Finance

Mobile connectivity improves access to land, enabling individuals to use land titles as collateral for bank credit and invest in construction.

Evidence from a range of contexts has shown that while microfinance does not have transformative impacts on lifting people out of poverty, it can greatly benefit specific borrowers such as experienced entrepreneurs.

Flexible financing for ‘last-mile’ distributors boosted profits across a food supply chain in Kenya.

Evidence from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan shows that digital aid is a cost-effective, credible, and efficient way to reach vulnerable populations, in this case poor, tech-illiterate, female-headed households, in fragile states.

Increasing women’s use of a digital financial service in Tanzania, mobile money, empowered women and led to improvements in women’s control over their finances.

Access to vehicle financing in Brazil improved mobility and generated large returns (12-15% per year) through improved labour market outcomes

Evidence from Mexico shows that extreme heat leads to increased delinquency rates, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises. Policy must address these risks, coupling climate resilience with enhanced credit access for vulnerable firms.