1| P a g e

The Role of Mobile Money in Enhancing Rural Households with mobile money access had a 17%
Livelihoods: Evidence from Pakistan's higher likelihood of maintaining formal savings
Underserved Regions accounts, indicating a shift from cash-based
informal practices.
Abstract
4.2 Household Consumption and Welfare
This study explores the transformative role of
mobile money platforms (e.g., JazzCash, Access to mobile wallets correlated with a 12%
Easypaisa) in promoting financial inclusion, increase in monthly household consumption,
reducing poverty, and empowering women in largely due to improved cash flow and remittance
rural Pakistan. Using a quasi-experimental management.
approach and panel data from Punjab and Sindh,
4.3 Coping with Economic Shocks
it identifies causal impacts on household welfare
and local entrepreneurship. Users of mobile money platforms were 25% more
likely to receive emergency funds from family
1. Introduction
members or NGOs during health or climate-
The introduction outlines the significance of related crises.
digital financial services in developing
4.4 Gender Empowerment
economies, particularly in rural Pakistan where
traditional banking is inaccessible. It highlights Women reported greater control over spending
the research question: Can mobile money drive and savings decisions, with mobile money
inclusive economic development in underserved reducing dependency on male intermediaries.
regions of Pakistan?
4.5 Entrepreneurship and Employment Shifts
2. Literature Review
There was a measurable rise in informal business
This section reviews global and South Asian creation and a shift toward self-employment,
studies on mobile money, financial inclusion, and particularly among youth and women.
development. It identifies a gap in empirical
research specific to Pakistan's rural regions, 5. Policy Implications
especially with respect to gender and The paper recommends:
microenterprise impacts.
 Expanding mobile network infrastructure
3. Methodology in rural areas
Describes the data sources, sampling strategy,  Designing financial literacy campaigns
and econometric methods used, including: targeting women and youth
 Panel data from household surveys  Encouraging public-private partnerships
(2017–2022) to scale mobile banking access
 Propensity Score Matching (PSM)  Ensuring consumer protection and digital
 Difference-in-Differences (DiD) security to build trust
estimation for impact analysis 6. Conclusion
4. Results and Discussion Mobile money platforms have a significant,
4.1 Financial Inclusion and Savings Behavior positive impact on rural household welfare in

2| P a g e
Pakistan. The study advocates for a holistic  Longitudinal household data from the
digital inclusion strategy as part of national Pakistan Social and Living Standards
development planning. Measurement (PSLM) survey

 Comparison of treatment and control

groups using propensity score matching
Title:
(PSM)
The Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on
Educational Outcomes: Evidence from the  Qualitative interviews with beneficiaries
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in and school administrators
Pakistan
4. Results and Discussion
Abstract
4.1 Enrollment and Attendance Rates
This study evaluates the effects of conditional
The program increased school enrollment by 11%
cash transfers (CCTs) under the Benazir Income
and improved attendance by 15% among children
Support Programme’s Waseela-e-Taleem
aged 5–12 in targeted households.
initiative on school enrollment, attendance, and
academic performance in low-income households 4.2 Gender Disparities
across Pakistan. Using mixed methods and panel
data from 2014 to 2022, the paper investigates Girls saw a relatively larger enrollment gain
whether monetary incentives can effectively (13%) compared to boys (9%), suggesting the
improve educational outcomes in marginalized CCTs helped reduce gender gaps in education
regions. access.

