conformity with the study’s hypothesis. Concluding from the analysis, it is evident in the case of Sierra Leone that the supplemental theories largely hold that foreign aid is vital in the promotion of a country’s economic development. Hence, the intervention of donors in the economy of Sierra Leone has not seemed to be in vain, but has rather proved to be largely useful. It implies that Sierra Leone’s persistent poverty characterisation amidst notable donor presence and participation in the country’s economy has little to do with the fact that foreign aid has not been effective in promoting the country’s economic development, but it may however be that the magnitude of the effect may not have been that high to completely eradicate poverty. The study’s identification of the most effective types of aid as well the realisation of political stability and democracy for enhanced effectiveness of aid in the country could be crucial if the economic significance of foreign aid is to be improved in Sierra Leone.

No description available.

This study proposes a framework and a process promoting creation of sustainable jobs and businesses in rural, arid and semi-arid agricultural conflict zones of Sub Saharan Africa, focusing on Somalia's societal stabilization and conflict mitigation. This task requires developing risk-reducing measures for infrastructure and service delivery in rural, post-conflict zones. Literature reviews identified two economic growth theories rooted in sustainability concepts for localized, pro-poor development. Ecological Economics Theory (EET) and Endogenous Growth Theory (EGT) are the philosophical bases establishing investment priorities. Additional research regarding Somali culture, key conflict factors, and potential business opportunities, provides an understanding of salient facts in Somalia's on-going, 27-years of war and potential culturally acceptable development pathways. Informal sources, Somali and non-Somali, were consulted to further identify and verify potential avenues for economic growth, sustainability, educational opportunities, allowing Somalia to emerge from the strife it has endured. Visits to Somalia and Somaliland confirmed that livestock, its products and related requirements, are key components for economic growth and job creation. Investigation, via pilot testing and case studies, was undertaken of technologies with potential to improve productive capacity and disrupt existing value chains. Initial framework elements were evaluated for job and business creation, through unstructured, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire of Somali officials, and Somali and non-Somali conflict zone development practitioners. The pilot test used a small sample size and is a limitation of this work. Findings from the literature review, informal discussions, and the pilot test are synthesized into the framework presented in Chapter 5. The framework proposes development of an innovative, disruptive, and scalable business model that facilitates the simultaneous implementation of renewable energy production. It targets education for the livestock and agroforestry industry of Somalia, improving job and business opportunities. The model proposes modification of used shipping containers for the creation of modular elements, to satisfying infrastructural building components to initiate skills practice, job, and business growth. / Doctor of Philosophy / The wars and conflicts of various types in Africa have made the continent poorer and prevented development in many countries. One of the major, and seemingly intractable conflict locations, is Somalia located in the East Horn of Africa (EHA). This research provides an understanding of salient facts in Somalia's 27 years of war by examining culture and key conflict factors. The objective of this assessment is to identify potential culturally acceptable pathways that will lead to business opportunities and development as a means of conflict mitigation. The improvement of job opportunities for youth is viewed as a means to offset the current participation in the ongoing conflict. Somali and non-Somali sources were consulted to identify and verify avenues for economic growth, sustainability, and educational opportunities. Visits to Somalia and Somaliland confirmed that livestock, and related products, are key components for development and job creation. Technologies with potential to improve productive capacity and disrupt existing value chains were also evaluated. Findings from informal discussions and a pilot test of a proposed framework are presented. The framework identifies elements for development of an innovative, disruptive, and scalable business model that facilitates the implementation of renewable energy production. In addition, it targets education for the livestock and agroforestry industries, improving job and business opportunities.

