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Articles on Developing world

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A team in Argentina is using sensors based on TinyML technology to study Chelonoidis chilensis tortoises. Little is known about its biology and the species is in a vulnerable state. The small sensors, in black on the shell, are small enough to allow the animal to move freely.

AI in the developing world: how ‘tiny machine learning’ can have a big impact

Traditionally dominated by the use of centralised, resource-intensive servers, machine learning is being democratised with the growth of “TinyML”, distinguished by its small size and low cost.
At the end of 2020, India applied to the WTO for a temporary suspension of intellectual property rights related to Covid-19. Sanjay Kanojia/AFP

Intellectual property and Covid-19: how can we accelerate vaccination globally?

Licensing agreements between pharmaceutical companies and the Medicines Patent Pool, in cooperation with the WHO, could accelerate access to doses for the poorest countries.
A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during a runoff presidential election in Bamako, Mali on Aug. 12, 2018. Reuters/Luc Gnago

Competitive elections are good for democracy – just not every democracy

Elections are supposed to hold politicians accountable: Officials who fear losing their seat will work harder for voters. But in some countries, political competition actually makes government worse.
Many rural farmers in India lack clear ownership of the land they work and live on. AP Photo/Anupam Nath

Blockchain-based property registries may help lift poor people out of poverty

Without secure records of property ownership, many poor people around the world have trouble improving their economic situations. Several countries are already trying blockchain-based land registries.
Volunteer tourism should be subject to checks and balances, with host communities firmly in the driver’s seat. Shutterstock

Power to the hosts: how to fix volunteer tourism

Volunteer tourism is often criticised for focusing on profit and volunteer experience. But improving monitoring and evaluation and putting host communities in charge can make it more sustainable.
Give a man the means to borrow, so the argument goes, and he can work himself out of poverty. But do microfinances’ claims stand up? wk1003mike/Shutterstock

Does microfinance really alleviate poverty? The 34-billion-dollar question

Small loans from governments and philanthropists are often held up as a route out of poverty. But proper research into whether they work is thin on the ground.
A severe summer drought in Thailand in 2016 caused many of the country’s reservoirs to dry up, including this one near Lampang. (Shutterstock)

How American cities & states are fighting climate change globally

The Trump administration withdrew from the Paris Agreement. But U.S. cities and states are supporting climate change efforts in the developing world regardless.
No need for a bank: Just a smartphone and a blockchain. Houman Haddad/UN World Food Program

Can blockchain technology help poor people around the world?

Already becoming a darling of Wall Street, blockchain technology’s biggest real benefits could come to the world’s poorest people. Here’s how.

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