As part of the ECOPRONAT research programme, AFD is collaborating with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to develop a strategic framework for identifying and deploying nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban areas, taking Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Kigali (Rwanda) as case studies. Natural ecosystems and biodiversity are indeed essential to ensure the livability of cities, especially in the face of climate change and its impacts. Their integration into urban planning processes is also essential.
Context
According to a 2021 OECD report, two-thirds of African cities are at “extreme” risk of climate and water-related shocks. Violent climate events, heat waves and droughts are thus at the top of the risks incurred by urban areas. Rapid urbanization, unsustainable development and degradation of natural ecosystems exacerbate these risks.
Nature-based solutions (NBS), which rely on natural ecosystems and the services they provide to human activities, address these urban challenges, while simultaneously providing benefits in terms of human well-being and biodiversity. However, they are still little integrated into urban planning processes and decision support tools available to planners. The lack of knowledge, data and experimentation on nature-based solutions therefore hampers their adoption and deployment.
This project is part of the ECOPRONAT research programme, which supports research on how to better take into account biodiversity and mainstream it into key economic sectors.
Objectives
The objective of this research project is to enable, through the construction of a strategic framework, the deployment and scaling of nature-based solutions, in particular to address water and heat risks. The challenge is to improve the ecological resilience of cities by helping them identify the risks they must prepare for, to assess the potential of NBS to address them and to develop implementation and funding strategies for these NBS as part of the urban planning process.
A fast, effective and practical methodology for assessing the potential of nature-based solutions will be made available to the cities of Addis Ababa and Kigali, which are the two pilot cities of this research project. The project is led by WRI, in partnership with the Addis Ababa Urban Development Department, the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture and the Rwanda Young Water Professionals Association. This methodology is intended to be adopted by other urban centers to allow a broader appropriation and mobilization of NBS in cities.
Method
At the methodological level, the construction of a strategic framework for nature-based solutions is interesting for two reasons:
- Identification of flood risks, heat islands, water supply and biodiversity potential of cities through the production of composite maps and the mobilization of satellite data;
- Participatory construction of the strategic framework through workshops with stakeholders of both cities to validate the priority areas of intervention and identify the NBS most adapted to the issues of each area.
Results
Developed by the WRI research team with the cities of Addis Ababa and Kigali, the Strategic NbS Framework can support cities in selecting and implementing appropriate nature-based solutions (NbS).
By integrating globally available data sets with local data, it helps identify areas of a given city that are susceptible to extreme flooding and heat, as well as opportunities to expand urban green spaces and create ecological corridors.
To ensure successful implementation, collaboration between public authorities, technical experts, and community leaders is essential. Using this framework, citywide maps can be quickly generated to identify priority areas. After a validation by city stakeholders, field experts then play a key role in designing effective NbS, tailored to local conditions.
Although it has limitations in data detail, the Framework provides a solid starting point to build sustainable cities. Additional guidelines provide technical information on usable NbS, as well as case studies. These guidelines are available for download below:
A webinar from the Research Conversations series was held to present the project's findings, and these research findings are summarized in a policy brief available for download below.
Research findings
The research project identified a series of lessons to facilitate the deployment of nature-based solutions (NbS), taking into account the specific needs of cities. These lessons highlight the potential of nature in urban resilience planning and climate action:
- To increase awareness and institutional integration:
- Set up multi-stakeholder processes to support dialogue and the prioritization of identified NbS.
- Rely on case studies to facilitate understanding and engagement.
- To enhance data availability for more effective planning:
- Combine local and global datasets to carry out multi-hazard assessments (flooding, urban heat islands, etc.).
- Encourage citizen science initiatives for data collection, and ensure it is considered in decision-making.
- To strengthen planning and implementation linkages:
- Establish dedicated governance structures (such as a mayoral committee) to coordinate various technical services involved and mobilize funding.
- Develop common reference frameworks (design standards, guidelines, etc.) to strengthen political and public support.
- To secure long-term financing:
- Integrate NbS into existing city investment programs.
- Include strategies for public-private partnerships and use a multi-benefit assessment framework to demonstrate their long-term value.
- To adapt solutions to the local context and ensure monitoring:
- Launch NbS pilot projects with monitoring systems to track their performance.
- Integrate gender, equity, and inclusion considerations from the selection phase of each NbS.
