O enfrentamento da pobreza e a promoção do desenvolvimento humano são desafios muito persistentes e arraigados em nossa sociedade, cujas consequências afetam a vida de milhões de pessoas. Diante desse cenário, derivados das discussões da Cúpula do Milênio de 2000, realizada pela Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), foram elaborados os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio (ODM). Nesse percurso, um dos grandes esforços do Brasil para combater a pobreza e a desigualdade social, foi a implementação do Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) em 2003. Presente em todos os municípios brasileiros, o Bolsa Família é considerado o maior programa de transferência de renda com acompanhamento na área de saúde, educação e assistência social do mundo em desenvolvimento. Em, 2016, com um custo de 0,45% do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB), o programa, atendeu mais de 13,5 milhões de famílias, ou seja, mais de 46,5 milhões de brasileiros, que representaram aproximadamente 23% da população total do país. Devido sua relevância social, o objetivo desse trabalho foi mensurar a eficiência das Unidades Federativas brasileiras em converter investimentos no Programa Bolsa Família e PIB per capita, em avanços no cumprimento dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio, assim como identificar os determinantes da eficiência. Para isso, foram elaborados 6 modelos de eficiência, adequados ao contexto brasileiro, correspondentes aos propósitos dos seis primeiros Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio: 1) erradicar a extrema pobreza e fome, 2) atingir o ensino primário universal, 3) promover a igualdade entre os sexos e a autonomia das mulheres, 4) reduzir a mortalidade infantil, 5) melhorar a saúde materna, 6) combater HIV/AIDS, malária e outras doenças. Além disso, elaborou-se um modelo geral de eficiência para a avaliação do desenvolvimento humano. Aplicou-se a Análise Envoltória de Dados (DEA) – modelo Slack-Based Measure (SBM) com retornos variáveis de escala, orientado ao output, para o período de 2004-2009 a 2011-2014. As variáveis inputs utilizadas para todos os modelos foram as Transferências de Recursos do Governo Federal destinados ao Programa Bolsa Família e o PIB per capita. De forma geral, os resultados demonstraram que o Brasil avançou no cumprimento dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio. Os escores de eficiência foram elevados, evidenciando o desempenho satisfatório e a contribuição do Bolsa Família para a promoção do desenvolvimento humano no país. Por outro lado, identifica-se a necessidade de ampliação de investimentos destinados ao PBF, uma vez que se os níveis de eficiência estão elevados, existe pouca margem para expandir sua performance, sem alterar os inputs. Além disso, para promover o desenvolvimento humano é importante a combinação de políticas públicas a médio e longo prazo, além de ampliação de gastos sociais para construção de uma estrutura sólida que promova o desenvolvimento humano e melhora da qualidade de vida dos brasileiros. / Confronting poverty and promoting human development are very persistent and deeply rooted challenges in our society, what consequences affect the lives of millions of people. In the face of this scenario, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been elaborated in the discussions of the 2000 Millennium Summit, held by the United Nations. Along these lines, one of Brazil\'s great efforts to combat poverty and social inequality was the implementation of the Bolsa Família Program (PBF) in 2003. Present in all Brazilian municipalities, Bolsa Família is considered the largest income transfer program with accompaniment in the area of health, education and social assistance of the developing world. In 2016, at a cost of 0.45% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the program served more than 13.5 million families, or more than 46.5 million Brazilians, who accounted for approximately 23% of the country\'s total population. Due to its social relevance, the objective of this study was to measure the efficiency of the Brazilian Federative Units in converting investments in the Bolsa Família Program and GDP per capita, in advancing the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as identifying the determinants of efficiency. To this purpose, 6 efficiency models were developed, adapted to the Brazilian context, corresponding to the first six Millennium Development Goals: 1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, 2) achieve universal primary education, 3) promote equality between gender, and women\'s empowerment, (4) reducing child mortality, (5) improving maternal health, (6) combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. In addition, a general efficiency model for the assessment of human development was developed. We applied the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) - Slack-Based Measure (SBM) model with variable returns of scale, oriented to the output, for the period from 2004-2009 to 2011-2014. The input variables used for all models were the Federal Government Resource Transfers destined to the Bolsa Família Program and the GDP per capita. Overall, the results demonstrated that Brazil has made progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The efficiency scores were high, evidencing the satisfactory performance and the contribution of the Bolsa Família to the promotion of human development in the country. On the other hand, it is identified the need to increase investments destined to the PBF, since if the levels of efficiency are high, there is little scope to expand its performance, without changing the inputs. In addition, to promote human development, it is important to combine public policies in the medium and long term, as well as to increase social spending to build a solid structure that promotes human development and improves the quality of life of Brazilians.

