Browsing by Author "Pontarollo, Nicola"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

Dinámica de la pobreza multidimensional subnacional en los países en desarrollo: los casos de Ecuador y Uruguay
(2022) Obaco Alvarez, Moises Lenyn; Pontarollo, Nicola; Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo
This paper studies deprivation dynamics at the subnational level, introducing a Local Multidimensional Poverty Index (LMPI), and focusing on multidimensional poverty in Ecuador and Uruguay between the last two available censuses, 1990–2010 and 1996–2011, respectively. As a first step, we construct the LMPI at the municipal level using microdata from both counties. Subsequently, we explore spatial and temporal dynamics through a set of tools such as the salter graph, Moran’s I, Moran scatterplot, and spatial transition matrix. The results indicate that compared to Ecuador, Uruguay was initially in a better position in terms of the LMPI. However, Ecuador achieved a generalized reduction of the LMPI during the period of analysis, reaching levels close to that of Uruguay. Nevertheless, spatial persistence in the LMPI is observed. © 2022, Asociacion Espanola de Ciencia Regional. All rights reserved.
Discontent with democracy in Latin America
(2021) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine; Pontarollo, Nicola; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel
Satisfaction with democracy registered its lowest global score in 2019, with Latin America being the worst-performing region and the most seized by social protest. This paper briefly surveys and assesses the main narratives that attempt to explain the causes of this discontent in the region. The results show that discontent has different roots, which are mostly explained from an individual point of view rather than from a contextual one. Inequality of opportunity and institutional weaknesses play the main role. Considering the COVID-19 social and economic crisis, our results shed light on the key elements to address whether discontent is to be contained.
El crecimiento cantonal en el Ecuador y el papel de la heterogeneidad espacial
(2019) Pontarollo, Nicola; Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo; Ontaneda Jimenez, Diego Danny
This paper identifies the determinants of per capita gross value added (GVA) growth in Ecuador during the 2007–2015 period, using a spatial extension of the Mankiw, Romer and Weil (MRW) model. Because as a country Ecuador is characterized by deep territorial socioeconomic imbalances, estimates using classical techniques that measure average or “global” effects would not be as justifiable and would have limited political implications. Accordingly, this study uses a spatial filtering technique, which is a recent evolution of geographically weighted regression (GWR), to account for the spatial heterogeneity of the coefficients of a growth regression that explicitly considers both physical and human capital. The results show that Ecuadorian cantons have a wide range of convergence rates and that the effect of physical and human capital varies across space.
Land consumption and income in Ecuador: a case of an inverted environmental Kuznets curve
(2020) Pontarollo, Nicola; Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo
The ratio of building permits to population is a key indicator to evaluate land consumption. However, few researchers focus on land consumption and its environmental spillovers, for developing countries. The aim of our study, using a Bayesian comparison approach applied to a spatial panel, is to analyse the existence of an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between land consumption and economic development, namely the environmental Kuznets curve, with data that ranges from 2007 to 2015 for 221 cantons in Ecuador. The Bayesian comparison approach allows us to identify: i) the spatial weight matrix that best fits the data, and ii) the best spatial model according to the type of spatial spillovers (local or global). These are both of extreme interest because a knowledge of the extent to which the spatial spillovers spread over space, and their functional form, supports the planning of effective land use policies. The results do not support the inverted U-shaped hypothesis of the Kuznets curve. By contrast, the curvature is convex, which means higher levels of land consumption for higher levels of wealth. Spatial spillovers spread to a limited extent, highlighting an imitation game among agents, both institutions and private agents, in the neighbour locations. Policy implications go from the strengthening of the institutional framework and local tax management, to the urban regeneration to limit real estate speculation. All these interventions should be coordinated among neighbours to avoid freeriding behaviours.
On the association between housing deprivation and urban size: evidence from South Asia
(2022) Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo
Housing is a basic human need; however, in recent decades slums have become the face of urbanization in developing economies. Urbanization drives economic growth, playing an important role in providing adequate housing and reducing poverty. In this paper, we investigate the association between housing deprivation and the urban size at a regional level for South Asian countries in the year 2015. We use two main sources of data. The first is the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), which provide microdata that allows us to build housing deprivation indexes based on the material characteristics of households and housing assets. The second source is satellite imagery, used to define urban cores and measure the urban size of each region. Then, we use a two-step procedure to identify the relationship between the urban size and housing deprivation. Our results indicate that age and higher levels of education (of the head of household) are negatively associated with our housing deprivation indexes in South Asian households. Furthermore, a greater number of children in South Asian households is related to higher levels of housing deprivation. In the second step, we show that there is a significant negative association between material housing deprivation and the urban size at a regional level for our full sample and for the majority of countries taken individually. An important exception is India, where an inverted-U-shaped relationship between deprivation and urban size is found. This result is robust even when an IV approach is used.