Learn more
Contact
-
Julien CALAS
Research Officer on Biodiversity
Other projects on Nature-based Solutions supported by ECOPRONAT
The ECOPRONAT programme explores the levers for mainstreaming biodiversity into different economic sectors. As part of this research programme, AFD is working with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to connect agricultural and ecosystem conservation issues in an innovative way, by studying the business models of wildlife ranches as well as the levers for developing wildlife economy.
Context
South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development assists persons (or their descendants) who were excluded the formal agriculture economy on the basis of their skin colour, and who have recently begun to engage in farming with the support and assistance of the State. This broad policy is implemented through the Land Reform Programme, where Recapitalisation and Development funding (Recap) is used to help land reform beneficiaries establish viable enterprises. However, this programme remains focused on traditional models of crop and livestock systems.
The consortium of researchers assembled by the South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) argues that the Land Reform Programme would benefit from integrating the ecosystem services paradigm to help reduce inequality and understand the benefits of land transfer more holistically (Clements et al. 2021). This research consortium is working to integrate wildlife economy enterprise development within the Recap scope of investment.
More specifically, the research project focuses on wildlife ranching, which can be defined as the breeding and commercial use of wild animals for hunting, game meat production, live animal trading or ecotourism. This economic activity can be an interface between conservation and agriculture but, although anchored for many years in South Africa, it remains little studied. Decision-makers thus lack data on the functioning of this wildlife economy as well as its socio-economic and environmental impacts.
Developing knowledge and decision support tools on this wildlife economy with the support of the ECOPRONAT programme is therefore an opportunity for better management of agricultural land and natural ecosystems, for the benefit of beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme. The survey methodology and lessons learned in South Africa will be used for exchanges with Kenyan authorities who are also conducting studies on the role of wildlife economy in that country.
This project is part of the ECOPRONAT research programme, which supports research on how to better take into account biodiversity and mainstream it into key economic sectors.
Objectives
This project aims to support the development of agricultural policies in Africa that are sustainable on the long-term, and to develop wildlife economy research in South Africa and Kenya. Through its work, the research consortium aims to produce knowledge and tools to enable a large-scale transition, going from a land use that degrades ecosystems to profitable wildlife enterprises that restore natural capital, create jobs and catalyze investment to expand conservation areas.
To this end, the project aims to:
- Develop foundational knowledge for the wildlife economy to facilitate its mainstreaming into agricultural and biodiversity public policies (production of data on business models, their viability, investment and skills development needs, etc.);
- Co-produce decision support tools that enable local actors, companies and public authorities to adapt their policies and investments and create a systemic impact;
- Create a regional community of practice to strengthen research capacity in the South and the development of the wildlife economy. Two master’s students are involved in this project, led by SANBI in partnership with the South African Universities of Rhodes, Stellenbosch and Nelson Mandela.
Method
This research project is based on participatory knowledge building (including training workshops) and on the development of survey methods to collect social, economic and ecological data. This information will be used to produce decision-support tools. In particular, a geospatial selection tool will be developed to identify the actions and investments to be undertaken.
The methodology consists of collecting data from the established wildlife ranching industries established in South Africa and Kenya, on the contributions of the wildlife industry to biodiversity, land restoration and socio-economic development. Through statistical analysis and data visualization, the team will convert this information into knowledge products to make it more accessible, and then into decision support tools to assist new and emerging farmers to create businesses in the wildlife economy and thus expand the wildlife ranching estate.
Results
The research team has published academic articles on the functioning of the wildlife economy and its socio-economic and environmental impacts:
- Clements, H.S., Child, M.F., Lindeque, L. et al. Lessons from COVID-19 for wildlife ranching in a changing world, Nature Sustainability 5, 1040–1048 (2022).
- Denner, C., Clements, H. S., Child, M. F., & De Vos, A. (2024). The diverse socioeconomic contributions of wildlife ranching, Conservation Science and Practice, 6(7), e13166.
The team collaborated with public authorities to ensure that this information could be used by local stakeholders. Their data, gathered from surveys with a representative sample of wildlife ranchers, fed into fact sheets on the wildlife economy published by South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). These are available on the Biodiversity Sector Investment platform, which aims to inform South African citizens and investors interested in engaging in this type of activity.
The research has also informed local decision-making, notably in the revision of the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy and related debates on the sustainable use of biodiversity for economic purposes.
