Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100747
Haryanto , Nurlinah
Village development in Indonesia has received substantial funding within a uniform good governance framework, yet the results on the ground remain highly variable. This study addresses this puzzle by proposing a shift in the analytical focus from governance to governability. This study developed and applied a new framework to assess a system’s governability and dynamic capacity to navigate governance challenges. Through a comparative analysis of transmigration villages in Indonesia, this study demonstrates that endogenous social capital is a key mediating factor, revealing that the success of rural development is determined not by formal compliance with governance structures but by the system’s ability to manage complex interactions between the state, market, and community stakeholders. The main contribution of this study is to provide a governability framework as a new, operationalizable analytical tool to explain variations in development outcomes, offering significant implications for the formulation of more context-sensitive policies.
{"title":"Village Development and Governability: A Case Study of Transmigration Village Governance in East Luwu, Indonesia","authors":"Haryanto , Nurlinah","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100747","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100747","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Village development in Indonesia has received substantial funding within a uniform good governance framework, yet the results on the ground remain highly variable. This study addresses this puzzle by proposing a shift in the analytical focus from governance to governability. This study developed and applied a new framework to assess a system’s governability and dynamic capacity to navigate governance challenges. Through a comparative analysis of transmigration villages in Indonesia, this study demonstrates that endogenous social capital is a key mediating factor, revealing that the success of rural development is determined not by formal compliance with governance structures but by the system’s ability to manage complex interactions between the state, market, and community stakeholders. The main contribution of this study is to provide a governability framework as a new, operationalizable analytical tool to explain variations in development outcomes, offering significant implications for the formulation of more context-sensitive policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100747"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100745
Ines Nasri , Imen Ghannouchi , Saloua Ben Ammou
This paper aims to elucidate the connection between insurance and economic growth, with a particular focus on the significance of institutional governance factors. To achieve this objective, two distinct samples from different regions are employed. The first region encompasses developed countries, referred to as the OECD region, while the second region comprises developing countries, denoted as the MENA region. Both static and dynamic analyses are conducted, utilizing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) models for both samples. The principal findings indicate that life insurance penetration has a positive and significant impact on economic growth in OECD countries. Similarly, government effectiveness positively and significantly influences economic growth in these nations. For the MENA region, it was found that regulatory quality and the rule of law have a positive and significant effect on economic development.
{"title":"Exploring the dynamic nexus between life insurance, governance, and economic development in OECD and MENA countries: a system-generalized method of moments analysis","authors":"Ines Nasri , Imen Ghannouchi , Saloua Ben Ammou","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper aims to elucidate the connection between insurance and economic growth, with a particular focus on the significance of institutional governance factors. To achieve this objective, two distinct samples from different regions are employed. The first region encompasses developed countries, referred to as the OECD region, while the second region comprises developing countries, denoted as the MENA region. Both static and dynamic analyses are conducted, utilizing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) models for both samples. The principal findings indicate that life insurance penetration has a positive and significant impact on economic growth in OECD countries. Similarly, government effectiveness positively and significantly influences economic growth in these nations. For the MENA region, it was found that regulatory quality and the rule of law have a positive and significant effect on economic development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100745"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Climate change, recognized as one of the most pressing global threats, has profound implications for the agricultural sector, which is most vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on water resources. Agriculture consumes over 70% of the world’s water, making the sustainable management of these resources critical, especially in the context of increasing drought conditions. This management is heavily influenced by farmers’ perceptions and understanding of climate change. Despite the clear benefits of conservation programs, negative attitudes and misconceptions can significantly impede the adoption of effective water conservation measures. Therefore, understanding farmers’ attitudes and perceptions toward sustainable water management is essential for developing and implementing effective strategies that align with their needs and realities. This study employs the Q methodology to explore farmers’ perceptions of sustainable groundwater resource management in South Khorasan Province. The study involved 21 farmers whose viewpoints were categorized into four distinct groups: consumerist (22.77%), egalitarian (16.10%), science-oriented (14.35%), and fatalist (13%). These classifications collectively explain 66.23% of the variance in sustainable agricultural water management. The findings show that farmers are primarily concerned about balancing their livelihoods with sustainable water management. While they recognize the importance of sustainability, immediate worries about economic survival and family well-being often take priority. Climate change’s direct effects on agricultural productivity and water availability intensify these challenges. The study also highlights that farmers’ approaches to water management are heavily influenced by their personal experiences and knowledge of the impacts of climate change. Farmers with better access to resources and information are more likely to adopt sustainable practices, whereas those with limited access tend to prioritize economic necessity over sustainability. This highlights the value of educational programs and extension services in bridging the knowledge gap and equipping farmers with tools for sustainable water management. Policymakers should take these insights into account to develop strategies that promote environmental sustainability while ensuring the economic stability of farming communities.
