Explore 3ie’s new inventory of remote-sensing indicators to leverage satellite data for development

Imagine you are an evaluator trying to determine whether an agricultural intervention has increased vegetation in a dry, arid, and conflict-prone region—where on-the-ground data collection is challenging. You are aware that satellites can measure greenness from space using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)—a commonly used remotely sensed indicator. However, you are not sure whether this is a reliable measure and if so, how you could incorporate it.

What happens when women come together to lead businesses in rural India?

The Swashakt program launched by 3ie, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, helps answer key aspects of this central question. Swashakt supported women’s empowerment collectives (WECs) spanning farm and non-farm sectors in 10 Indian states with the goal of fostering self-sustaining, women-led enterprises that strengthen their economic empowerment and agency. In this blog, we summarize what worked and what did not and what could be done for greater effectiveness.