Well-being dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa: a spatial perspective across territorial typologies

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), efforts to track poverty trends and target interventions spatially are hindered by a shortage of recurrent and sufficiently detailed data. Although there has been an improvement in the availability of data for monitoring poverty levels in the region in recent years, the absence of spatial granularity in poverty estimates can obscure significant geographic disparities in poverty reduction resulting from economic development processes. To address this information gap, the authors utilize a new dataset of spatially-explicit welfare indicators (ATLAS-AI) to examine the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of welfare in the region. They enhance their understanding of these dynamics by investigating how variations in market proximity, biophysical factors, and climatic characteristics have influenced welfare dynamics in the region over the past two decades. In this webinar, the speaker will delve into their main findings and discuss the policy implications for designing effective strategies to reduce poverty and improve welfare in the SSA region.

SPEAKER:

Luis Becerra Valbuena is a spatial economist at the Socioeconomic Research and Analysis Team (SERA) of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP-FAO). His research focuses on the effects of climatic shocks on agriculture, climate-induced migration, urban pollution and health, as well as land property rights on deforestation. As an applied economist, his work integrates GIS data (gridded and remote sensing) with survey and administrative data, using econometrics and impact evaluation techniques. He was part of the expert team that worked on the newly launched report "The Unjust Climate: Measuring the Impacts of Climate Change on the Rural Poor, Women, and Youth." He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Paris School of Economics and University Paris 1-Pantheon-Sorbonne in France and previously worked as a post-doctoral scholar at the University Paris Dauphine and as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank.

Webcast