{"title":"Voices from Iranian Farmers: Balancing livelihood and sustainability in the climate change Era","authors":"Khadijeh Soleimani , Azadeh Bakhshi , Mansour Ghanian","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change, recognized as one of the most pressing global threats, has profound implications for the agricultural sector, which is most vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on water resources. Agriculture consumes over 70% of the world’s water, making the sustainable management of these resources critical, especially in the context of increasing drought conditions. This management is heavily influenced by farmers’ perceptions and understanding of climate change. Despite the clear benefits of conservation programs, negative attitudes and misconceptions can significantly impede the adoption of effective water conservation measures. Therefore, understanding farmers’ attitudes and perceptions toward sustainable water management is essential for developing and implementing effective strategies that align with their needs and realities. This study employs the Q methodology to explore farmers’ perceptions of sustainable groundwater resource management in South Khorasan Province. The study involved 21 farmers whose viewpoints were categorized into four distinct groups: consumerist (22.77%), egalitarian (16.10%), science-oriented (14.35%), and fatalist (13%). These classifications collectively explain 66.23% of the variance in sustainable agricultural water management. The findings show that farmers are primarily concerned about balancing their livelihoods with sustainable water management. While they recognize the importance of sustainability, immediate worries about economic survival and family well-being often take priority. Climate change’s direct effects on agricultural productivity and water availability intensify these challenges. The study also highlights that farmers’ approaches to water management are heavily influenced by their personal experiences and knowledge of the impacts of climate change. Farmers with better access to resources and information are more likely to adopt sustainable practices, whereas those with limited access tend to prioritize economic necessity over sustainability. This highlights the value of educational programs and extension services in bridging the knowledge gap and equipping farmers with tools for sustainable water management. Policymakers should take these insights into account to develop strategies that promote environmental sustainability while ensuring the economic stability of farming communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100742"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145325293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-14DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100744
Blanca Zuluaga, Karen Camilo
This paper aims to analyze the intergenerational dependence on Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) in Colombia, specifically focusing on the Más Familias en Acción (MFA) program. It addresses the endogeneity problem often associated with welfare dependency research, which complicates the understanding of whether children benefit from subsidies due to their parents’ prior participation or shared characteristics. By employing a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, the study aims to establish causal relationships regarding the transmission of subsidy dependency across generations. Our findings from the quantitative estimations reveal a significant and causal correlation between parental and child participation in the MFA program, suggesting that having a parent who received the transfer increases the likelihood of the child receiving it as well. The qualitative findings enrich our understanding of intergenerational subsidy dependence by uncovering the interplay between structural constraints and cultural norms, which reveals that subsidy dependance is the result of a dynamic process shaped by limited economic opportunities, socialization within beneficiary families, and a perceived absence of state alternatives. This research highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind intergenerational subsidy dependence, emphasizing the need for anti-poverty programs to foster upward mobility rather than perpetuating welfare dependency. Our paper contributes to the literature by providing rigorous evidence on the implications of CCTs for family dynamics and policy design.