Grâce à la politique du "Doi moi", le développement urbain au Vietnam en général et l’évolution de l’éclairage urbain en particulier ont obtenu des résultats considérables. Quelques villes vietnamiennes ont recueilli des résultats appréciables dans la création d’une identité urbaine grâce à leur politique d’éclairage. Cependant, l’éclairage de la capitale Hanoï, une ville bien appréciée pour sa richesse des patrimoines culturels et architecturaux, n’a pas encore créé une profonde impression, en particulier l’éclairage de sa fête du Millénaire qui a été une déception bien qu’il ait été pris en charge par la plus grande société de tout pays dans le domaine de l’éclairage et qu’il ait reçu une somme énorme d’investissement considérable. Dans le contexte où l’éclairage urbain se développe et devient un facteur de développement socio-économique et un bon outil de valorisation d’identité urbaine aussi, l’attirance faible de l’éclairage a fait perdre plusieurs chances d’essor à Hanoï. L’obligation de l’élaboration de l’urbanisme lumière est un grand enjeu de la ville, surtout son dernier SDAU soulève encore bien des doutes. Même si l’on peut dresser un bon document d’urbanisme lumière pour Hanoï, lequel vise à économiser de l’énergie et à limiter les impacts de l’éclairage sur l’environnement, tout en répondant aux besoins de vision et de sécurité, à la création d’identité urbaine aussi, l’éclairage de Hanoï ne pourra pas prendre son envol tant que son marché non concurrentiel et non transparent continuera à régner. / Thanks to the policy of "Doi moi", urban development in Vietnam in general and the evolution of urban lighting in particular have achieved considerable results. Some cities in Vietnam have been successful in creating an urban identity through their lighting policy. However, the lighting in the capital Hanoi, a city highly appreciated for its riches in cultural and architectural heritages, has not created any good impression. Especially, the lighting during the Millennium celebrations was such a disappointment even though it was taken care by the biggest company of the country and received an enormous amount of investment. In the context where urban lighting develops and becomes a factor of socioeconomic development and a good tool in promoting urban identity, the poor attraction of lighting contributed to the loss of several chances for development for Hanoi. The obligation of elaborating a lighting planning is a big challenge for the city, especially when the most recent city planning of Hanoi has even raised more doubts. Even if they can create a good lighting planning for Hà-Nội, one that saves energy and limits the impacts of the lighting on the environment, while meeting the needs of vision and security, one that also creates an urban identity, the lighting of Hanoi will not be able to take off as long as its uncompetitive and non-transparent market will continue to reign.

A pesquisa examina o projeto político do desenvolvimento humano em suas formas de implementação, no Brasil. As propostas que emanam do Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento (PNUD), sobretudo através dos Relatórios do Desenvolvimento Humano (RDH), ganham características particulares no ambiente sociopolítico nacional. O projeto oriundo do órgão internacional se concretiza, principalmente, através dos esforços de implementação dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio (ODM). O objeto da pesquisa é constituído, assim, pelas representações discursivas dos diversos agentes políticos e econômicos direcionados ao cumprimento dos objetivos e metas denominados ODM. Uma das preocupações centrais da pesquisa diz respeito aos métodos e às instituições disciplinadoras da ação individual e coletiva dos diferentes sujeitos sociais e políticos atuantes em favor dos Objetivos do Milênio. Analisa-se as bases teóricas e metodológicas que dão suporte ao projeto político e examina-se as práticas organizacionais e as representações sob o prisma de uma sociologia da mudança social que interroga, centralmente, as relações de poder e dominação. / The research examines the human development political project in its forms of implementation, in Brazil. Proposals emanating from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), particularly through the Human Development Reports (HRD), acquire particular characteristics in the national socio-political environment. The project originated from the international organization is realized mainly through the efforts to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The research object is constituted, therefore, by the discursive representations of the diverse political and economic actors directed to the fulfillment of the objectives and goals denominated MDG. One of the central concerns of the research refers to the disciplinary methods and institutions for the individual and collective action of the different social and political actors working for the Millennium Development Goals. It analyzes the theoretical and methodological bases that support the political project and examines the organizacional practices and representations under the prism of a sociology of social change that interrogates, centrally, the relations of power and domination.