1. Introduction 4.3 Academic Performance

The introduction highlights Pakistan's persistent While enrollment improved, academic

education challenges, especially in rural and low- performance showed only marginal
income areas. It presents the core question: Do improvement, indicating that financial incentives
conditional cash transfers improve educational alone may not enhance learning outcomes
participation and reduce drop-out rates among without parallel investments in school quality.
poor children in Pakistan? 4.4 Household Behavior and Spending
2. Literature Review Beneficiary households reported increased
A review of international and regional studies on spending on school supplies and transportation,
cash transfer programs, including examples from with over 70% of funds being used directly for
Latin America (e.g., Bolsa Família) and South education-related expenses.
Asia. The literature gap is identified in terms of 4.5 Challenges and Leakages
long-term impact assessments specific to
Pakistan's CCTs and gender-disaggregated Issues of inconsistent payments, lack of
effects. monitoring, and exclusion errors were identified
as major challenges affecting program
3. Methodology effectiveness.
This section outlines the data collection and
analysis strategy:

3| P a g e
5. Policy Implications what extent is climate change undermining
agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods in
The study suggests:
southern Pakistan?
 Expanding the BISP CCT coverage with
2. Literature Review
improved payment regularity
A review of existing literature on climate change
 Complementary investments in school
and agriculture, with emphasis on South Asia. It
infrastructure and teacher training
highlights Pakistan’s vulnerability due to its arid
 Enhanced monitoring and grievance geography, irrigation dependency, and limited
redressal mechanisms adaptation capacity. The literature gap lies in
region-specific empirical data on productivity
 Gender-targeted interventions to sustain losses and behavioural responses.
girls’ enrollment at higher levels of
education 3. Methodology

6. Conclusion Describes the mixed-methods approach,

including:
The Benazir Income Support Programme’s
conditional cash transfer model shows promise in  Remote sensing data on temperature,
improving school enrollment and reducing precipitation, and vegetation cover
gender gaps in education. However, for
 Household surveys from 800 farmers in
sustainable impact, it must be paired with
Sindh and south Punjab
systemic educational reforms and stronger
implementation oversight.  Regression models (panel data fixed
effects and climate exposure indices)

 Qualitative interviews on adaptation

Title:
strategies (e.g., crop switching, water
The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural
conservation)
Productivity and Rural Livelihoods: Evidence
from Southern Pakistan 4. Results and Discussion

Abstract 4.1 Temperature and Yield Relationship

This paper explores how climate change— A 1°C rise in average temperature was associated
particularly rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, with a 6% decline in wheat yields and 9% in
and water scarcity—affects agricultural output cotton yields, especially in districts with low
and household income in rural Sindh and irrigation coverage.
southern Punjab. Using satellite data, household
4.2 Rainfall Variability and Crop Failure
surveys, and econometric modeling, the study
quantifies climate-related risks and evaluates Erratic monsoon patterns led to higher rates of
adaptation strategies at the farmer level. crop failure, with 30% of surveyed households
experiencing at least one failed harvest in the past
1. Introduction
three years.
The introduction outlines agriculture’s critical
role in Pakistan’s economy and rural
employment. It poses the research question: To

4| P a g e
4.3 Livelihood Diversification small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in
urban and semi-urban Pakistan. Using firm-level
Farmers are increasingly diversifying into
data and case studies from Karachi, Lahore, and
livestock, daily wage labor, or seasonal
Faisalabad, the paper investigates whether access
migration, but these shifts are often insufficient to
to digital finance leads to increased investment,
offset income losses.
employment, and productivity.
4.4 Adaptation and Barriers
1. Introduction
While some farmers adopted heat-resistant seed
Pakistan’s SME sector contributes over 40% to
varieties and drip irrigation, uptake remained low
GDP but faces persistent credit constraints. The
due to lack of awareness, credit constraints, and
study investigates: Does digital credit improve
weak extension services.
the performance and scalability of SMEs in
5. Policy Implications Pakistan?