本文旨在分析哥伦比亚对有条件现金转移支付（cct）的代际依赖，特别关注Más familas en Acción （MFA）计划。它解决了通常与福利依赖研究相关的内生性问题，这使得理解儿童受益于补贴是由于父母事先参与还是共同特征变得复杂。本研究采用定性访谈和定量调查相结合的混合方法，旨在建立补贴依赖代际传递的因果关系。我们从定量估计中发现，父母和孩子参与MFA计划之间存在显著的因果关系，这表明接受转移的父母也增加了孩子接受转移的可能性。定性研究结果通过揭示结构约束和文化规范之间的相互作用，丰富了我们对代际补贴依赖的理解，这表明补贴依赖是一个动态过程的结果，由有限的经济机会、受益家庭内部的社会化和国家替代方案的感知缺失所塑造。这项研究强调了理解代际补贴依赖背后机制的重要性，强调了反贫困项目促进向上流动而不是使福利依赖永久化的必要性。我们的论文通过提供有条件现金转移支付对家庭动态和政策设计的影响的严格证据，为文献做出了贡献。
{"title":"Inheriting subsidies: Intergenerational correlation in Conditional Cash Transfers in Colombia","authors":"Blanca Zuluaga, Karen Camilo","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100744","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100744","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper aims to analyze the intergenerational dependence on Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) in Colombia, specifically focusing on the Más Familias en Acción (MFA) program. It addresses the endogeneity problem often associated with welfare dependency research, which complicates the understanding of whether children benefit from subsidies due to their parents’ prior participation or shared characteristics. By employing a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, the study aims to establish causal relationships regarding the transmission of subsidy dependency across generations. Our findings from the quantitative estimations reveal a significant and causal correlation between parental and child participation in the MFA program, suggesting that having a parent who received the transfer increases the likelihood of the child receiving it as well. The qualitative findings enrich our understanding of intergenerational subsidy dependence by uncovering the interplay between structural constraints and cultural norms, which reveals that subsidy dependance is the result of a dynamic process shaped by limited economic opportunities, socialization within beneficiary families, and a perceived absence of state alternatives. This research highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind intergenerational subsidy dependence, emphasizing the need for anti-poverty programs to foster upward mobility rather than perpetuating welfare dependency. Our paper contributes to the literature by providing rigorous evidence on the implications of CCTs for family dynamics and policy design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100744"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145325290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-13DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100728
Keisuke Okamura
Addressing global societal challenges necessitates insights and expertise that transcend the boundaries of individual disciplines. In recent decades, interdisciplinary collaboration has been recognised as a vital driver of innovation and effective problem-solving, with the potential to profoundly influence policy and practice worldwide. However, quantitative evidence remains limited regarding how cross-disciplinary efforts contribute to societal challenges, as well as the evolving roles and relevance of specific disciplines in addressing these issues. To fill this gap, this study examines the long-term evolution of interdisciplinary contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing on extensive bibliometric data from OpenAlex. By analysing publication and citation trends across 19 research fields from 1970 to 2022, we reveal how the relative presence of different disciplines in addressing particular SDGs has shifted over time. Our results also provide unique evidence of the increasing interconnection between fields since the 2000s, coinciding with the United Nations’ initiative to tackle global societal challenges through interdisciplinary efforts. These insights will benefit policymakers and practitioners as they reflect on past progress and plan for future action, particularly with the SDG target deadline approaching in the next five years.
