Friday, December 14, 2007

[EQ] World Development Report (WDR) 2009 - Seeing Development in 3D

           World Development Report (WDR) 2009  - Seeing Development in 3D

 

World Bank – December 2007

 

Website

http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2009/0,,menuPK:4231145~pagePK:64167702~piPK:64167676~theSitePK:4231059,00.html?cid=decresearch

 

      Outline of the report – PDF [47p.] at: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2009/Resources/Outline.pdf

“……..Geography matters for development.  Yet economic geography - that is, consideration of the "spatial" aspects that determine economic growth and the welfare of people - is seldomly taken into account in crafting development policy.  In low and middle-income countries, as in rich countries, economic activity is increasingly concentrating in certain locations.  However, this concentration is accompanied by sizeable—and increasing— disparities in living standards across villages, towns, cities and regions.   Paradoxically, in a world which is rapidly globalizing, one of the most important determinants of well-being is still where a person is born: in which country, in what province within the country, and whether in a city or the countryside…..”

 

“…..Economic activity becomes increasingly concentrated with development.  As this happens, substantial disparities in welfare can emerge between rural and urban areas, between leading and lagging regions within countries and, perhaps most dramatically, between countries in different parts of the world. 

 

The objective of the World Development Report (WDR) 2009 "Seeing Development in 3D" is to identify and understand the interactions between:
 economic geography, growth, and living standards, and to draw the implications of these interactions for policy.  WDR 2009 charts the changes in the three spatial dimensions of economic activity and household welfare: rising density, falling distance and persisting division. 

 

The WDR will highlight the dimensions and significance of spatial forces that shape economic development; and recommend policies to facilitate the spatial transformations necessary to sustain economic growth, reduce disparities in welfare, and reduce poverty. 

 

The report aims to reframe three important policy debates: on urbanization in developing countries; on territorial development policies; and on the pros and cons of regional integration. ….”

 

 

 


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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area] 

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.

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[EQ] Measuring ancient inequality

            Measuring ancient inequality

 

Branko Milanovic, Peter H. Lindert, Jeffrey G. Williamson
Policy Research Working Paper 4412 - Development Research Department Department of Economics

Poverty Team - World Bank – November 2007

 

Website: http://go.worldbank.org/EE59YVJCM0

Available online as PDF file [88p.] at:
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2007/11/28/000158349_20071128113445/Rendered/PDF/wps4412.pdf

 

“…..Is inequality largely the result of the Industrial Revolution? Or, were pre-industrial incomes and life expectancies as unequal as they are today? For want of sufficient data, these questions have not yet been answered. This paper infers inequality for 14 ancient, pre-industrial societies using what are known as social tables, stretching from the Roman Empire 14 AD, to Byzantium in 1000, to England in 1688, to Nueva EspaƱa around 1790, to China in 1880 and to British India in 1947.

 

 It applies two new concepts in making those assessments - what the authors call the inequality possibility frontier and the inequality extraction ratio. Rather than simply offering measures of actual inequality, the authors compare the latter with the maximum feasible inequality (or surplus) that could have been extracted by the elite. The results, especially when compared with modern poor countries, give new insights in to the connection between inequality and economic development in the very long run….”

 

 


*      *      *     * 

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area] 

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.

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PAHO/WHO Website: http://www.paho.org/

EQUITY List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

 

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.