Rural improved water supply coverage in Uganda has stagnated around 64% for a number of years and at this point more than 10 million rural people do not have access to an improved drinking water source. It has been recognized that progress toward improved water supply coverage and increased service levels may be gained through Government and nongovernmental organization (NGO) support of private investment in household and shared water supplies, commonly known as Self-supply. Self-supply can be promoted by introducing and building local capacity in appropriate and affordable water supply technologies such as hand-dug wells, manually drilled boreholes, low-cost pumps, and rainwater harvesting. Support can also be focused on technical support, marketing, financing, and strategic subsidies that promote and enhance user investment. The Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment has embraced Self-supply as a complementary part of its water supply strategy while government and NGO programs that support Self-supply have emerged. The EMAS Pump is a low-cost handpump appropriate for use in household water systems in the developing world. There are more than 20,000 in use in Bolivia, with many constructed through Self-supply. The EMAS Pump is constructed from simple materials costing about $US 10-30, depending largely on installation depth, and can be fabricated with simple tools in areas with no electricity. The EMAS Pump is used with low-cost groundwater sources such as hand-dug wells and manually drilled boreholes or with underground rainwater storage tanks. It can lift water from 30 m or more below ground and pump water with pressure overland or to an elevated tank. The objectives of this research were to conduct an assessment of the EMAS Pump that considers pumping rates, required energy, and associated costs, to characterize the EMAS Pump for its potential for use in household water systems in Uganda, and to make relevant recommendations. The potential of the EMAS Pump was assessed through testing its use with 2 subject participants (male and female) on wells of 5.1 m, 12.6 m, 17.0 m, 18.4 m, 21.1 m, and 28.3 m static water levels as part of a side-by-side comparative assessment with the Family Model version of the Rope Pump, a more widely known low-cost handpump that has recently been introduced and promoted in Uganda. Shallow and deep versions of each pump were tested on selected wells for 40-liter pumping trials. The status and feasibility of low-cost groundwater development and underground storage tanks were also explored in order to help characterize the potential of the EMAS Pump as an option for low-cost household water systems in Uganda. In general, it was observed that the EMAS Pump performed comparably to the Rope Pump in terms of pumping rates for shallow depths, but the Rope Pump outperformed it on deeper wells. It was determined that the EMAS Pump required more energy for pumping during nearly all trials. A study of relevant supply chains in Uganda concluded that the EMAS pump has a material cost that is less than 50% of the Rope Pump for most applications and 21% of the cost for shallow wells. It was also determined that the EMAS Pump could feasibly be produced nearly anywhere in the country. There are indications that low-cost wells and underground rainwater tanks are applicable in many parts of Uganda and could be paired with an EMAS Pump to achieve significant affordability for Self-supply household water systems. Recommendations are provided in terms of the feasibility of introducing the EMAS Pump as a part of Self-supply strategy in Uganda.