{"title":"Evolving interdisciplinary contributions to global societal challenges: A 50-year overview","authors":"Keisuke Okamura","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Addressing global societal challenges necessitates insights and expertise that transcend the boundaries of individual disciplines. In recent decades, interdisciplinary collaboration has been recognised as a vital driver of innovation and effective problem-solving, with the potential to profoundly influence policy and practice worldwide. However, quantitative evidence remains limited regarding how cross-disciplinary efforts contribute to societal challenges, as well as the evolving roles and relevance of specific disciplines in addressing these issues. To fill this gap, this study examines the long-term evolution of interdisciplinary contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing on extensive bibliometric data from OpenAlex. By analysing publication and citation trends across 19 research fields from 1970 to 2022, we reveal how the relative presence of different disciplines in addressing particular SDGs has shifted over time. Our results also provide unique evidence of the increasing interconnection between fields since the 2000s, coinciding with the United Nations’ initiative to tackle global societal challenges through interdisciplinary efforts. These insights will benefit policymakers and practitioners as they reflect on past progress and plan for future action, particularly with the SDG target deadline approaching in the next five years.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100728"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145325294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100743
Giovanni Occhiali , Olivia Okello
Fisheries have long been held to possess significant development potential across Africa, providing food security, livelihoods, and foreign exchange. Debates about their management have centred on the need to close access and on the role of devolution and co-management between central and local government. Because access restriction in practice requires licensing and levies, fisheries’ fiscal treatment lies at the core of their sustainable management. Yet little attention has been given to whether such arrangements in low-income countries achieve either goal. This paper examines the Kenyan case, where fisheries are a devolved sector employing over 1.6 million people. Using a mixed methods approach combining legal and policy analysis, administrative tax data, and 15 qualitative interviews with government officials and stakeholders alongside a focus group discussion, we assess whether Kenya’s fisheries taxation contributes to sustainable management or domestic revenue mobilisation. We find that it does neither. Fragmented regulation, overlapping mandates, and disregard for statutory earmarking prevent levies from funding management. Compliance with general tax obligations such as registration, filing, and payment of income or value added tax is minimal. Reforms should prioritise clearer institutional mandates, stronger coordination across levels of government, enforcement of long-delayed regulations, and targeted action on the sector’s most profitable actors.
{"title":"Taxation of fisheries in Kenya: neither improving management nor raising revenue?","authors":"Giovanni Occhiali , Olivia Okello","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fisheries have long been held to possess significant development potential across Africa, providing food security, livelihoods, and foreign exchange. Debates about their management have centred on the need to close access and on the role of devolution and co-management between central and local government. Because access restriction in practice requires licensing and levies, fisheries’ fiscal treatment lies at the core of their sustainable management. Yet little attention has been given to whether such arrangements in low-income countries achieve either goal. This paper examines the Kenyan case, where fisheries are a devolved sector employing over 1.6 million people. Using a mixed methods approach combining legal and policy analysis, administrative tax data, and 15 qualitative interviews with government officials and stakeholders alongside a focus group discussion, we assess whether Kenya’s fisheries taxation contributes to sustainable management or domestic revenue mobilisation. We find that it does neither. Fragmented regulation, overlapping mandates, and disregard for statutory earmarking prevent levies from funding management. Compliance with general tax obligations such as registration, filing, and payment of income or value added tax is minimal. Reforms should prioritise clearer institutional mandates, stronger coordination across levels of government, enforcement of long-delayed regulations, and targeted action on the sector’s most profitable actors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100743"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100740
Camilo Espinosa-Díaz , Robinson Cadena Bareño
The state expands, builds, and consolidates its presence through physical infrastructure. In countries experiencing active armed conflicts, the rationale for infrastructure development varies widely. This article analyses the infrastructure constructed by the Colombian Army in the context of the internal armed conflict, focusing on areas both with and without armed groups. Through fieldwork, interviews, the review and analysis of war plans and primary sources, and empirical data from 354 projects conducted by the Army, we argue that the state’s consolidated or uneven presence influences how the Army perceives infrastructure. Infrastructure is viewed as a tool for combating insurgencies in areas where political authority is challenged or threatened. Conversely, in regions devoid of competition, infrastructure plays a role in state-building during armed conflict. The findings enable us to identify four distinct zones that illustrate this variation. Ultimately, the Colombian experience highlights the diverse aspirations associated with infrastructure, ranging from the pursuit of peace to the struggle for political power.
