Peer-reviewed journal article by Emilie Combaz
Peer-reviewed reports by Emilie Combaz
K4D, Helpdesk Report, Jul 6, 2020
Question:
Based on recent literature in French and English and expert views, what are the key asp... more Question:
Based on recent literature in French and English and expert views, what are the key aspects of political economy in Cote d’Ivoire which affect sustainable development in the country, including inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth? Identify the significant barriers and, where possible, any major positive factors.
Overview:
Cote d’Ivoire presents a paradoxical picture on development: it ranks as a lower-middle income country and has had strong economic growth, yet it ranks low by human development – lower than countries with similar levels of per capita income (UNDP, 2019b, p. 302). Certainly, this is partly a legacy of the country’s civil war (2002-2007), and of the years of political violence and tensions that followed, which all saw massive drops in GDP and living standards for the population (Elgazzar et al., 2019, p. 4).
More broadly however, its past and current political economy offers major explanations for the country’s failures and successes in development. The present report synthesises evidence about the effects of political economy on development in Cote d’Ivoire, based on a rapid review of academic, practitioner, and policy literature in English and French published in the past five years. There is limited knowledge on the core causal question of the report, but a strong knowledge base on key aspects of Ivorian political economy.
In short, available knowledge shows that four aspects of political economy have shaped the country’s development, playing out as key factors, issues, and dynamics: 1. a growing but imbalanced economy that works for elites; 2. a State that is a powerful resource, yet a weakened institution; 3. structural inequalities that lead to massive exclusion and marginalisation; and 4. sustained political conflict, contestation, and violence. Of all the actors operating in this context, Ivorian civilian elites, Ivorian armed forces, and foreign elites are the decisive ones.
Helpdesk Report, Feb 28, 2020
Question:
Based on recent literature in French and English, what are the key aspects of Madagasc... more Question:
Based on recent literature in French and English, what are the key aspects of Madagascar’s political economy which affect inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth, and basic issues in sustainable human development in the country? Identify the significant barriers and, where possible, any major positive factors.
Abstract:
Since Madagascar’s independence in 1960, socio-political crises and their aftermaths have regularly wiped out, and even set back, the country’s macroeconomic growth and human development. GDP per capita has kept decreasing since 1960, with political crises in 1972, 1991, 2001-2002, and 2009-2013. The 2009 crisis and its repercussions were thus only the latest in a longer-term pattern of economic contractions, followed by rare moments of economic revival, which in turn are brought down by popular protests.
This review synthesises evidence on the key aspects of Madagascar’s political economy which affect inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth, and basic issues in sustainable human development in the country. Within a vast amount of literature available on Madagascar, there is a large body of empirical knowledge that addresses political economy in the country, and its role in shaping Malagasy development and environment (see section 2 on state of research and knowledge).
The causes of Madagascar’s trajectory lie in a system of deeply rooted hierarchies and unstable political orders, which has four key aspects (section 3). The key actors of Madagascar’s political economy are its individualised elites, and its mobilised but fragmented population (section 4). The key dynamics of Malagasy political economy have been marked by socioeconomic contradictions, democratic space, and institutional decay (section 5).
Helpdesk Report, Jun 10, 2019
Question:
Please provide an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate... more Question:
Please provide an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate change, especially on water and energy. Discuss Jordanian domestic policies, regional engagement, and global engagement, as they relate to adaptation and resource management for human security or stability. Describe Jordan’s plans and, where possible, brief assessments of their gaps and implementation, and the political economy underlying them. There is no need to cover Jordan’s involvement in major international climate instruments and institutions, such as those at the UN.
Abstract:
This report provides an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate change. As climate change is set to worsen an already difficult environmental, political, economic, and social situation in Jordan, the State has adopted a large number of general and sector-specific climate policies, and actively engaged diverse actors on these issues at domestic, regional, and international levels. It has implemented many significant measures to adapt to climate change, especially regarding water and energy. However, while it has achieved some successes, important gaps and shortcomings in policy and action remain, due to a mix of legislative, regulatory, institutional, political, and economic factors.