Finally, the team shared its findings with a broader audience through The Conversation Africa, analyzing how different wildlife use models can contribute to local development and the inclusion of disadvantaged communities.
Lessons learned
Several findings have emerged from this research project:
Researchers have demonstrated that wildlife-based land uses support higher biodiversity levels, citing a number of scientific studies that assess their impact in South Africa and other southern African countries. Some of these studies show that wildlife ranching can support higher densities of wild animals per hectare than conventional agriculture or livestock farming.
- Shumba, T., De Vos, A., Biggs, R., et al. (2020). Effectiveness of private land conservation areas in maintaining natural land cover and biodiversity intactness. Global Ecology and Conservation, 22, e00935.
- Taylor, W. A., Child, M. F., Lindsey, P. A., et al. (2021). South Africa’s private wildlife ranches protect globally significant populations of wild ungulates. Biodiversity and Conservation, 30(13), 4111–4135.
- Saayman, M., van der Merwe, P., & Saayman, A. (2018). The economic impact of trophy hunting in the South African wildlife industry. Global Ecology and Conservation, 16, e00510.
- Lindsey, P. A., Romanach, S. S., & Davies‐Mostert, H. T. (2009). The importance of conservancies for enhancing the value of game ranch land for large mammal conservation in southern Africa. Journal of Zoology, 277(2), 99–105.
The research team identified six primary wildlife ranching business models in South Africa, and assessed their employment potential, profitability, and socio-economic impacts:
- Three specialized models: ecotourism; trophy hunting; wildlife breeding
- Three mixed models: mixed hunting (meat and trophy); wildlife breeding combined with agriculture; trophy hunting combined with game meat production
Specialized models, particularly trophy hunting and ecotourism, tend to be more profitable and generate more high-quality jobs than mixed-use or production-focused models (e.g., game meat hunting or livestock farming):
- Employment: Ecotourism ranches employ more people per hectare and offer more skilled jobs and opportunities for women than conventional agriculture or mixed models. Trophy hunting ranches rank second in employment per hectare, although roughly one-third of these jobs are seasonal. Both models offer significant non-wage benefits to employees.
- Profitability: Trophy hunting is the most profitable model, with a median profit margin of 33%. Wildlife breeding is less profitable and contributes less to employment compared to the other two specialized models.
However, specialized models proved to be far less resilient during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, mixed models—though less profitable—showed greater resilience. The volatility of the hunting and tourism sectors highlights the need for long-term studies and targeted public policy.
In general, ranches focused on ecotourism and trophy hunting stimulate local economies:
- Due to higher operating costs, they purchase more goods and services locally and support a broader ecosystem of businesses.
- They employ more women and offer better wages than conventional agriculture. For instance, in ecotourism-focused ranches, over 40% of staff are women.
- While concerns about job precarity exist, most positions are permanent—except in trophy hunting, where seasonal work is more common. Higher wages and more stable jobs help reduce economic vulnerability.
However, specialized models require large tracts of land and substantial infrastructure, which can be a barrier to entry for disadvantaged South Africans. Conversely, more accessible mixed models may enhance social inclusion and offer historically marginalized groups opportunities to participate in a wildlife economy that also supports biodiversity better than conventional farming systems.
The researchers recommend that policymakers recognize the diversity of wildlife ranching models in order to better integrate them into conservation and sustainable development strategies.
Research Papers
Contact
-
Julien CALAS
Research Officer on Biodiversity
Discover other research projects
Exploring the dilemmas of Africa’s agroecological transition by 2050 (TAASF2050)
Ongoing
2022 - 2026
As part of the ECOPRONAT research programme, AFD is working with the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Makerere University in Uganda to understand the institutional and socio-economic constraints for wetland restoration, and to identify solutions for upscaling restoration initiatives in a sustainable way – both from the perspective of natural ecosystems and the human activities that depend on them.
Context
Uganda’s wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems (in terms of ecosystem services) in East Africa. In addition to their ecological functions, they provide more than 50% of the monthly income of the populations that depend on them. However, the rate of wetland degradation is over 70 times the rate of their restoration. Artificialization and urban growth, informal settlements, agricultural activities, pollution or illegal mining of sand and clay: all of these causes contribute to the degradation of these ecosystems.
To address this challenge, many restoration projects have already been carried out in Uganda, and the knowledge available on the country’s wetlands is important. Strengthening the links between research and policy implementation is therefore essential to facilitate and improve the extension of sustainable wetland restoration in Uganda.