{"title":"Building the State, Fighting the rebels. Military engineers and infrastructure in modern Colombia","authors":"Camilo Espinosa-Díaz , Robinson Cadena Bareño","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The state expands, builds, and consolidates its presence through physical infrastructure. In countries experiencing active armed conflicts, the rationale for infrastructure development varies widely. This article analyses the infrastructure constructed by the Colombian Army in the context of the internal armed conflict, focusing on areas both with and without armed groups. Through fieldwork, interviews, the review and analysis of war plans and primary sources, and empirical data from 354 projects conducted by the Army, we argue that the state’s consolidated or uneven presence influences how the Army perceives infrastructure. Infrastructure is viewed as a tool for combating insurgencies in areas where political authority is challenged or threatened. Conversely, in regions devoid of competition, infrastructure plays a role in state-building during armed conflict. The findings enable us to identify four distinct zones that illustrate this variation. Ultimately, the Colombian experience highlights the diverse aspirations associated with infrastructure, ranging from the pursuit of peace to the struggle for political power.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100740"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100729
Amandine Belard , Stefano Farolfi , Damien Jourdain , Mark Manyanga , Tarisayi Pedzisa , Marc Willinger
Community-based development (CBD) projects have long emphasized a bottom-up approach. For CBD initiatives to succeed, communities must harness their social capital, organize themselves, and actively engage in development processes. While CBD proponents highlight the promotion of social capital through community-based projects, critics argue that their effectiveness relies on pre-existing levels of trust, trustworthiness, and community interactions. To contribute to this debate, we investigate the selection bias regarding social capital induced by the recruitment strategy of an NGO in Zimbabwe. We look at differences between selected beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in terms of pro-social behaviors, measured by incentivized games, and in terms of social networks. We also use this information to test whether being part of the same networks translates into increased trust, altruistic behaviors, and willingness to participate in collective action. Our study, conducted in 2022 in the rural district of Murehwa, Zimbabwe, comprised a survey and lab-in-the-field experiments (trust game, public good game, dictator game) involving 341 subjects. Findings showed that selected beneficiaries exhibit higher network density than non-beneficiaries. However, except for a partial experimental measure of trustworthiness, we observed no significant differences in prosocial behavior between the two groups before project implementation. The results suggest that although selected beneficiaries are more socially connected, they do not exhibit higher prosocial behaviors. These findings shed light on the common selection process used by development agencies and the inherent bias they introduce. To address this bias, development agencies should reconsider recruitment strategies that prioritize existing social ties, as they may unintentionally exclude less-connected community members. Instead, they should explore alternative selection approaches, such as the use of field data to ensure inclusiveness. Additionally, integrating trust-building activities at the beginning of projects could enhance cooperation among participants.
{"title":"They know each other, but do they trust each other? Social capital and selected beneficiaries of community-based development projects: A lab-in-the-field in rural Zimbabwe","authors":"Amandine Belard , Stefano Farolfi , Damien Jourdain , Mark Manyanga , Tarisayi Pedzisa , Marc Willinger","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Community-based development (CBD) projects have long emphasized a bottom-up approach. For CBD initiatives to succeed, communities must harness their social capital, organize themselves, and actively engage in development processes. While CBD proponents highlight the promotion of social capital through community-based projects, critics argue that their effectiveness relies on pre-existing levels of trust, trustworthiness, and community interactions. To contribute to this debate, we investigate the selection bias regarding social capital induced by the recruitment strategy of an NGO in Zimbabwe. We look at differences between selected beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in terms of pro-social behaviors, measured by incentivized games, and in terms of social networks. We also use this information to test whether being part of the same networks translates into increased trust, altruistic behaviors, and willingness to participate in collective action. Our study, conducted in 2022 in the rural district of Murehwa, Zimbabwe, comprised a survey and lab-in-the-field experiments (trust game, public good game, dictator game) involving 341 subjects. Findings showed that selected beneficiaries exhibit higher network density than non-beneficiaries. However, except for a partial experimental measure of trustworthiness, we observed no significant differences in prosocial behavior between the two groups before project implementation. The results suggest that although selected beneficiaries are more socially connected, they do not exhibit higher prosocial behaviors. These findings shed light on the common selection process used by development agencies and the inherent bias they introduce. To address this bias, development agencies should reconsider recruitment strategies that prioritize existing social ties, as they may unintentionally exclude less-connected community members. Instead, they should explore alternative selection approaches, such as the use of field data to ensure inclusiveness. Additionally, integrating trust-building activities at the beginning of projects could enhance cooperation among participants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100729"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100733
