Research Marijke Verpoorten

Abstract

To curb the climate crisis, we need to promote green energy. Economic research can play a key role in evaluating different policy options. In recent years, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) rose to prominence in effectiveness research. However, the issue of scalability remains understudied: what happens when successful experiments are scaled? Limited by their short-term micro-data, RCTs do not have an answer to this question. I seek to contribute to closing this knowledge gap by studying the scaling up of a green energy policy in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Goma's 1.1 million inhabitants mainly use charcoal for cooking, which not only poses an individual health hazard, but also threatens Virunga National Park. In an attempt to safeguard the Park, Virunga Energies (VE) is distributing Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) to clients connected to its electric grid. After a successful pilot in 2021 and an RCT in 2022, VE decided to scale up the EPC distribution. I will study whether the pilot results hold in the longer term, or whether maintenance and repair issues set in, and – if so – how they can be addressed. In addition, I will study whether the large-scale EPC distribution slows down deforestation, or whether second-round effects in the charcoal market nullify this intended effect. Finally, I will study whether armed actors, who currently control the charcoal trade, are weakened and violence abates, or whether they adapt and turn to other illicit income sources.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Co-promoter: Stoop Nik
• Fellow: Collart Lara

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Around 2.6 billion people remain dependent on biomass fuel for cooking. This has severe health, budgetary and environmental consequences. Electric cooking is a healthier, cheaper, and cleaner alternative. It has also become a feasible one, given the recent improvements in reliable electricity access. But, while both development and environmental actors are now seeking to untap the potential of eCooking, very little is known about barriers to its adoption, and whether it can deliver on its promises. We study the uptake and impact of Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) in the city of Goma, North-Kivu, where people's reliance on charcoal entails huge individual and social costs. Here, the burning of charcoal not only constitutes a health hazard, but also severely exacerbates poverty, as it drains one third of household budgets. In terms of social costs, charcoal reliance not only threatens the nearby Virunga National Park; it also perpetuates conflict as armed groups seek to control its production and trade. To co-create the first experimental evidence on EPC uptake and livelihood impact, we team up with a local electricity provider and randomly distribute 1,000 EPCs. We include different treatment arms to learn about factors affecting adoption, including financial and informational constraints and social learning. The experiment will entail lessons for scaling up. When scaled up, we will be able to also study social benefits in terms of deforestation and peace.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Stoop Nik

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

We measure the impact of electricity provision on economic development, security and conservation. Our case study focuses on rural and urban communities nearby Virunga National Park, in DR Congo. Impoverished by armed conflict, the communities complement their livelihoods with the park's resources to make ends meet. These resources are also illicitly exploited by several armed groups that have their hideouts within the park's boundaries. The electricity rollout is implemented by Virunga Alliance. According to their theory of change, electrification will spur development, which will in turn reduce people's reliance on the park's resources and their support for rebel groups. The theory of change finds support in the literature, but needs further testing. To learn about the causal effect of electrification, we designed an impact evaluation that compares time trends in socio-economic development, conservation and security across treatment and control localities. Treatment localities are being connected in the period 2019-2020; control localities only at a later stage. We are currently halfway the baseline data collection in treatment and control localities before the onset of electrification. The final baseline data will contain census information on about 72,000 households and 3,200 firms, and a detailed structured survey among a stratified random sample of 2,400 households and 800 firms. We are seeking to fund follow-up research in order to complete the impact evaluation.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Co-promoter: Stoop Nik

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Around 2.6 billion people remain dependent on biomass fuel for cooking. This has severe environmental and health consequences. Electric cooking is a greener and healthier alternative. It has also become a feasible and cheaper one, given the recent improvements in reliable electricity access and electric cooking devices. We study the uptake and impact of Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) in the city of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where people's reliance on charcoal entails huge individual and social costs. To co-create the first experimental evidence on EPC uptake and livelihood impact, we team up with a private green electricity provider and randomly distribute 1,000 EPCs. We include different treatment arms to learn about factors affecting adoption, including financial and informational constraints and social learning.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