This project is part of the ECOPRONAT research programme, which supports research on how to better take into account biodiversity and mainstream it into key economic sectors.
Objectives
Based on two case studies, this project aims to facilitate and enhance the upscale of sustainable wetland restoration in Uganda:
- Identification of institutional and socio-economic constraints on restoration projects, including available research and lessons learned from Uganda;
- Analysis of the effects of restoration projects on natural ecosystems and their sustainability;
- Development of tools to support decision-making;
- Capacity building of key actors in wetland restoration and management.
The IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, in partnership with Makerere University, the Ministry of Water and Environment of Uganda and the NGO NatureUganda, is mobilizing its 20 years of experience in wetland research in Uganda to address these issues.
Method
This project draws on the analysis of two Ugandan wetlands – Lubigi and Rufuha, one urban and one rural – and focuses on several research questions to achieve its objectives:
- Understand issues of wetlands and synthesize knowledge and practices of wetland restoration;
- Characterize institutions, governance and development process of wetland restoration;
- Analyse the participation of local communities in wetland restoration and assess the economic contribution of these ecosystems to household incomes;
- Assess the impact of restoration on wetland biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services;
- Develop and test an indicator framework for wetland restoration monitoring and develop decision-making tools.
Strengthening the capacity of the implementing agencies for restoration management, in particular by communicating the results of the project to public actors, is also a key axis of the methodology of this project.
Results
This research process should result in the production of scientific analysis reports on constraints and issues related to wetland restoration projects. Policy notes and knowledge products on the monitoring, evaluation and deployment of ecological restoration of wetlands are also expected.
A Research Conversations webinar was organized in September 2024 to present and discuss the results of the research project.
Watch the replay: Restoring wetlands in Uganda: An integrated approach for sustainable solutions?
Contact
-
Julien CALAS
Research Officer on Biodiversity
Discover other research projects on biodiversity
The CEROM (Comptes économiques rapides pour l'Outre-mer - Fast Economic Accounts for Overseas France) partnership brings together complementary expertise from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the Monetary Issuing Institutes (IEOM/IEDOM) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to strengthen existing statistical information on French Overseas Territories, and, above all, to better promote it. After 20 years of existence, CEROM's work is widely known in French Overseas Territories and provides valuable support for the management of public policies.
Context
In the early 2000s, economists and statisticians from the institutions that are part of the CEROM project realized that important and high-quality statistical information on Overseas Territories existed, but that it was relatively unknown and under-exploited.
The first priority of the partnership has been to produce rapid economic accounts. The economic accounts of year n are now available in the second half of year n+1, while, before, they were only available in year n+3. Having this information earlier facilitates the analysis and economic management of the territories concerned.
Goal
The CEROM partnership aims to improve the economic information and macroeconomic analysis capacity of the French Overseas Territories, notably through:
- The construction of economic models adapted to these territories, allowing the production of rapid accounts on the basis of existing economic accounting;
- The development of cyclical indicators giving a quick overview of economic developments;
- The promotion of economic analysis of overseas collectivities and territories, by exploiting untapped data and in order to make this analysis accessible to the greatest number (production of macroeconomic balance sheets, short-term or thematic studies);
- The construction of a peers network to exchange good practices and compare methods;
- Strengthening the quality of the economic information system by bringing together statisticians, economists and users of economic data.
This partnership has also made it possible to measure for the first time the GDP of certain overseas collectivities and to produce a fine analysis of the corporate fabrics of several territories.
Method
The CEROM partnership derives from a framework agreement renewed since 2005 between the partner institutions. This agreement sets out the objectives and modalities for implementing the partnership.
The partnership is managed by partner institutions at headquarters level, and is represented locally through their offices in seven overseas territories: the five overseas departments, French Polynesia and New Caledonia. The partnership also covers other overseas communities: Wallis and Futuna, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
The scope of the CEROM partnership is the production of economic information and databases enabling the monitoring of overseas economies, analysis and perspective of existing macroeconomic information.
Partner institutions produce economic statistics and analyses to inform public policies. The evaluation of public policies or projects, the development of programmes and development strategies have so far been beyond the scope of CEROM’s work.
Results
Partner institutions of CEROM work together on:
- The production and publication of economic studies (macroeconomic reports, sectoral studies, etc.);
- The construction of rapid economic accounts;
- The development of cyclical dashboards.
