GiveWell, Evidence Action, and Effective Altruism
The effort to evaluate NGOs and aid policies scientifically seems very important to me. I think there has been (long ago) a reluctance to perform experiments with people even if the experiment consists of helping some people and comparing them to a control group. The experimental approach has become very fashionable with a Nobel memorial prize in economics awarded to Esther Duflo, Abhijit Bannerjee and Michael Kremer which was in large part an award for the Abdul Latif Jameel poverty action lab, better know as J-PAL and BREAD.
I was surprised to run into Michael Kremer via GiveWell.org, the lazy person’s (me) approach to effective altruism. I find they highly rate Evidence Action, which turns out to have been founded by Michael Kremer. I wasn’t looking for an example of an economist doing something that was actually useful but I found one.
In particular, I was intererestend in Evidence Action’s approach to low-cost safe drinking water, chlorination without other purification. The water may still be dirtier than the water we drink (it might even smell funny, but it doesn’t contain living infectious agents).
“Our network of chlorine dispensers stretches across rural communities in Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda, in areas that aren’t reached by municipal systems. A community member goes to their water source, places their bucket under the dispenser, turns the valve to dispense the correct dose of chlorine, and then fills their bucket with water. The chlorine disinfects the water during their walk home, so by the time they arrive, it’s safe to drink.
“In places with communal piped water systems — often in peri-urban and urban communities — we use in-line chlorination devices, which are installed directly on water tanks. As water flows into pipes, it’s automatically chlorinated in the correct dose, so it’s treated and safe to drink by the time it reaches someone’s home.”
“Rigorous research [pdf warning] by Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer and colleagues that found water treatment reduces under-five child mortality from all causes by around 25%. Their groundbreaking study also found that water treatment can save a child’s life for just $3,000, or add a year of healthy life for only $40.”
As a practical mater, I think GiveWell and Evidence Action are effective charities
I have a different take on effective altruism. I give to my local political candidates who are best suited to humane effective governance. I also give to local and sometimes national non profits that are working to make effective change.
Buying mosquito nets in Africa is one approach. But I think local targeted change agents are also valid.