We measure the impact of electricity provision on economic development, security and conservation. Our case study focuses on rural and urban communities nearby Virunga National Park, in North-Kivu, DR Congo. Impoverished by two decades of armed conflict, the communities complement their livelihoods with the park's resources to make ends meet. These resources are also illicitly exploited by at least eight armed groups that have their hide-outs within the park's boundaries. The electricity roll-out is implemented by Virunga Alliance, a public-private partnership that seeks to bring about security and conservation through development. According to Virunga's theory of change, electrification will spur development, which will in turn reduce people's reliance on the park's resources as well as their support for, and participation in, rebel groups. The theory of change finds support in the literature, but needs further testing. To learn about the causal effect of electrification, we designed an impact evaluation that exploits the gradual roll-out of electricity, in combination with a difference-in-differences estimation. The treatment localities will be connected in the period 2019-2020; the control localities only at a later stage.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Co-promoter: Stoop Nik
• Fellow: Lunanga Elie

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

We measure the impact of electricity provision on economic development, security and conservation. Our case study focuses on rural and urban communities nearby Virunga National Park, in North-Kivu, DR Congo. Impoverished by two decades of armed conflict, the communities complement their livelihoods with the park's resources to make ends meet. These resources are also illicitly exploited by at least eight armed groups that have their hide-outs within the park's boundaries. The electricity roll-out is implemented by Virunga Alliance, a public-private partnership that seeks to bring about security and conservation through development. According to Virunga's theory of change, electrification will spur development, which will in turn reduce people's reliance on the park's resources as well as their support for, and participation in, rebel groups. The theory of change finds support in the literature, but needs further testing. To learn about the causal effect of electrification, we designed an impact evaluation that exploits the gradual roll-out of electricity, in combination with a difference-in-differences estimation. The treatment localities will be connected in the period 2019-2020; the control localities only at a later stage.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Stoop Nik

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Globalization, and market integration more generally, has created winners and losers around the world. Recent political events (e.g. US elections and Brexit) show that many people are concerned and demand policies to stop globalization through new trade barriers and limits on free movement of people. Research on the precise impact of globalization and market integration has been constrained by measurement and data problems. Theoretical and empirical models using aggregate data failed to capture detailed heterogeneous effects. Identifying precise impact mechanisms or causality is complicated when other factors (such as technological change) occur simultaneously. Our project wants to improve impact analysis using unique and new detailed micro-data (at the firm-, region-, and household-level) and state-of-the art micro-econometric techniques. Our project's focus is global (covering many countries, both rich and poor) and local (with the use of micro-data) at the same time. We use a modern view of market integration — i.e. that trade is more than a flow of goods – by integrating local and global value chains into our analysis, taking into account embedded technology transfer and product and process requirements. In combination, this will allow to identify impact at the level of firms, sectors, regions and households, accounting for the complexity of the impact mechanisms.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Co-promoter: De Weerdt Joachim
• Co-promoter: Geenen Sara

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lags behind in health and gender equality. A vast ethnographic literature argues that magico-religious beliefs (MRBs) rooted in African cosmology affect these development outcomes. We investigate if and how MRBs indeed affect health and gender equality in SSA. We look at two alleged channels. First, MRBs may affect health behavior by shaping the understanding of disease causation and prevention. Second, MRBs may affect gender relations by awarding a higher status only to those girls and women who are believed to have a link with the divine. We empirically analyze these channels in three ways. First, we look at a sample of 13 SSA countries to study the relation between MRBs of 165 ethnic groups and the use of bed nets to prevent malaria. Second, we focus on West Africa to quantify the impact of an MRB-related higher status for women and girls on intra-household resource allocation. Third, in Benin, where MRBs are especially vibrant, we study whether their effect on the status of women and girls leads to higher earning potential and empowerment of women later in life.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This is a capacity building project in which education programs are co-created by a team of UA and researchers of the Université Catholic de Bukavu (UCB). The education program is centered around Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods and the Governance of Natural Resources.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project website

Project type(s)

• Education Project

Abstract

We study the impact of electoral gender quota in post-war Burundi and Rwanda on women's political representation. First, we look at descriptive representation, by studying the number of female representatives and the prestige of their positions in the legislative and executive branches of government. Second, we focus on political representation as perceived by ordinary women, before, during and after the introduction of gender quota. We find that, both in Rwanda and Burundi, descriptive female political representation significantly increased with the introduction of gender quota, with the share of women in parliament and ministries consistently exceeding 30%. While women still disproportionally end up in Ministries of relatively lower prestige, the gap with men is closing as more women have joined the executive branches of power. We do not find any tangible effect on women's perceived political representation. Among the possible explanations, we discuss the authoritarian nature of the regime and the crowding out of gender identity by ethnic identity. We argue that these explanations are not entirely consistent with our data, and put forward a third explanation, i.e. that the perception of political representation depends on the implementation of policies - thus substantive representation, not descriptive representation - and that men and women are to a very large extent appreciative of the same policies.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project studies the nexus between conflict, mineral resources and employment opportunities. Does the presence of mineral resources increase conflict? Why do young men fight? How can employment creation contribute to social stability? We study these questions in the context of eastern DRC, home to large stocks of mineral resource wealth, yet one of the poorest and most conflict-affected regions in the world.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Stoop Nik