Publications from the partnership can be found on the CEROM website (in French).
In addition, every two to three years, AFD organizes with its partners a conference devoted to socio-economic or environmental issues in Oversees France. The seventh edition of these conferences was held on October 13, 2022, and dedicated to the following theme: Overseas Territories in transitions, challenges and visions of the future.
Lessons learned
Confirming the initial diagnosis that motivated its launch, the CEROM partnership shows that important statistical socio-economic information exists in the Overseas Territories, but that it was and still remains insufficiently mobilized, especially in academic circles. The use of available statistical data sources has enabled many studies to be produced over the last twenty years. However, this work presupposes taking into account the specificities and sometimes the limits of the different data sources, whether they come from INSEE, the departmental statistical services or the monetary issuing institutes.
Contacts
- Bertrand Savoye, research officer, AFD
- Stéphanie Margot, Head of the Strategy and Transversal Support Unit, Three Oceans Department, AFD
Discover other research projects
When Research Informs Public Action: A Toolkit to Rethink Monitoring and Evaluation
Completed
2020 - 2025
Brazil is one of the 60 countries followed by AFD’s country-risk economists, whose assessments shed light on countries' economic trajectory and macroeconomic and financial situation.
Context
In line with the international agenda on sustainable development and combating climate change, AFD is supporting Brazil on its path towards low-carbon, resilient and equitable development, leveraging its financial instruments to support regional development players.
Objective
Produced by AFD's team of country-risk economists, country assessments provide an analysis of development processes in countries in which AFD operates. They also characterize their growth trajectory, and detect economic, social, political and financial vulnerabilities associated with these trajectories. AFD Group is thus in a position to properly measure the challenges and monitor the risks associated with each of its investments.
Emphasis is placed on developing countries, particularly in Africa, for which macroeconomic analyses are rare or infrequent. AFD seeks to complement existing production on the global economic situation, more focused on advanced economies and major emerging countries.
FIND OUT MORE
Method
Country-risk analysis is based on a close follow-up over a long period of time and rooted in a fine knowledge of local contexts. Cyclical trends, often highlighted in the news, are always examined in the light of structural trends and of the regional context in which they take place. The aim is to highlight country-specific macroeconomic issues while assessing risks against comparable time- and space-based trajectories.
Country-risk economists place the study of socio-political vulnerabilities, the growth model, the viability of public debt, external balances and the soundness of the financial system at the heart of their assessment, and give specific attention to countries' exposure to climate risks.
Research findings
All of our publications on the macroeconomic situation of Brazil are available in the MacroDev series.
Contact
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Julien GOURDON
Country Risk Economist
Discover other research projects
Closing ceremony of the Tany Vao 2022 summer school in Madagascar. PAIRES is a partnership between AFD and the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) that funds a series of impact assessments of development interventions supported by AFD, with a focus on research from the Global South. Context
Impact assessments aim to provide information on the effectiveness of projects in producing concrete development results. Specifically, the objective is to estimate whether the effect observed following an intervention is actually attributable to that intervention, and to what extent. To do this, assessments rigorously measure the effects of interventions using quantitative, qualitative, geospatial, or mixed method.
With the aim of strengthening research skills and practices in the Global South in the field of impact evaluation, enriching dialogue with public authorities and stakeholders on development projects, and fostering academic debate on key development issues, a partnership between the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) and AFD was established in 2020 to identify and implement a series of impact evaluations of interventions supported by AFD. The IRD provides the expertise, networks, and operational capacity to carry out these evaluations with partners in the Global South. The partnership was extended in October 2024, which will allow for the selection of new projects for evaluation.
This project takes place in a context when there are growing expectations for evaluations that provide a better understanding and measurement of the results and impacts of development interventions. It contributes to meet these expectations in the same way as other types of evaluation, particularly project evaluations carried out by French cooperation actors.
The IRD is recognized for its scientific excellence, its multidisciplinary approach, its experience in conducting impact evaluation, and its local presence, which enables it to develop close ties with university teams and national statistical institutes in the South with which it can collaborate. This collaboration is also part of a shared research agenda and is covered by an institutional partnership between AFD and the IRD.
See also : Assessing the impact of development projects: AFD and IRD extend their PAIRES partnership, in French
Objectives
The PAIRES program funds impact evaluations of development projects financed by AFD Group, with three objectives:
- To enrich dialogue with public authorities and stakeholders on development projects and their results;
- To strengthen the role, skills, and practice of research in the South in the field of impact evaluation;
- To foster academic debate on key development issues.
