100 Million 'New Poor' Predicted as a Result of the Pandemic

The fiscal effects of the pandemic are likely to make it very difficult for governments to invest in economic and quality of life improvements for people on the edge of poverty.

1 minute read

May 6, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Anastasia Moloney writes: "About 100 million people living in cities worldwide will likely fall into poverty due to the coronavirus pandemic, urban experts said on Wednesday, calling for mapping tools to identify vulnerable communities and investment focusing on slum areas."

The article cites experts from the World Bank, the World Resources Institute (WRI), and other urban studies organizations—recent participants in a webinar—in calculating this estimate. 

Ani Dasgupta, global director of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, is quoted in the article saying the crisis requires a new approach—not a top-down planning approach.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020 in Thomson Reuters Foundation

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