Tomas Serebrisky

Inter-American Development Bank | IDB · Infrastructure and Environment

Access to essential infrastructure services such as water, sanitation, and garbage collection can considerably affect children's environment and may play a significant role in shaping early childhood developmental and health outcomes. Using data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 18 c...

Access to essential infrastructure services such as water, sanitation, and garbage collection can considerably affect children's environment and may play a significant role in shaping early childhood developmental and health outcomes. Using data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 18 c...

We examine the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean using panel data from 1971 to 2019. Employing both parametric and non-parametric methods, we find a robust positive correlation between Latin America and the Caribbean's economic activity and energy consumption. Specifically, a 1% increase...

This paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental study using information collected through a survey conducted in peri-urban areas of metropolitan Lima and applied to households residing close to and on both sides of the geographic boundary of piped water supply. We find that access to piped water was associated with a reduction in the probab...

We estimate the investment gap in the provision of adequate levels of access to airports in Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on georeferenced data for population centers and existing airport locations, we estimate the region requires USD 10 billion in investments to close the gap for 23 million people living in localities of more than 100,000...

In the expanding megacities of Latin America and the Caribbean, providing essential services such as water, sanitation, energy, and transportation poses a significant challenge. This document presents insights derived from a 2023 survey conducted in five megacities, drawing comparisons with a 2013 survey to know the evolving perspectives of the res...

JEL Codes: H41, L95, Q01, Q15, Q21, Q25, Q54

Water utility companies around the globe are seeking to improve their financial sustainability and expand services in growing urban areas, while guaranteeing low-income families access to water. In Lima and Callao, the biggest metropolitan area in Peru, an important tariff reform for their water and sanitation services was implemented in 2017. The...

Latin Americans are city dwellers. In 2020 it was estimated that 81.2% of the region’s inhabitants lived in cities, a share expected to increase to 87.8% by 2050.1 The region also boasts not only six “megacities” but also five of the world’s largest 30 cities. In this context, urban mobility is critical for access to health, educational, and econom...

La inversión en infraestructura económica y social de la región ha sido insuficiente, ineficiente, e insostenible hasta la fecha. El impacto de la pandemia no ha hecho más que exacerbar los problemas estructurales del sector. A la par del desarrollo de una agenda que suponga mejoras de eficiencia a los procesos de inversión pública, se requier...

This paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental study using information collected through a survey conducted in peri-urban areas of Metropolitan Lima between October and November 2021. The survey was applied to households residing close to and on both sides of the geographic boundary of piped water supply. Our work finds that access to pipe...

Este trabajo presenta los resultados de un estudio cuasi-experimental para el cual se recolectó información mediante una encuesta realizada en zonas periurbanas de Lima Metropolitana entre octubre y noviembre de 2021. La encuesta se realizó a hogares que residen cerca y a ambos lados de la frontera de la cobertura de la red pública de agua. Nuestro...

El sector de Infraestructura en América Latina y el Caribe necesita repensarse, reformarse, actualizarse y requiere de cambios urgentes en su gobernanza para aumentar su productividad y competitividad con un enfoque renovado en sostenibilidad social y ambiental. La región necesita de una nueva arquitectura sectorial que asegure que la provisión de...

An issue that affects the effectiveness of water pricing policies is consumers' misperception, which implies that households decide their water consumption based on poor/inaccurate information about the marginal price. We use household survey data on bill and quality perception in Brazil to analyze this problem and its drivers. Once we control for...

This report aims to estimate the amount that Latin America and the Caribbean should invest in infrastructure by 2030 if the region is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. While the SDGs are not binding commitments, they are an internationally recognized reference: goals that all countries are meant to achieve by 2030. This report finds th...

Alrededor de l 92% de la población en Lima Metropolitana y el Callao (Perú) se encontraba conectada , en 2015, a la red de Sedapal , empresa pública a cargo de la prestación de los servicios de agua y saneamiento. Además de incrementar la cobertura del servicio en beneficio de la población más vulnerable , la provisión de servicios enfrentaba otros...

Este estudio tiene como objetivo estimar las inversiones que necesitaría realizar América Latina y el Caribe hasta el año 2030 para avanzar en el cumplimiento de los ODS. Los ODS no son compromisos vinculantes para los países, pero sí son una referencia internacionalmente reconocida sobre las metas que se espera que estos alcancen en los próximos a...

Do differences in port performance explain differences in maritime transport costs? How much would improvements in port performance reduce maritime transport costs in developing countries? To answer this question, we use a widely used transport cost model, but we provide a new measure of port efficiency, estimated through a non-parametric approach....

