African History through the Lens of Economics: An introduction to African development and history In the first session of the Wheeler Institute’s new ten-part open access online course, African History through the Lens of Economics, Christopher Ehret, Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA and author of a classic treatise on The Civilizations of Africa, gave a…
Customary land-tenure systems, which can work well in the rural hinterland, cannot accommodate the high prices and complex land markets of large, modern cities. There are at least two key institutional features that present challenges to the land markets of African cities: a lack of property rights and minimal urban planning. Property rights are fundamental…
If you live in a developed country, you have the luxury of turning on a faucet and witnessing a gush of drinkable chemically treated water emerge. Anytime there is a drought in an area, such as in my home state of California, the government usually handles it by rapidly importing or sourcing water from various…
Following the 2021 COP26 summit (formally known as the United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Glasgow, there are a few pressing questions around challenges and knowledge gaps that may impact implementation of the agreed-upon measures – how do we encourage private investment by better aligning efforts of public institutions with needs of the private sector?…
The global drive to replace traditional energy sources with renewable energy will require significant investments in addressing market failures. These investments would need to promote substantially higher use of renewable energy products among consumers households and among businesses. Could results-based financing help achieve these outcomes? Join us the Wheeler Institute in collaboration with Dharma Life…
Private enterprises are poised to play a critical role in the fight against climate change. Not only does climate financing provide a means for realizing lucrative returns on private capital, but it is also in the best interest of private enterprises to adopt new technologies and reform their operating models and supply chains to mitigate…
Gazing down the dirt street, with houses stretching on either side. Houses that look like crooked teeth, wooden slats cobbled together with large gaps between, some constructed with only a partial roof, structures that can easily be destroyed when the rains come. A guard standing at the entrance, working on behalf of the traficante (drug…
Urbanisation in Africa represents a huge opportunity for the continent. The increased concentration of people in urban spaces is good for workers and businesses alike, since economic density will bring gains in productivity and quality of life. There are 500 million people living in African cities with another 700 million expected by 2050. This population…
“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive” Mahatma Gandhi. If you ask the average person from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region whether they have a standard checking or saving account, they will likely respond “No”. MENA countries consistently rate among the lowest in participation of the population in the…
The road to net-zero for India is strewn with challenges, the greatest of them all being reviving the country’s ailing electricity distribution companies. Climate action: where things stand now One of the most important and seminal events of this year is inarguably the Conference of Parties, better known as COP26, currently underway in Glasgow, Scotland.…
