Online Platforms

Agile online platforms and virtual spaces for knowledge-sharing and convening

The Resilience Platform is an online inventory of resilience expertise (organizations, networks, solutions, stories and people) to help design, implement and evaluate the resilience components of development plans, policies and investments. This platform curates proven resilience knowledge, case studies and evidence.

The Resilience Platform is dynamically linked with SEI’s Connectivity Hub through the PLACARD tool – a pilot that is being expanded to partner platforms. The Connectivity Hub is currently dynamically linked various platforms such as WeAdapt, PreventionWeb, etc. to curate knowledge and evidence on Climate Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction. Linking the Resilience Platform to the Connectivity hub brings curated resilience knowledge and evidence to the hub as well.

The coalition is exploring the possibility of creating a virtual space to connect and interact with others to share, build on and amplify insights. The experience of the COVID-19 crisis will be used to ensure grassroots communities are involved and heard, and not “digitally excluded”.

Online Platforms

Resilient Planet Initiative

Resilience Platform

PLACARD Connectivity Hub

Latest Uploads to the Resilience Platform

Empowering refugees through cash and agriculture: A regression discontinuity design

The assistance provided to refugees is undergoing a shift from a humanitarian approach, which focuses on protection, emergency relief, and shelter, to a development approach that promotes self-reliance among refugees through income-generating activities, market development, and cash transfers. This study utilizes a regression discontinuity design to investigate the immediate effects of the development approach implemented in Kalobeyei. The researchers capitalize on the rule established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for assigning newly arrived refugees to either the Kakuma camp or the Kalobeyei settlement. According to this rule, refugees who arrived prior to May 13th, 2016 were directed to settle in the Kakuma camp, while those who arrived after May 14th, 2016 were directed to reside in Kalobeyei. By exploiting the discontinuity in the UNHCR assignment rule, the study compares the average outcomes of refugees who arrived just before and just after the cutoff date. Any noticeable differences in outcomes are interpreted as a consequence of the distinct programs implemented in the two locations. The findings of this analysis using regression discontinuity show that refugees who came shortly after the specified date experience better outcomes in terms of dietary diversity, calorie intake, and food security compared to those who arrived just before. However, there is no observed impact on assets and non-food expenditures. Although refugees residing in Kalobeyei are more inclined to engage in agricultural activities, there is no observed effect on other income-generating endeavors.

Enduring El Niño: Impact of market access programmes on livelihood outcomes during drought conditions in Haiti

The ability of households to cope with frequent economic and climatic shocks is weakened by the presence of market imperfections. This leads to the observation of chronic food insecurity and consistently low agricultural productivity and profitability. To address these challenges, policy interventions have often focused on improving market access and promoting livelihood resilience in order to reduce vulnerability and stimulate growth. This study evaluates initiatives aimed at assisting Haitian farmers in overcoming barriers to adopting technology and accessing output markets during a period of low rainfall. The study utilizes inverse probability weighting (IPW) methods to estimate the effectiveness of three interventions individually, compared to the traditional maize intercropping method. The estimated impacts show that the peanut program had a significant economic effect in reducing crop failure rates and harvest value. However, the two maize programs did not have the same impact. The peanut program was successful in reducing climatic risk, but its input-intensive production methods resulted in mixed evidence regarding its impact on net revenue. Qualitative insights suggest that the positive effects of the program on yield, income, and household nutrition outweigh the time-consuming production costs. The study also highlights the effectiveness of peanuts as a risk-reducing livelihood strategy and provides information on other risk-coping strategies during severe drought. Despite Haitian farmers who historically practice intercropping to mitigate risk, impact estimates reveal that intercropping farmers in the comparison group and the partial maize treatment group experienced similar levels of total crop failure as maize farmers in the program who did not diversify (over 60% for all groups).

Savings groups reduce vulnerability, but have mixed effects on financial inclusion

This study assesses the efficacy of Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs) or savings groups in meeting the financial needs of rural poor individuals. These individuals often rely on informal and decentralized mechanisms, such as savings groups or VSLAs, to access financial services. The primary objective of PRIDER_ is to enhance the living conditions of impoverished families in rural areas. Its main objective is to promote financial inclusion in a sustainable and efficient manner, thus reducing the vulnerability of low-income households and improving their ability to generate income. In addition to facilitating financial intermediation, the savings groups model offered by PRIDER_ includes supplementary support activities that contribute to the comprehensive development of families. Nevertheless, the implementation of savings groups does not have any influence on the likelihood of utilizing formal financial services. Conversely, it dissuades individuals who are unbanked from obtaining loans from formal financial institutions and microfinance lenders. Even though savings groups provide access to small loans, their primary purpose is to facilitate collective savings. Consequently, we interpret the adverse impact on access to formal credit among the unbanked as an indication of the substitution effect of formal credit. Savings groups provide an appealing and efficient savings method that may decrease the demand for credit among impoverished rural households that were initially excluded from formal financial markets.

Stepping up during a crisis: The unintended effects of a noncontributory pension program during the Covid-19 pandemic

A regression discontinuity design was employed to examine the effects of a noncontributory pension program implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and covered one-third of households in Bolivia. The findings indicate that being eligible for the program had significant positive impacts at the beginning of the pandemic, leading to improvements in resilience, food security, and stress levels. Specifically, the study reveals that becoming eligible for the program increased the likelihood of having enough cash and food to sustain more than a week's necessities by 12 and 8 percentage points, respectively. Additionally, there was a 9-percentage-point decrease in the probability of experiencing hunger (equivalent to a 40% reduction) and a similar decrease in the likelihood of consuming less healthy food.

Stepping up during a crisis: The unintended effects of a noncontributory pension program during the Covid-19 pandemic

A regression discontinuity design was employed to examine the effects of a noncontributory pension program implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and covered one-third of households in Bolivia. The findings indicate that being eligible for the program had significant positive impacts at the beginning of the pandemic, leading to improvements in resilience, food security, and stress levels. Specifically, the study reveals that becoming eligible for the program increased the likelihood of having enough cash and food to sustain more than a week's necessities by 12 and 8 percentage points, respectively. Additionally, there was a 9-percentage-point decrease in the probability of experiencing hunger (equivalent to a 40% reduction) and a similar decrease in the likelihood of consuming less healthy food.