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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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.

Preparing youth for the workforce of the future

As economies undergo rapid digital and green transformations, young people face a growing mismatch between their skills and what the modern labour market needs. This column argues that enabling youth to compete in the workforce of the future requires systemic reforms in education, skills formation and labour market institutions, especially in developing economies.

Connectivity and conflict: understanding the risks of inequality in the Middle East

While high inequality does not always lead to conflict, new research reported in this column shows that widespread internet access acts as a catalyst, transforming economic grievances into political instability. For policy-makers in the Middle East and North Africa, this means that as digital connectivity expands, the security costs of ignoring economic disparities rise dramatically. The combination of idle youth, high inequality and high-speed internet is a volatile mix.

The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.




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