Question: What effects does violence in the home (either towards children or between adults, such... more Question: What effects does violence in the home (either towards children or between adults, such as intimate partner violence) have on affected children's mental health and psychosocial wellbeing (MHPSW) during conflict? Identify the key evidence gaps on this topic. Where possible, analyse how the situation differs for boys and girls, as well as for children from different age groups.
Findings:
A small but robust evidence base shows that violence in the home negatively affects children’s MHPSW in wartime, both as an independent factor and as a worsening influence on the effects of war exposure, increasing children’s risk of developing problems in MHPSW. Conversely, this evidence base shows that supportive parenting can be a protective factor against the demonstrated negative effects of war on children’s MHPSW.
Evidence from multiple sources increasingly shows that exposure to war alone cannot account for how children exposed to similar war events experience different mental and psychosocial states and trajectories. Other factors, including home life, provide complementary, at times even better, explanations for children’s MHPSW. In fact, in many cases, factors that traumatise children stem not only from war events, but also from everyday hardships. Home life can be a moderator, and potentially a mediator, of the effects of war.
Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), University of Birmingham; with Department for International Development (DfID), 2016
In aid programming, improving basic services – including health, education, water and sanitation ... more In aid programming, improving basic services – including health, education, water and sanitation – is sometimes assumed to increase the legitimacy of state institutions and to improve social cohesion and stability. But does this intuitive ‘common sense’ hold up to scrutiny? Do local populations actually find their state more legitimate if clean water starts coming out of their taps? Do social relations improve and become more stable once basic infrastructure needs like roads, rubbish collection or public lighting are met? Can better services improve stability in conflict-affected areas?
To find out, this annotated bibliography identifies academic and more policy-oriented literature about the relationship between service delivery on the one hand, and state legitimacy, social cohesion and social stability on the other hand. It brings together relevant literature that considers these potential relationships at different levels (from local to national), and across a wide variety of services. This literature covers a range of low- and middle-income countries, but particular attention is paid here to fragile and conflict-affected settings. The key outcomes or effects of interest – that is, the effects of service delivery on legitimacy, social cohesion and/or stability – have been conceived and measured in numerous ways in the literature. A broad interpretation of these concepts is applied to capture all potentially relevant literature. The full methodology for compiling the bibliography – including search terms and inclusion criteria – is outlined in the Appendix.
Uploads
Peer-reviewed journal article by Emilie Combaz
Peer-reviewed reports by Emilie Combaz
Based on recent literature in French and English and expert views, what are the key aspects of political economy in Cote d’Ivoire which affect sustainable development in the country, including inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth? Identify the significant barriers and, where possible, any major positive factors.
Overview:
Cote d’Ivoire presents a paradoxical picture on development: it ranks as a lower-middle income country and has had strong economic growth, yet it ranks low by human development – lower than countries with similar levels of per capita income (UNDP, 2019b, p. 302). Certainly, this is partly a legacy of the country’s civil war (2002-2007), and of the years of political violence and tensions that followed, which all saw massive drops in GDP and living standards for the population (Elgazzar et al., 2019, p. 4).
More broadly however, its past and current political economy offers major explanations for the country’s failures and successes in development. The present report synthesises evidence about the effects of political economy on development in Cote d’Ivoire, based on a rapid review of academic, practitioner, and policy literature in English and French published in the past five years. There is limited knowledge on the core causal question of the report, but a strong knowledge base on key aspects of Ivorian political economy.
In short, available knowledge shows that four aspects of political economy have shaped the country’s development, playing out as key factors, issues, and dynamics: 1. a growing but imbalanced economy that works for elites; 2. a State that is a powerful resource, yet a weakened institution; 3. structural inequalities that lead to massive exclusion and marginalisation; and 4. sustained political conflict, contestation, and violence. Of all the actors operating in this context, Ivorian civilian elites, Ivorian armed forces, and foreign elites are the decisive ones.
Based on recent literature in French and English, what are the key aspects of Madagascar’s political economy which affect inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth, and basic issues in sustainable human development in the country? Identify the significant barriers and, where possible, any major positive factors.