Active transport modes play a key role in developing sustainable transport systems by making cities accessible, safe, inclusive, and green. In Latin America and the Caribbean, walking and cycling represent a large share of total trips, especially for low-income groups. But for them, the decision to travel by using active transport modes, especially...

El objetivo de esta nota es relevar los casos investigados por las agencias de libre competencia de las seis principales economías de la región de América Latina en el período 2010-2020 en los sectores de agua, energía y transporte. Los sectores analizados son de relevancia para la calidad de vida de las personas por tratarse de servicios básicos,...

Operating subsidies to urban transit systems are ubiquitous in Latin America, and most systems lack transparency about them. In 2019, the level of subsidization ranged from 26 percent of transit systems total operating revenue to 69 percent. Although demand-size subsidies are better at targeting beneficiaries, most subsidies in the region are suppl...

The paper first provides, for Latin America and the Caribbean, country-specific synthetic quantitative measures of the degree of adoption of governance reforms in the electricity sector, focusing on four key dimensions (market structure, private sector participation (PSP), regulatory autonomy and operational organization). These measures are then c...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the greatest challenge to public policies in Latin America and the Caribbean in a generation, forcing us to rethink priorities from a new perspective that only a few months ago was unimaginable. The pandemic has brought about unprecedented situations, not only due to its magnitude and impact but also to the degree...

To close its infrastructure gap, Latin America and the Caribbean needs more than investment in new structures. It needs to become more efficient at investing in infrastructure and regulating a new range of services that have the potential to disrupt the energy, transport, and water sectors. The technological revolution makes a future with quality s...

Para cerrar su brecha de infraestructura, América Latina y el Caribe necesita algo más que invertir en nuevas estructuras. Debe ser más eficiente en las inversiones en infraestructura y en la regulación de una nueva gama de servicios que tienen el potencial para transformar los sectores de energía, transporte y agua. La revolución tecnológica vuelv...

El objetivo de esta nota es discutir las opciones de política pública para los países de ALC ante la crisis del Covid19 y así proveer insumos de discusión para los gobiernos de la región. La nota se concentra en los retos de política pública para manejar la crisis sanitaria y económica de las primeras etapas de la pandemia: (1) la urgencia sanitari...

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de modelos de Equilibrio General Computado aplicados al análisis del impacto de la infraestructura en varios países de América Latina y el Caribe: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Jamaica y Perú. Se examinan los efectos de ganancias en eficiencia, productividad y calidad de sus servicios, el impacto...

This paper argues that, while most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have managed to significantly improve the short-term efficiency of their infrastructure services since the widespread liberalization of the 1990s, they have been slow to ensure a fair distribution of the gains. They have also been slow in making the investments needed t...

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), transportation constitutes one of the major items in the basket of good and services consumed by households. This paper describes household spending on transport in the region. Engel curves are estimated to understand the relationship between transport spending and changes in household income. Using income...

The urban population in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has increased significantly over the last decades. Currently, almost 80 percent of the LAC population lives in cities, that is, more than 525 million people, and this trend is projected to continue. More people mean more cars. Motorization rates in the region keep rising while the share...

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region has a sizable infrastructure gap. Physical assets, maintenance, and service provision are inadequate and below average for a region at its level of development. The most promising way to close the service gap is to increase efficiency. Relying on data on more than 80 countries for 2000 and 2016, this pap...

The paper first provides for Latin America and the Caribbean, country specific synthetic quantitative measures of the degree of adoption of common governance reforms of the electricity sector accounting for four key dimensions (market structure, private sector participation, regulatory autonomy and operational organization). These synthetic indicat...

This paper examines the impact of different public policies on air connectivity in remote regions. In particular, it estimates price and supply equations using route-level data for several countries around the world that have implemented route-based policies (public service obligations, traffic distribution rules), airline-based policies (state-own...

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an updated snapshot of the water and sanitation sector across Latin American countries, focusing on its key policy characteristics. Access to water and sanitation in the region has improved since the 1990s, a decade in which almost every country adopted major reforms of the sector, consisting mainly in incr...

Understanding and recognizing the different transportation conditions and mobility behavior of low-income groups is extremely important for developing and delivering sustainable transportation systems (Lucas et al. 2016). Herein we deepen the understanding of transportation affordability in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a focus on urb...

During the 1960s and 1970s, the port infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean was badly maintained and often poorly managed. 1980s onward, technology advances like cargo containerization pushed the maritime transport industry into a fundamental restructuring of its service networks (Guasch et al., Structure, financing and risk management i...