A pobreza, em seus aspectos sócio-econômicos, deve ser analisada considerando a ordem de ocupação geográfica, que o modo de vida da população impõe. Na primeira etapa deste trabalho a Nova Geografia Econômica (NGE) é apresentada como um modelo de compreensão desta ordem. Neste modelo, escala, proximidade e liberdade econômica são elementos fundamentais para explicar pujança ou estagnação econômica. A partir desta compreensão, na segunda etapa do trabalho discute-se sobre a pobreza, em particular sobre a mudança de concepção sobre esta para as Ciências Humanas em geral. Ainda nesta etapa comenta-se o caso brasileiro e propõe-se a metodologia do crescimento pró-pobre como uma metodologia aplicável de análise. Por fim, na última parte do trabalho são utilizados dados dos municípios da Região Sul do Brasil e se procede a aplicação de um modelo da NGE, baseando em Hanson (1999) e também faz-se análise do crescimento pró-pobre para todos os municípios da mesma região. O objetivo destes testes é verificar se a validade dos pressupostos da NGE para conforme os dados e o modelo utilizado e também verificar qual a qualidade do crescimento na Região no período entre 1991 e 2000. Os resultados dos testes do modelo da NGE não foram muito significativos, prejudicando conclusões afirmativas. Por outro lado, a análise do crescimento pró-pobre mostrou resultados interessantes: as grandes cidades da região apresentaram crescimento positivo da renda com concentração. Este padrão é um indício a ser investigado mais profundamente para compreender as ligações entre aglomerações e pobreza. / Poverty, in its social and economic aspects, should be analyzed taking into consideration the geographical order that the population’s way of life imposes. In the first part of this study, the New Economic Geography (NEG) is presented as a model to comprehend such order. In its principles, scale, proximity and economic freedom are fundamental to explain boost or stagnation. After that, the second part the discussion is dedicated to poverty, in particular, to how the Human Sciences have changed their conception over this phenomenon. Still in this part of the study the Brazilian case is commented and the pro-poor growth methodology is presented as a tool of analysis. At last, in the third part, a NEG model, based on Hanson (1999), and the pro-poor growth methodology are tested taking counties of the Brazilian South Region as the unity of analysis. The goal is to verify the validity of NEG principles to the data and model being tested. Besides, the other goal is to check on the quality of economic growth in the region from 1991 to 2000. The NEG tests results weren’t much significant, disqualifying strong affirmatives. On the other hand, the pro-poor analysis showed interesting results: the largest cities of the region had all positive but concentrating growth of income. Such pattern should be latterly investigated to better comprehend links of agglomeration and poverty.

A pobreza, em seus aspectos sócio-econômicos, deve ser analisada considerando a ordem de ocupação geográfica, que o modo de vida da população impõe. Na primeira etapa deste trabalho a Nova Geografia Econômica (NGE) é apresentada como um modelo de compreensão desta ordem. Neste modelo, escala, proximidade e liberdade econômica são elementos fundamentais para explicar pujança ou estagnação econômica. A partir desta compreensão, na segunda etapa do trabalho discute-se sobre a pobreza, em particular sobre a mudança de concepção sobre esta para as Ciências Humanas em geral. Ainda nesta etapa comenta-se o caso brasileiro e propõe-se a metodologia do crescimento pró-pobre como uma metodologia aplicável de análise. Por fim, na última parte do trabalho são utilizados dados dos municípios da Região Sul do Brasil e se procede a aplicação de um modelo da NGE, baseando em Hanson (1999) e também faz-se análise do crescimento pró-pobre para todos os municípios da mesma região. O objetivo destes testes é verificar se a validade dos pressupostos da NGE para conforme os dados e o modelo utilizado e também verificar qual a qualidade do crescimento na Região no período entre 1991 e 2000. Os resultados dos testes do modelo da NGE não foram muito significativos, prejudicando conclusões afirmativas. Por outro lado, a análise do crescimento pró-pobre mostrou resultados interessantes: as grandes cidades da região apresentaram crescimento positivo da renda com concentração. Este padrão é um indício a ser investigado mais profundamente para compreender as ligações entre aglomerações e pobreza. / Poverty, in its social and economic aspects, should be analyzed taking into consideration the geographical order that the population’s way of life imposes. In the first part of this study, the New Economic Geography (NEG) is presented as a model to comprehend such order. In its principles, scale, proximity and economic freedom are fundamental to explain boost or stagnation. After that, the second part the discussion is dedicated to poverty, in particular, to how the Human Sciences have changed their conception over this phenomenon. Still in this part of the study the Brazilian case is commented and the pro-poor growth methodology is presented as a tool of analysis. At last, in the third part, a NEG model, based on Hanson (1999), and the pro-poor growth methodology are tested taking counties of the Brazilian South Region as the unity of analysis. The goal is to verify the validity of NEG principles to the data and model being tested. Besides, the other goal is to check on the quality of economic growth in the region from 1991 to 2000. The NEG tests results weren’t much significant, disqualifying strong affirmatives. On the other hand, the pro-poor analysis showed interesting results: the largest cities of the region had all positive but concentrating growth of income. Such pattern should be latterly investigated to better comprehend links of agglomeration and poverty.