Amid the global efforts surrounding United Nations' Millennium Development Goal Target 7c to improve access to safe and sustainable drinking water among populations who lack this resource, it has become essential to monitor and evaluate progress. Development initiatives working to achieve improved drinking water access often introduce appropriate technologies designed to be sustainably owned and operated by populations in rural areas suffering from water related hardships. It is valuable to thoroughly examine the degree to which these technologies satisfy intended objectives and affect user experienced water access. The accurate reflection of impact and progress can be complex, as the evaluation of water supplies can be made based on a variety of indicators that range from "improved' or "unimproved" water source definitions to measurements of the capacity of a source to satisfy desirable conditions related to water quality, quantity, reliability, or user's preference. The goals of this research are to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the effects of two appropriate technologies on local water access using an assortment of methods including: water quality analysis, visual and manual inspection, user interviews, and an overall sustainability analysis. In Panama, the indigenous Ng[oumlaut]be people in the [Ntilde][oumlaut]Kribo coastal area are a group disproportionately affected by a lack of improved access to drinking water and challenges to the feasibility of piped gravity fed water systems that typically serve the rest of the country. An NGO aiming to ameliorate this situation introduced two improved groundwater supply technologies to the region: bailers and EMAS hand pumps. This study assesses the comparative performance of these systems and evaluates the respective performances of existing water sources, using the wide variety of quantitative and qualitative data obtained. The data collected in this investigation suggested that bailers and EMAS pumps yielded a mixed level of performance based on physical, chemical, and bacteriological water quality measurements in the shallow wells of the study environment. The technologies generally satisfied international guidelines and expected ranges based on chemical and physical parameters such as conductivity, TDS, and turbidity (with 57% of samples under 5 NTU). EMAS hand pumps demonstrated excellent bacteriological water quality with all samples indicating undetectable levels of E.coli, while bailers had a fair performance with 83% of samples falling into a range signifying intermediate to no associated health risk. When comparing the overall water quality performance between the two hand augered well systems and with existing sources, the results indicated that bailers and EMAS pumps performed similarly in all aspects except for bacteriological quality. Overall, analysis based on groupings of "improved" and "unimproved" sources yielded very little distinction between the two categories when considering chemical, physical, and bacteriological parameters. This highlights the added value of using alternative indicators such as WHO guidelines to assess water sources, despite the challenges associated with field water quality sampling. Interview data demonstrated that hand augered wells significantly improved household water access in the study area based on user considerations by providing a reliable water drinking water alternative with adequate quantities of water perceived to be clean. Accordingly, the improved water systems were integrated as a resilient water source into a socio-cultural context noting variable dependence on multiple water sources with categorized, appropriate related water uses set informally by Ng[oumlaut]be families. The overall sustainability analysis found EMAS hand pump and bailer technologies to be effective and appropriate; featuring low costs, few materials, and simple designs. Bailer systems were considered to be especially promising for applications in similar remote areas with high groundwater tables. However, the ultimate sustainability of both systems in the local context was found to be largely dependent on factors related to the development strategy adopted while implementing these systems in the [Ntilde][oumlaut]Kribo area.

Engineers are exploring a new paradigm in wastewater treatment; focus is shifting to the recovery and reuse of energy, water, and nutrients. Ecological sanitation (EcoSan) technologies, which allow for this recovery and reuse, are an environmentally sound option for the future of sanitation. While the technology to achieve this goal of recovery and reuse exists, a limiting factor is user attitudes and perceptions. Social sciences, especially anthropology, can and should inform engineering projects to ensure socio-cultural sustainability. Since 2003, rural indigenous Ngäbe communities in Panama have been implementing ecological sanitation projects, mainly double vault urine diverting (DVUD) latrines known as composting latrines. With the help of governmental agencies and the Peace Corps, over 200 of these latrines have been built across the province of Bocas del Toro and the ñÖ Kribu region of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé. To this point, little monitoring and evaluation has taken place in these communities. Interviews and observations in 23 communities throughout this coastal region revealed that 70.6% of composting latrines constructed (n = 201) were completed and 71.8 % of the completed composting latrines (n = 142) are still in use. Based on observations, 65% of the latrines in use were determined to be used properly, which translates to the proper use of 45.8% of the completed latrines. To promote composting latrine adoption, social marketing and pilot latrine projects can be employed, and to improve the percentage of properly used composting latrines, education campaigns can be deployed as follow up. Utilizing suggestions made in recent literature as guidelines for the proper application of compost, analysis showed that new training messages have not reached the communities with older composting latrines. Informal interviews in 18 communities identified compost production, the lack of mosquitoes and flies, and the lack of odor as the most frequently mentioned advantages. With respect to the disadvantages, the inability to use water for anal cleansing was the most frequently mentioned disadvantage. In three communities, informal interviews and 124 surveys were used to characterize the perceptions of Ngäbes regarding feces and their use of composted human excrement as a soil amendment in agriculture. In general, the responses reflected perceptions that show no strong barrier to the operation and maintenance of composting latrines. Utilizing the Fisher's exact test and Kruskal-Wallis test, the community, sanitation classification, gender, primary occupation, and age all showed some level of association with the perceptions expressed in the survey responses. Filo Verde was more likely to respond with perceptions accepting of composting latrine use, while San San Puente was more likely to respond with "don't know" or with perceptions objecting to composting latrine use. At times, up to 37.9% of the respondents responded with negative perceptions; thus, evaluations of perceptions prior to the implementation stage are still beneficial. One discrepancy existed between the overall majority and the composting latrine user majority; 56.5% of the 124 respondents perceived the handling of human excrement as a great health risk, whereas 59.1% of the 22 composting latrine users did not. As expected, the composting latrine users responses represent the positive perceptions of feces and their reuse, but pit latrine owners were most likely to respond with perceptions contrary to those indicative of proper composting latrine behavior. Overall, males were more likely to agree with the perceptions related to composting latrine use. Regarding primary occupations, farmers consistently replied with more favorable perceptions of feces and their use as a soil amendment, while banana company workers showed more dissidence. Additionally, older participants gave responses reflecting favorable perceptions of composting latrines more than younger participants. Finally, education and household size do not have any statistically significant associations with the perceptions reflected in the survey responses.