Method
Impact evaluations use methods derived from social science research to identify and measure the effects that are strictly attributable to an intervention. Quantitative methods generally involve comparing changes in the situation of the population benefiting from the intervention with those of a population that has not been exposed to the intervention but is comparable to the beneficiary population. Impact evaluation, generally using counterfactuals, therefore makes it possible to isolate the causal effect of an intervention on a variable of interest and to quantify that effect.
Beyond promoting impact evaluations, the PAIRES partnership promotes multidisciplinary evaluations, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies in order to strengthen the lessons learned about the mechanisms underlying change (or the absence of change).
In addition, the PAIRES program involves researchers from the countries of intervention in all its studies to ensure that the specificities of each context are taken into account and with a view to capacity building.
Results
During its first five years of implementation, PAIRES has mobilized six French research laboratories and eight laboratories in the Southern countries concerned. A total of eight impact evaluations, seven feasibility studies, and four training courses have been funded since the project began.
The ongoing impact evaluations cover 11 countries and various sectors (health, energy, biodiversity, education, gender equality, microfinance, agriculture). They have enabled collaboration with several academic, public, and civil society institutions in France and in countries of the Global South. Other assessments are currently being identified.
In terms of capacity building, PAIRES has organized a summer school and two training courses in geospatial impact evaluation in Madagascar. The program has also funded two joint doctoral contracts between the University of Antananarivo and Paris Saclay University for the BETSAKA project.
Lessons learned from impact assessments
Find below the publications and blog articles related to the impact assessments funded under the PAIRES partnership.
The REDGAS assessment aimed to quantify the health, economic, and social impacts of access to gas cooking for households in Burkina Faso.
Publications :
- REDGAS : Retours sur l’enquête de situation de référence
- Mesures de l’exposition des personnes aux particules fines par méthode gravimétrique dans le cadre de l’étude REDGAS
- Pollution de l’air et consommation de bois au Burkina Faso
- Se baser sur le terrain pour mieux cibler l’intervention : Une étude socioanthropologique en baseline
- Seroprevalence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in middle-sized cities of Burkina Faso: A descriptive cross-sectional study
- Reducing Pollution from Cooking Smoke: key lessons from the REDGAS randomized study in Burkina Faso
- Présentation du projet et de ses résultats
- Clean Cooking: Insights from two new AFD and FID Experiments
Do forest management plans contribute to promoting the sustainable use of forest resources in the Congo Basin?
Publications :
- Impact Evaluation Study of Forest Management Systems on the Forest Cover in the Congo Basin
- Do forest-management plans and FSC certification help avoid deforestation in the Congo Basin?
- Focus : Plans d’aménagement forestier et conditions de vie des populations des forêts d’Afrique centrale
- Plans d'aménagement forestier et conditions de vie des populations des forêts d'Afrique centrale : une revue de la littérature
The BETSAKA project (Biodiversity-economic tradeoff and synergy assessments for conservation areas): what are the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of terrestrial protected areas in Madagascar from 2000 to 2024?
Publications :
- Impact of protected areas on deforestation in Madagascar from 2000 to 2023: A pre-analysis plan | PLOS One
- Long-term socio-environmental monitoring of protected areas is a persistent weak point in developing countries: Literature review and recommendations
- Madagascar rural observatory surveys, a longitudinal dataset on household living conditions 1995–2015
What has been the impact of the Health Voucher on the use of maternal health services by pregnant women in Cameroon?
Publications :
- Coming soon
What is the impact of a parenting education program on children's cognitive and non-cognitive development?
Publications :
What is the impact of viewing awareness videos on domestic violence on knowledge, attitudes, and reporting of domestic violence?
Publications :
How does education through sport help transform gender attitudes and behaviors among middle school students?
Publications :
Contacts
- Flore Gubert, IRD Scientific Coordinator
- Ingrid Dallmann, AFD Project Manager
- Juliette Maunoury, IRD PAIRES Project Coordinator
Discover other research projects
Cambodia is one of the 60 countries followed by AFD’s country-risk economists, whose assessments shed light on countries' economic trajectory and macroeconomic and financial situation.