A pobreza, em seus aspectos sócio-econômicos, deve ser analisada considerando a ordem de ocupação geográfica, que o modo de vida da população impõe. Na primeira etapa deste trabalho a Nova Geografia Econômica (NGE) é apresentada como um modelo de compreensão desta ordem. Neste modelo, escala, proximidade e liberdade econômica são elementos fundamentais para explicar pujança ou estagnação econômica. A partir desta compreensão, na segunda etapa do trabalho discute-se sobre a pobreza, em particular sobre a mudança de concepção sobre esta para as Ciências Humanas em geral. Ainda nesta etapa comenta-se o caso brasileiro e propõe-se a metodologia do crescimento pró-pobre como uma metodologia aplicável de análise. Por fim, na última parte do trabalho são utilizados dados dos municípios da Região Sul do Brasil e se procede a aplicação de um modelo da NGE, baseando em Hanson (1999) e também faz-se análise do crescimento pró-pobre para todos os municípios da mesma região. O objetivo destes testes é verificar se a validade dos pressupostos da NGE para conforme os dados e o modelo utilizado e também verificar qual a qualidade do crescimento na Região no período entre 1991 e 2000. Os resultados dos testes do modelo da NGE não foram muito significativos, prejudicando conclusões afirmativas. Por outro lado, a análise do crescimento pró-pobre mostrou resultados interessantes: as grandes cidades da região apresentaram crescimento positivo da renda com concentração. Este padrão é um indício a ser investigado mais profundamente para compreender as ligações entre aglomerações e pobreza. / Poverty, in its social and economic aspects, should be analyzed taking into consideration the geographical order that the population’s way of life imposes. In the first part of this study, the New Economic Geography (NEG) is presented as a model to comprehend such order. In its principles, scale, proximity and economic freedom are fundamental to explain boost or stagnation. After that, the second part the discussion is dedicated to poverty, in particular, to how the Human Sciences have changed their conception over this phenomenon. Still in this part of the study the Brazilian case is commented and the pro-poor growth methodology is presented as a tool of analysis. At last, in the third part, a NEG model, based on Hanson (1999), and the pro-poor growth methodology are tested taking counties of the Brazilian South Region as the unity of analysis. The goal is to verify the validity of NEG principles to the data and model being tested. Besides, the other goal is to check on the quality of economic growth in the region from 1991 to 2000. The NEG tests results weren’t much significant, disqualifying strong affirmatives. On the other hand, the pro-poor analysis showed interesting results: the largest cities of the region had all positive but concentrating growth of income. Such pattern should be latterly investigated to better comprehend links of agglomeration and poverty.