Chapter 5 of the Inter-American Development Bank's 2018 Flagship Report: Better Spending for Better Lives

The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated snapshot of the water and sanitation sector across Latin American countries, focusing on its key policy characteristics. Access to water and sanitation in the region has improved since the 1990s, decade during which almost every country adopted major reforms of the sector, consisting mainly in incr...

Appropriate port regulation and competitive forces tend to be related to higher levels of operational and economic performance of ports. From a policy-making perspective, pursuing efficiency and securing competition in ports to reach a level playing field is a two-step process requiring (1) ex-ante regulations to set the rules that maximize the com...

A consensus exists in the literature on the strong link between air connectivity and economic growth and development. The need for connecting people and markets is part of national policies in different territories. The existence of remote areas, that is, those that under strict market criteria would not be transport supplied due to lack of commerc...

América Latina y el Caribe ha hecho un importante esfuerzo por incrementar la inversión privada en infraestructura. Entre 1990 y 2011, esta región ha atraído inversiones privadas por más de US$ 672.000 millones (Serebrisky, 2014), siendo Brasil, Chile, Colombia, México y Perú los países que mayor monto de inversiones privadas han recibido. Cada vez...

Recently cable cars have come to be considered as an urban transport alternative in many cities. After the successful implementation of Metrocable in Medellin, Colombia, in 2004, other Latin American cities developed projects to incorporate cable cars as part of their public transport network. The system in La Paz and El Alto is the longest urban c...

Why should people-and economies-save? The typical answer usually focuses on the need to protect against future shocks, to smooth consumption during hard times, in short, to save for the proverbial rainy day. This book approaches the question from a slightly different angle. While saving to survive the bad times is important, saving to thrive in the...

Santo Domingo faces one of the poorest electricity and water services among Latin American cities, a situation which has prevailed for decades despite the significant welfare losses associated with such infrastructure deficiencies. In this context, how do households define these services? What areas of improvement would mean the most to them? This...

Why should people--and economies--save? The typical answer usually focuses on the need to protect against future shocks, to smooth consumptionduring hard times, in short, to save for the proverbial rainy day. This book approaches the question from a slightly different angle. While saving to survive the bad times is important, saving to thrive in th...

¿Por qué deberían ahorrar las personas -y las economías? La respuesta típica suele centrarse en la necesidad de protegerse ante shocks en el futuro y moderar el consumo durante los tiempos difíciles, en resumen, se ahorra pensando en los proverbiales tiempos difíciles. Este libro aborda esta pregunta desde una perspectiva ligeramente diferente. Si...

La elección de la tasa social de descuento constituye uno de los elementos críticos en los procesos de evaluación de proyectos públicos, y en particular en el análisis costo-beneficio sobre el que aún persisten algunos problemas prácticos y cuestiones a resolver de especial interés. El presente documento aborda el rol de la tasa de descuento en la...

Energy is essential in our daily life. The world we know and live in today simply cannot function without it. This report intends to answer how much energy is likely to be needed in countries across the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) through 2040? We estimate region-wide total primary energy demand to be at least 80% higher than present day...

Energy is essential in our daily life. The world we know and live in today simply cannot function without it. This report intends to answer how much energy is likely to be needed in countries across the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) through 2040? We estimate region-wide total primary energy demand to be at least 80% higher than present day...

This paper examines saving and investment in LAC. The first section briefly reviews the literature on the relationship between saving and investment and the impact of investment on growth. The second section examines investment in LAC. The third section describes both foreign and national saving. The fourth section tries to identify the direction o...

This article develops a theoretical framework to analyse options for financing infrastructure in developing countries. We build a basic model that gives motivations for using a combination of public finance, private debt, and private equity. The model is then extended in a number of ways to examine factors that are important for developing countrie...

The objective of this document is to conduct a critical review of the literature and international experiences on social discount rates from the central point of view of its usefulness for policy evaluation. - See more at: https://publications.iadb.org/handle/11319/7206?locale-attribute=en

This paper develops a port productivity and efficiency analysis of all developing regions between 2000 and 2010, using both parametric and nonparametric approaches. From a unique dataset – our sample covers 70 developing countries, 203 ports, and 1,750 data points–, we carry out an analysis of the evolution and drivers of productivity and efficienc...

Electricity loss is a key component in measuring the efficiency and financial sustainability of the power sector. It represents the difference between the amount of electricity that enters the network and the amount that is delivered to end-users, reflecting the degree of productivity of transmission and distribution systems. The objective of this...

The objective of this Infrastructure Strategy is to guide future Banksupport for the countries of the Region toward their adoption of a new vision of the sector. According to this vision, infrastructure is planned, built, and maintained in order to support the provision of adequate quality services that promote sustainable and inclusive growth. The...