<p>Urbanisation processes in developing countries are resulting in a rapidly increasing proportion of habitants living in urban slum areas. In the international development debate the lack of tenure security for slum dwellers in developing countries is considered to be an essentially important problem. Within the framework of the UN Millennium Development Programme the necessity of efforts towards increased tenure security for marginalised urban residents was agreed upon. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the overall progress towards improved living conditions for slum area residents is showing the least positive results. This paper investigates the occurrence of activities in the region which show an ambition of improving tenure security for people living in urban slum areas. It does so by examining cases submitted from African countries to the UN-HABITAT database of best international practices in the improvement of living conditions.</p>

Urbanisation processes in developing countries are resulting in a rapidly increasing proportion of habitants living in urban slum areas. In the international development debate the lack of tenure security for slum dwellers in developing countries is considered to be an essentially important problem. Within the framework of the UN Millennium Development Programme the necessity of efforts towards increased tenure security for marginalised urban residents was agreed upon. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the overall progress towards improved living conditions for slum area residents is showing the least positive results. This paper investigates the occurrence of activities in the region which show an ambition of improving tenure security for people living in urban slum areas. It does so by examining cases submitted from African countries to the UN-HABITAT database of best international practices in the improvement of living conditions.

A number of international humanitarian organizations focus on human development and aim to improve the situation of children. In many developing countries, states have not been able to fulfill the educational or basic needs of its children. To fill this void, international actors have stepped in to help with human development. This thesis focuses on answering the question: How are norms diffused to local communities? Looking at the implementation of human development norms, this paper examines the norms-based actions that NGOs take to maximize the development potential of children. Programs aimed at increasing basic education as well as fighting child labor are addressed. When exploring the norm socialization process NGOs use to promote programs in education and child labor, it is clear that a different process is present than is suggested by existing literature. This is due to the locale where norms are implemented: local communities.

This paper examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on health using the data of 61 countries between 2000 and 2009 from the World Bank. The ICT variables considered in this paper include internet, fixed phones, and mobile phones. Based on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations, we select several health variables and examine the impact of ICT on these variables. These variables include life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, maternal mortality ratio, and prevalence of HIV. The estimation strategies are the pooling OLS model, the fixed effect model, and the random effect model. The empirical results suggest that ICT indeed plays a significant role in improving the health level of a country. ICT effectively decreases infant mortality rates and children mortality rates, and also increases life expectancy. This finding supports the viewpoints of United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that ICT has great potential in improving a country¡¦s health. The finding also confirms the arguments of several literatures, including McNamara (2007) and Lucas (2008), that ICT can lead to a more effective health system. In addition, we also find that fixed phones and mobile phones, which have more powerful functions in communicating and have greater flexibility, help decrease deaths due to acute diseases or emergencies; while internet displays more profound impact on improving health with the accumulation of time. Our results suggest that adopting and promoting ICT is an effective way for developing countries and less-developed countries to enhance the level of health of people. We also expect that ICT can help these countries to meet at least part of the Millennium Development Goals.