Cette thèse contribue à l'approche économétrique de la croissance pro-pauvre. Elle présente des apports théoriques et empiriques. En premier lieu, elle présente les différentes définitions, indices et politiques de croissance pro-pauvre proposées dans la littérature théorique. Elle examine également les modèles théoriques et empiriques portant sur les interactions entre distribution du revenu et croissance. Elle montre que les mesures traditionnelles, en plus de leurs caractères partiels, peuvent conduire à des résultats contradictoires. Pour contourner ces limites, cette thèse privilégie l'approche alternative qui consiste à utiliser des modèles économétriques. Cette dernière approche, bien qu'elle présente l'avantage d'inclure l'ensemble des dimensions de la pauvreté, souffre de deux types de biais : le biais de sélection et le biais d'endogeneité. Ces derniers s'expliquent par les limitations inhérentes des données : erreurs de mesures, points aberrants. En outre, les résultats obtenus avec cette approche sont sensibles aux formes fonctionnelles choisies. Ainsi, il y'a de bonnes raisons d'utiliser la régression Gini. Malheureusement, les régressions de type Gini n'existaient qu'en coupe instantanée et en séries temporelles. Ainsi, dans un second temps, cette thèse propose d'étendre la réflexion sur la régression Gini en panel. Elle introduit les estimateurs intragroupes, intergroupes, le test d'existence de l'effet individuel et l'estimateur Aitken Gini. Enfin, cette thèse présente des applications empiriques qui illustrent de façon concrète la robustesse de nos estimateurs. Elle s'intéresse particulièrement aux conséquences de la méthode d'estimation et à la section de l'échantillon. Elle conclut que le processus de croissance favorise la réduction de la pauvreté à condition que les inégalités de revenu soient maîtrisées. Mais aussi, que l'impact de la croissance agricole sur la réduction de la pauvreté varie en fonction du niveau de développement du pays. / This thesis contributes to the econometric approach to pro-poor growth. It presents theoretical and empirical contributions. First, it presents the different definitions, indices and the policies of pro-poor growth proposed in the theoretical literature. It also examines the theoretical and empirical models on the interactions between income distribution and growth. It shows that the traditional measures, in addition to their partial characters, can lead to contradictory results. To avoid these limits this thesis emphasizes the alternative approach by using econometric models. The latter approach, although it has the advantage of including all the dimensions of poverty, suffering from two types of bias: selection bias and bias of endogeneity. These are due to the limitations of the data: measurement error, outliers. In addition, the results obtained with this approach are sensitive to selected functional forms. So, There are good reasons to use the Gini regression. Unfortunately, the Gini regressions existed only cross sectional and time series. Thus, in a second time, this thesis proposes to extend the Gini regression on the panel. It introduces within and between estimators, the individual effect test and the Gini Aitken estimator. Finally, this thesis presents empirical applications that illustrate the robustness of our estimators. She is particularly interested in the consequences of the estimation method and the sample section. It concludes that the growth process promotes poverty reduction when income inequalities are overcome. But also, the impact of agricultural growth on poverty reduction varies depending on the country's level of development.

The availability and management of water resources is a global issue, this is particularly true in countries with limited water resources, such as Palestine, which falls under the Water Stress Line (1000 m3/person/year)1. Palestine has operated under an -unstable political, economic and social conditions for more than six decades. This uncertainty has resulted in mismanagement, inefficient institutions and the over-xploitation of water resources. The main aim of this study was to produce socioeconomic indicators based on the water tariff structure in order to be pro-poor and to enable water utilities to cope with uncertainties. The study s recommendation is for a flexible, pro-poor and socially acceptable tariff structure have been based on empirical work and socio-economic data which has been collected by rigorous research and reinforced with case studies. Initial results based on a pilot survey showed that there was a 33% increase in the revenue of the water supplier equivalent to 13% of the total water costs and an increase in the number of beneficiaries that paid their bills ranging from 10.5% to 38.6%. If applied at national level, the model application based on current socioeconomic data would have a wide positive socio-economic impact in reducing poverty, financial equality, social security and reduction of the effect of uncertainties. The reform of the existing legal and institution framework are a prerequisite for the application of this kind of model. Institutional and legal reforms coupled with the application of this model, would produce a dynamic water pricing policy as part of the efforts to have an integrated water management and would serve as a tool for the national goal of poverty alleviation and food security.

This study explores and assesses the attitudes of the personnel of welfare-oriented governmental bureaucracies toward the poor. To fulfill these goals, a treatment and a control group were selected to compare their attitudes toward this group. They were measured by a disguised-structured instrument using the survey approach. It was found that the majority of respondents in both groups have a pro-poor attitude but it is more prevalent among the bureaucrats than among the students. In light of the knowledge we have of the effect of attitudes on the execution of policies, these results suggest that the policies governing the different programs studied are being executed to the advantage of the client.