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Armed conflicts generally cause a disproportionate number of male victims. The related fall in the share of men in the population is likely to push women to assume new roles and responsibilities. Moreover, it may have important repercussions on electoral outcomes and, ultimately, on policy decisions. In particular, there may be a shift to more female political representatives as well as to more pro-female policies. This project aims to understand the relationship between conflicts and female political empowerment, which is a blind spot in the existing literature. The focus will be on Rwanda, a country where conflicts led to a sharp decrease in the sex ratio, and where the postconflict period was characterized by a notable increase in the share of elected women. We will combine qualitative and quantitative information to explore if and how the increase in the share of elected women affects actual policy decisions and the perception of women in the society.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Demand for mineral resources is growing, while reserves are drying up. This evolution has pushed transnational mining companies (TNCs) towards extraction in formerly inaccessible locations, including post-conflict areas. Quite often in such settings, the TNCs concerned also perform governance functions, such as providing security, social services and public infrastructure. In so doing, they conform to the requirements of 'corporate social responsibility', which is often translated as 'doing good for the community'. But in addition to delivering benefits through hospitals, schools and roads, TNCs can also damage the environment and restrict people's access to land and resources. Moreover they may induce unintended harm through channels that remain largely unobserved. The arrival of a TNC tends to affect not just the local economy, but also local politics, creating winners and losers in both arenas. The proposed research takes a novel approach in studying such political changes, drawing on the literature on hybrid governance and analyzing power and authority 'from below'. Cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana are used in a comparative study with a view to gaining insight into local conflicts in their institutional and historical contexts. This is crucial for a more general understanding and management of companycommunity conflicts, as communities are never homogeneous and conflicts are as much about authority and legitimacy as they are about resources and land.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Reyntjens Filip
• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Geenen Sara

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the impact of Côte d'Ivoire's secondary schooling on shaping students' attitudes towards peace, reconciliation and intergroup tolerance. The methodology consists of an innovative panel survey, whereby teachers, pupils, and their parents, of 64 secondary schools in Abidjan and Bouaké will be interviewed at three different moments in time.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Kuppens Line

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The proposed project studies the nexus between conflict, mineral resources and employment opportunities. Does the presence of mineral resources increase conflict? Why do young men fight? How can employment creation contribute to social stability? We study these questions in the context of eastern DRC, home to large stocks of mineral resource wealth, yet one of the poorest and most conflict-affected regions in the world.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The overall objective is to understand social mobility in a post-conflict context. I will study the extent and differential nature of social mobility: whether, how and why individuals and households move up, move down or remain immobile. I use both a narrow and a broad concept of social mobility.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Reyntjens Filip
• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Ingelaere Bert

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project studies the nexus between conflict, mineral resources and employment opportunities. Does the presence of mineral resources increase conflict? Why do young men fight? How can employment creation contribute to social stability? We study these questions in the context of eastern DRC, home to large stocks of mineral resource wealth, yet one of the poorest and most conflict-affected regions in the world.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Stoop Nik

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The objective of the GAPP-project is to re-evaluate growth and poverty trends in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project consists of a serie of country case studies. The country research teams will employ consistent measurement methods to estimate monetary poverty for years in which adequate household survey exist. The research teams will attempt to reconcile poverty estimates with trends in economic growth and other development indicators.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project focuses on the impact of sexual violence on social preferences and post-conflict reconstruction in DRC. To the best of our knowledge, this would be the first study testing the impact of sexual violence on social preferences using behavioral games.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke
• Fellow: Stoop Nik

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Conducting baseline assessments, follow-up assessments and quality control in the context of the consortium project "Joint MFS II Evaluations at Country Level: DR Congo" (project head in order funded by NWO-WOTRO)

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Verpoorten Marijke

Research team(s)

• Development processes, actors and policies

Project type(s)

• Research Project