This paper discusses emerging demographic patterns and its opportunities and challenges for India. It investigates the specificities in the demographic transition in terms of various demographic parameters and the lack of homogeneity in the transition across states in the country. It presents some opportunities that can arise from having demographic changes, particularly the demographic dividen...

Yardstick regulation requires the utilization of benchmarking, a valuable tool for improving public service delivery, especially in developing countries where inefficiencies translate into negative health impacts and social unrest. However, benchmarking must account for both the cost and the quality of service. Using data from 38 Peruvian water utilities (1996 to 2001), the paper evaluates qual...

Mozambique has achieved remarkable macroeconomic success over recent decades, boasting one of the world’s highest rates of GDP growth. However, absolute poverty remains persistent, spilling over into social unrest. To better understand the link between aggregate growth and household welfare, this study focuses on labour market trends. We ask: (a) what has happened to jobs in Mozambique over the...

Sierra Leone is blessed with abundant natural resources but yet prone to environmental degradation due to the mining operations. Most often, the mining communities are faced with social tensions, as a result of the possible trade-off between the expected employment impact and the cost of mining operations to the environment. Over the past decades, the contribution of the mining sector to the de...