Abstract:
Since Madagascar’s independence in 1960, socio-political crises and their aftermaths have regularly wiped out, and even set back, the country’s macroeconomic growth and human development. GDP per capita has kept decreasing since 1960, with political crises in 1972, 1991, 2001-2002, and 2009-2013. The 2009 crisis and its repercussions were thus only the latest in a longer-term pattern of economic contractions, followed by rare moments of economic revival, which in turn are brought down by popular protests.
This review synthesises evidence on the key aspects of Madagascar’s political economy which affect inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth, and basic issues in sustainable human development in the country. Within a vast amount of literature available on Madagascar, there is a large body of empirical knowledge that addresses political economy in the country, and its role in shaping Malagasy development and environment (see section 2 on state of research and knowledge).
The causes of Madagascar’s trajectory lie in a system of deeply rooted hierarchies and unstable political orders, which has four key aspects (section 3). The key actors of Madagascar’s political economy are its individualised elites, and its mobilised but fragmented population (section 4). The key dynamics of Malagasy political economy have been marked by socioeconomic contradictions, democratic space, and institutional decay (section 5).
Please provide an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate change, especially on water and energy. Discuss Jordanian domestic policies, regional engagement, and global engagement, as they relate to adaptation and resource management for human security or stability. Describe Jordan’s plans and, where possible, brief assessments of their gaps and implementation, and the political economy underlying them. There is no need to cover Jordan’s involvement in major international climate instruments and institutions, such as those at the UN.
Abstract:
This report provides an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate change. As climate change is set to worsen an already difficult environmental, political, economic, and social situation in Jordan, the State has adopted a large number of general and sector-specific climate policies, and actively engaged diverse actors on these issues at domestic, regional, and international levels. It has implemented many significant measures to adapt to climate change, especially regarding water and energy. However, while it has achieved some successes, important gaps and shortcomings in policy and action remain, due to a mix of legislative, regulatory, institutional, political, and economic factors.
Findings:
A small but robust evidence base shows that violence in the home negatively affects children’s MHPSW in wartime, both as an independent factor and as a worsening influence on the effects of war exposure, increasing children’s risk of developing problems in MHPSW. Conversely, this evidence base shows that supportive parenting can be a protective factor against the demonstrated negative effects of war on children’s MHPSW.
Evidence from multiple sources increasingly shows that exposure to war alone cannot account for how children exposed to similar war events experience different mental and psychosocial states and trajectories. Other factors, including home life, provide complementary, at times even better, explanations for children’s MHPSW. In fact, in many cases, factors that traumatise children stem not only from war events, but also from everyday hardships. Home life can be a moderator, and potentially a mediator, of the effects of war.
To find out, this annotated bibliography identifies academic and more policy-oriented literature about the relationship between service delivery on the one hand, and state legitimacy, social cohesion and social stability on the other hand. It brings together relevant literature that considers these potential relationships at different levels (from local to national), and across a wide variety of services. This literature covers a range of low- and middle-income countries, but particular attention is paid here to fragile and conflict-affected settings. The key outcomes or effects of interest – that is, the effects of service delivery on legitimacy, social cohesion and/or stability – have been conceived and measured in numerous ways in the literature. A broad interpretation of these concepts is applied to capture all potentially relevant literature. The full methodology for compiling the bibliography – including search terms and inclusion criteria – is outlined in the Appendix.
Based on recent literature in French and English and expert views, what are the key aspects of political economy in Cote d’Ivoire which affect sustainable development in the country, including inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth? Identify the significant barriers and, where possible, any major positive factors.
Overview:
Cote d’Ivoire presents a paradoxical picture on development: it ranks as a lower-middle income country and has had strong economic growth, yet it ranks low by human development – lower than countries with similar levels of per capita income (UNDP, 2019b, p. 302). Certainly, this is partly a legacy of the country’s civil war (2002-2007), and of the years of political violence and tensions that followed, which all saw massive drops in GDP and living standards for the population (Elgazzar et al., 2019, p. 4).
More broadly however, its past and current political economy offers major explanations for the country’s failures and successes in development. The present report synthesises evidence about the effects of political economy on development in Cote d’Ivoire, based on a rapid review of academic, practitioner, and policy literature in English and French published in the past five years. There is limited knowledge on the core causal question of the report, but a strong knowledge base on key aspects of Ivorian political economy.