Yingluck Kanchanaroek, David Wells Engstrom
Indigenous communities often face property rights conflicts as governments claim their traditional lands for conservation purposes. This study examines the Ban Klang Karen community in Lampang, Thailand, where the creation of a national park in 1991 threatened displacement and sparked resistance. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the impact of conservation policies on Karen livelihoods and the resistance strategies of Karen people. Findings reveal that when park designation reduced agricultural land access and yields, the community responded by strategically leveraging social capital and advocacy networks to resist displacement. Internally, they developed robust communal resource management systems and community-delineated land titles. The community’s success in self-organizing and sustainably managing their resources provides a powerful demonstration of the utility of inclusive conservation policies. It makes the case for policies that recognize indigenous land tenure and integrate traditional ecological knowledge to balance biodiversity goals with community wellbeing. This study offers a model for equitable resource governance, in which policymakers prioritize co-management agreements and legal frameworks that empower indigenous communities. These findings have potential as models for Thailand and beyond.
{"title":"Development policy affects the indigenous group: the case of the Karen community, Ban Klang Village, Northern Thailand","authors":"Yingluck Kanchanaroek, David Wells Engstrom","doi":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Indigenous communities often face property rights conflicts as governments claim their traditional lands for conservation purposes. This study examines the Ban Klang Karen community in Lampang, Thailand, where the creation of a national park in 1991 threatened displacement and sparked resistance. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study investigates the impact of conservation policies on Karen livelihoods and the resistance strategies of Karen people. Findings reveal that when park designation reduced agricultural land access and yields, the community responded by strategically leveraging social capital and advocacy networks to resist displacement. Internally, they developed robust communal resource management systems and community-delineated land titles. The community’s success in self-organizing and sustainably managing their resources provides a powerful demonstration of the utility of inclusive conservation policies. It makes the case for policies that recognize indigenous land tenure and integrate traditional ecological knowledge to balance biodiversity goals with community wellbeing. This study offers a model for equitable resource governance, in which policymakers prioritize co-management agreements and legal frameworks that empower indigenous communities. These findings have potential as models for Thailand and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37831,"journal":{"name":"World Development Perspectives","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100731
Averi Chakrabarti, Garima Siwach
Gender is a major factor driving schooling gaps, with female school attendance and attainment lower than male outcomes in most low- and middle-income countries. In this paper, we bring together data from two sources to describe gender gaps in school enrollment in Zambia and explore factors that may be driving the observed gaps. Analysis of nationally representative data shows that boys of primary school-going ages are three to six percentage points less likely to be in school than girls, but this gender gap flips after age 14. By age 18, girls are almost 20 percentage points less likely to be enrolled in school. In the Eastern Province of Zambia, boys are almost 15 percentage points less likely than girls to be enrolled in primary schools. The male disadvantage in primary schooling is larger in households that are more time and resource-constrained, such as households headed by unemployed individuals and households that rely on firewood, a resource that households typically collect manually. Primary survey data from the Eastern Province show that young boys from farming households are more likely to be out of school, with parents of out-of-school boys citing financial challenges, farm work, and cattle herding as key reasons for school non-enrollment. Overall, our findings suggest that household labor demands for work or wood collection are compelling caregivers to keep young boys out of school, not systematic gender preferences. It is important to consider these types of economic factors that drive% low school enrollment to effectively address gender gaps in schooling.
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