Temporary and permanent effects of remittances on economic growth in Ecuador
(2018) Pontarollo, Nicola; Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo
This article analyses the temporary and permanent effects of remittances on subnational economic growth in Ecuador. We find that both effects are statistically significant. However, while the size of first is negligible, the magnitude of the permanent effect is inversely related to the stage of development.
Territorial Growth in Ecuador: The Role of Economic Sectors
(2018) Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo; Pontarollo, Nicola
Ecuador is a developing country characterized by severe territorial disparities reflected in a heterogeneous economic and social geography that risk to undermine a future balanced development. The paper analyses for the first time the impact of main economic sectors on sub-national growth process in the context of the “Changing Productive Matrix” policy objective, which aims to achieve productive diversification based on adding value through de-concentration of production from the existing poles to the whole territory. The estimation is performed using new data provided by Central Bank of Ecuador for the period 2007-2014 through a panel econometric technique. The results prove that, despite the strategy aimed at changing the productive matrix pushed by the government, this process is far to be completed. In particular, the country is too much focused on low productive sectors which depress economic growth and the manufacture and financial services sectors are too much concentrated in few areas, preventing their possible positive effect into the whole economy.
The determinants of subjective well-being in a developing country: the ecuadorian case
(2020) Pontarollo, Nicola; Orellana Bravo, Mercy Raquel; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
The Author(s). In this study, we identify some individual and contextual factors potentially affecting subjective well-being in developing countries and check their effect in the Ecuadorian case. Ecuador is an oil country where attempts have been made to overcome deep social and territorial inequalities by placing human well-being at the core of public policy through the National Plan for Good Living. By means of ordinary least squares and ordered logit with clustered standard errors, as well as multilevel ordered logit models, we find that oil-dependent territories negatively affect well-being. Moreover, women and indigenous people report lower well-being, while personal income, education, housing quality, institutional trust, health insurance and social relationships can improve it. From a policy perspective, we find that basic unmet needs still need to be fulfilled to increase well-being, and further improvements of the institutional framework, redistributive system and inclusion policies are required. In this respect, we observe that Good Living-based policy accurately addresses these elements and, therefore, has great potential for application in other countries with similar characteristics.
The Multifaceted Dimensions of the Wage Gap in Ecuador
(2023) Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
This study examines the determinants of wage gap differences based on gender, ethnicity, and area of residence (urban vs. rural) in Ecuador for the years 2007 and 2017. By combining the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition with unconditional quantile regression, we identify the extent to which the wage gap between two groups is due to characteristics (endowment) or unexplained factors at various points of the distribution, i.e. for low-, medium- and high-income workers. Results show that, on average, the gender and ethnic wage gap in 2017 increased slightly with respect to 2007, while the area wage gaps remained stable. However, progresses have mainly benefited those at the top of the income distribution, while disparities have widened for those at the bottom. As regards endowment effects, education mainly explains area and ethnicity wage gaps, while there is an important unexplained part that contributes more to gender wage differentials.
The statistical properties of the networks of emigrants: the Ecuadorian case
(2019) Espinosa, Alexandra M; Horna, Luis; Mendieta Muñoz, Luis Rodrigo; Pontarollo, Nicola
This article shows that the threshold model appropriately analysed can explain the emigration process as a consequence of the network features, where the willingness to emigrate depends on the personal and household conditions borne by the emigrant. In such a case, the emigration process can be defined in terms of a Pólya schema, and the emigration rate converges almost surely to a random variable with a beta distribution, which fully characterizes the network (assimilation, integration, separation or marginalization). The model is applied to Ecuador, which has experienced an unprecedented wave of emigration since 1998. We show that, despite the massive exodus, the process does not constitute a diaspora, because Ecuadorians do not interact appropriately with natives.
Unveiling the internal migration dynamics in Ecuador between 2001 and 2010
(2019) Pontarollo, Nicola; Segovia Sarmiento, Joselin Katerine
This paper unveils the dynamics of internal migration in Ecuador using data from the last two census. The use of chord diagrams allows one to identify the changing patterns of migration between provinces. In the last period, internal migration decreased notably, and traditional destination provinces lost importance in favour of a more balanced redistribution of people within the country.