In short, available knowledge shows that four aspects of political economy have shaped the country’s development, playing out as key factors, issues, and dynamics: 1. a growing but imbalanced economy that works for elites; 2. a State that is a powerful resource, yet a weakened institution; 3. structural inequalities that lead to massive exclusion and marginalisation; and 4. sustained political conflict, contestation, and violence. Of all the actors operating in this context, Ivorian civilian elites, Ivorian armed forces, and foreign elites are the decisive ones.
Based on recent literature in French and English, what are the key aspects of Madagascar’s political economy which affect inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth, and basic issues in sustainable human development in the country? Identify the significant barriers and, where possible, any major positive factors.
Abstract:
Since Madagascar’s independence in 1960, socio-political crises and their aftermaths have regularly wiped out, and even set back, the country’s macroeconomic growth and human development. GDP per capita has kept decreasing since 1960, with political crises in 1972, 1991, 2001-2002, and 2009-2013. The 2009 crisis and its repercussions were thus only the latest in a longer-term pattern of economic contractions, followed by rare moments of economic revival, which in turn are brought down by popular protests.
This review synthesises evidence on the key aspects of Madagascar’s political economy which affect inclusive, environmentally sustainable livelihoods and growth, and basic issues in sustainable human development in the country. Within a vast amount of literature available on Madagascar, there is a large body of empirical knowledge that addresses political economy in the country, and its role in shaping Malagasy development and environment (see section 2 on state of research and knowledge).
The causes of Madagascar’s trajectory lie in a system of deeply rooted hierarchies and unstable political orders, which has four key aspects (section 3). The key actors of Madagascar’s political economy are its individualised elites, and its mobilised but fragmented population (section 4). The key dynamics of Malagasy political economy have been marked by socioeconomic contradictions, democratic space, and institutional decay (section 5).
Please provide an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate change, especially on water and energy. Discuss Jordanian domestic policies, regional engagement, and global engagement, as they relate to adaptation and resource management for human security or stability. Describe Jordan’s plans and, where possible, brief assessments of their gaps and implementation, and the political economy underlying them. There is no need to cover Jordan’s involvement in major international climate instruments and institutions, such as those at the UN.
Abstract:
This report provides an overview of Jordan’s environmental policies and engagement on climate change. As climate change is set to worsen an already difficult environmental, political, economic, and social situation in Jordan, the State has adopted a large number of general and sector-specific climate policies, and actively engaged diverse actors on these issues at domestic, regional, and international levels. It has implemented many significant measures to adapt to climate change, especially regarding water and energy. However, while it has achieved some successes, important gaps and shortcomings in policy and action remain, due to a mix of legislative, regulatory, institutional, political, and economic factors.
Findings:
A small but robust evidence base shows that violence in the home negatively affects children’s MHPSW in wartime, both as an independent factor and as a worsening influence on the effects of war exposure, increasing children’s risk of developing problems in MHPSW. Conversely, this evidence base shows that supportive parenting can be a protective factor against the demonstrated negative effects of war on children’s MHPSW.
Evidence from multiple sources increasingly shows that exposure to war alone cannot account for how children exposed to similar war events experience different mental and psychosocial states and trajectories. Other factors, including home life, provide complementary, at times even better, explanations for children’s MHPSW. In fact, in many cases, factors that traumatise children stem not only from war events, but also from everyday hardships. Home life can be a moderator, and potentially a mediator, of the effects of war.
To find out, this annotated bibliography identifies academic and more policy-oriented literature about the relationship between service delivery on the one hand, and state legitimacy, social cohesion and social stability on the other hand. It brings together relevant literature that considers these potential relationships at different levels (from local to national), and across a wide variety of services. This literature covers a range of low- and middle-income countries, but particular attention is paid here to fragile and conflict-affected settings. The key outcomes or effects of interest – that is, the effects of service delivery on legitimacy, social cohesion and/or stability – have been conceived and measured in numerous ways in the literature. A broad interpretation of these concepts is applied to capture all potentially relevant literature. The full methodology for compiling the bibliography – including search terms and inclusion criteria – is outlined in the Appendix.