Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Alban Thomas

Author

Alban Thomas
Senior Researcher and the head of the Social Science Division at INRA (French Institute for Agricultural Research).

Alban Thomas is a Senior Researcher and the head of the Social Science Division at INRA (French Institute for Agricultural Research). An environmental and agricultural economist, his research topics include the empirical analysis of environmental impacts from agriculture, the evaluation of environmental policies, water use and tariff design, and the adoption of innovative agricultural systems. He has co-ordinated several scientific expertises on water and the environment for ministries and international institutions (World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Economic Research Forum). He is the co-ordinator of the interdisciplinary Inra-Cirad ten-year programme GloFoodS on transitions towards global food security.

Content by this Author

Policies to reduce air pollution in Cairo

Vehicle exhaust fumes are a major cause of air pollution in megacities like Cairo. This column outlines the policies that the Egyptian authorities have introduced in an effort to cut emission rates and raise the costs to users of polluting vehicles. Air pollution has been reduced but much remains to be done, notably investing in an effective public transport system.

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Arab youth and the future of work

The Arab region’s labour markets are undergoing a triple transformation: demographic, digital and green. As this column explains, whether these forces evolve into engines of opportunity or drivers of exclusion for young people will hinge on how swiftly and coherently policy-makers can align education, technology and employment systems to foster adaptive skills, inclusive institutions and innovation-led pathways to decent work.

Digitalising governance in MENA: opportunities for social justice

Can digital governance promote social justice in MENA – or does it risk deepening inequality and exclusion? This column examines the evolution of digital governance in three sub-regions – Egypt, Jordan and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council – highlighting how data practices, transparency mechanisms and citizen trust shape the social outcomes of technological reform.

Wrong finance in a broken multilateral system: red flags from COP30-Belém

With the latest global summit on climate action recently wrapped up, ambitious COP pledges and initiatives continue to miss delivery due to inadequate commitments, weak operationalisation and unclear reporting systems. As this column reports, flows of climate finance remain skewed: loans over grants; climate mitigation more than climate adaptation; and weak accountability across mechanisms. Without grant-based finance, debt relief, climate-adjusted lending and predictable multilateral flows, implementation of promises will fail.

Why political connections are driving business confidence in MENA

This column reports the findings of a new study of how the political ties of firms in the Middle East and North Africa boost business confidence. The research suggests that this optimism is primarily driven by networked access to credit and lobbying, underscoring the need for greater transparency and institutional reform in corporate governance.

Empowering Egypt’s young people for the future of work

Egypt’s most urgent priority is creating more and better jobs for its growing youth population. This column reports on the first Development Dialogue, an ERF–World Bank joint initiative, which brought together students, scholars, policy-makers and private sector leaders at Cairo University to confront the country’s labour market challenge. The conversation explored why youth inclusion matters, what the data show and how dialogue and the forthcoming Country Economic Memorandum can inform practical pathways to accelerate job creation.




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