Context
AFD has been present in Cambodia since 1993 and supports the country by focusing on two key structural areas: promoting balanced territorial development (access to basic services, water resource management, adaptation to climate change, etc.) on the one hand and supporting the productive sector while respecting environmental and social standards (renewable energies, technical and professional training) on the other.
Goal
Produced by AFD's team of country-risk economists, macroeconomic country assessments provide an analysis of development processes in countries in which AFD operates. They also characterize their growth trajectory, and detect economic, social, political and financial vulnerabilities associated with these trajectories. AFD Group is thus in a position to properly measure the challenges and monitor the risks associated with each of its investments.
Emphasis is placed on developing countries, particularly in Africa, for which macroeconomic analyses are rare or infrequent. AFD seeks to complement existing production on the global economic situation, more focused on advanced economies and major emerging countries.
Find out more: Macroeconomic Analyses at AFD
Method
Country-risk analysis is based on a close follow-up over a long period of time and rooted in a fine knowledge of local contexts. Cyclical trends, often highlighted in the news, are always examined in the light of structural trends and of the regional context in which they take place. The aim is to highlight country-specific macroeconomic issues while assessing risks against comparable time- and space-based trajectories.
Country-risk economists place the study of socio-political vulnerabilities, the growth model, the viability of public debt, external balances and the soundness of the financial system at the heart of their assessment, and give specific attention to countries' exposure to climate risks.
Lessons learned
For two decades, Cambodia has been experiencing a gradual transformation enabling it to achieve significant economic and social progress and become a lower-middle-income country (LMIC). However, the various exogenous shocks since 2020 have underscored the fragile nature of the progress achieved and highlighted the challenges the country still needs to address to improve its socioeconomic environment, accelerate its economic growth and make it more inclusive, so that it can definitively leave the category of least developed countries.
Our publications on Cambodia's macroeconomic situation:
- "Cambodia: Significant progress towards sustainable economic growth", in MacroDev Semestrial Panorama n°44, July 2023
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Côte d'Ivoire is one of the 60 countries followed by AFD’s country-risk economists, whose assessments shed light on countries' economic trajectory and macroeconomic and financial situation.
Context
Côte d'Ivoire, the leading regional power in West Africa, aims to become an emerging country by 2020. To do this, it must reduce the poverty and inequality affecting its population and take all the necessary steps to promote youth employment. As a long-standing partner of Côte d'Ivoire, AFD supports it in carrying out key transitions for its future: demographic, social, energy, etc.
Goal
Produced by AFD's team of country-risk economists, country assessments provide an analysis of development processes in countries in which AFD operates. They also characterize their growth trajectory, and detect economic, social, political and financial vulnerabilities associated with these trajectories. AFD Group is thus in a position to properly measure the challenges and monitor the risks associated with each of its investments.
Emphasis is placed on developing countries, particularly in Africa, for which macroeconomic analyses are rare or infrequent. AFD seeks to complement existing production on the global economic situation, more focused on advanced economies and major emerging countries.
Find out more: Macroeconomic analyses at AFD
Method
Country-risk analysis is based on a close follow-up over a long period of time and rooted in a fine knowledge of local contexts. Cyclical trends, often highlighted in the news, are always examined in the light of structural trends and of the regional context in which they take place. The aim is to highlight country-specific macroeconomic issues while assessing risks against comparable time- and space-based trajectories.
Country-risk economists place the study of socio-political vulnerabilities, the growth model, the viability of public debt, external balances and the soundness of the financial system at the heart of their assessment, and give specific attention to countries' exposure to climate risks.
Lessons learned
Since emerging from its “lost decade” (2000-2010), Côte d'Ivoire has enjoyed strong economic growth (+7.2% since 2012). Resilient in the face of successive external shocks, it has confirmed its position within the WAEMU. A lower-middle-income country, it aspires to join the upper bracket by 2030. To achieve this, the economy, which is still largely based on commodity exports, faces a number of challenges, including restoring fiscal and external balance. Investment needs remain high to overcome persistent socio-economic fragilities and build an inclusive growth model. Despite good economic performance, the country remains vulnerable to political and security risks.
Our publications on Côte d'Ivoire's macroeconomic situation:
- "Côte d’Ivoire: Macro-financial resilience and pursuit of an emerging ambition" in MacroDev n°60 (February 2025)
- "Race towards emergence challenged by shocks" in MacroDev Semestrial Panorama n°53 (February 2024)
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