How Open Data Can Help the Global South, from Disaster Relief to Voter Turnout


By Stefaan G. Verhulst, Co-founder and Chief Research and Development Officer of The GovLab at NYU Tandon. 

The modern era is marked by growing faith in the power of data. “Big data”, “open data”, and “evidence-based decision-making” have become buzzwords, touted as solutions to the world’s most complex and persistent problems, from corruption and famine to the refugee crisis.

While perhaps most pronounced in higher income countries, this trend is now emerging globally. In Africa, Latin America, Asia and beyond, hopes are high that access to data can help developing economies by increasing transparency, fostering sustainable development, building climate resiliency and the like.

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