 Introduce climate-resilient crop 2. Literature Review

insurance programs
Summarizes global research on SME finance,
 Scale up agricultural extension services fintech solutions, and productivity. Highlights a
with a focus on climate adaptation research gap in the digital lending ecosystem in
Pakistan—particularly regarding outcomes for
 Promote public-private partnerships to SMEs outside the formal banking system.
expand access to climate-smart
technologies 3. Methodology

 Develop localized climate forecasting Details a mixed-methods approach:

and early warning systems
 Survey of 500 SMEs (formal and
6. Conclusion informal)

Climate change poses a serious threat to  Administrative data from digital lenders
agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods in (e.g., Tez Financial Services, Finja)
Pakistan. Without targeted adaptation policies,
 Difference-in-differences estimation to
these regions may face escalating poverty and
assess causal impacts
food insecurity. Immediate, localized
interventions are essential to build resilience.  Case studies of firms receiving repeated
digital credit over two years

4. Results and Discussion

Title:
Financial Inclusion and SME Growth: 4.1 Access to Capital
Evaluating the Impact of Digital Credit in
SMEs using digital credit reported a 24%
Pakistan
increase in working capital and a 19% increase in
Abstract fixed asset investment compared to those relying
solely on informal finance.
This study assesses how digital financial
services—particularly digital credit and
microloans—affect the growth and survival of

5| P a g e
4.2 Revenue and Employment Growth with a focus on the rise of informal settlements
(katchi abadis) in cities like Karachi, Lahore, and
Digitally financed SMEs experienced 14% higher
Islamabad. Using household survey data and GIS
revenue growth and hired on average 1.2 more
mapping, the paper analyzes how informal
employees within one year of receiving loans.
housing affects access to services, income
4.3 Financial Behavior and Creditworthiness mobility, and intergenerational poverty.

Digital lenders’ use of alternative credit scoring 1. Introduction

allowed formerly excluded SMEs (especially
Pakistan’s urban population is growing at over
women-led and home-based enterprises) to
3% annually, placing pressure on housing
access credit for the first time.
infrastructure. This study addresses the question:
4.4 Constraints and Risks What are the socioeconomic consequences of
informal settlements for urban development and
Despite short-term gains, repayment burdens and inequality in Pakistan?
high interest rates remain challenges, especially
when cash flows are inconsistent or seasonal. 2. Literature Review

5. Policy Implications Covers global and regional research on

urbanization, informal housing, and spatial
 Develop regulatory frameworks for inequality. The gap lies in the lack of empirical
responsible digital lending data on Pakistan’s katchi abadis, especially
 Encourage public-private partnerships to regarding long-term effects on human capital and
expand access to low-cost digital credit urban planning.

 Promote financial literacy campaigns for 3. Methodology

SME owners The study uses:
 Incentivize digital payment adoption  Data from the Pakistan Social and Living
through tax breaks and subsidies Standards Measurement (PSLM) and
6. Conclusion Urban Unit Punjab

Digital credit is a powerful tool for boosting SME  GIS analysis to map informal settlements
growth in Pakistan, but its long-term impact and access to public services
depends on regulation, affordability, and  Household surveys (n=800) from
integration with broader financial infrastructure. informal and formal urban areas

 Comparative analysis using OLS

Title: regression and spatial econometrics
Urbanization and Housing Inequality: 4. Results and Discussion
Assessing the Socioeconomic Impact of
Informal Settlements in Pakistan's Major Cities 4.1 Housing Conditions and Service Gaps

Abstract Residents of informal settlements had

significantly less access to clean water,
This study explores the effects of rapid sanitation, and electricity—leading to poorer
urbanization on housing inequality in Pakistan, health and education outcomes.

6| P a g e
4.2 Income and Employment Pakistan: Evaluating the Effectiveness of
Vocational Training Programs
Informal settlement dwellers were more likely to
work in insecure, low-wage jobs. Average Abstract
household income was 27% lower than in
This study investigates the growing issue of
adjacent formal neighborhoods.
youth unemployment in Pakistan, focusing on
4.3 Education and Intergenerational Mobility how skill mismatch contributes to joblessness. It
evaluates the effectiveness of government and
Children in informal settlements had lower
donor-led vocational training initiatives—such as
school attendance rates and poorer academic
those run by NAVTTC and Punjab Skills
performance, contributing to a cycle of poverty
Development Fund (PSDF)—in improving
and limited mobility.
employment outcomes among youth aged 18–30.
4.4 Social Exclusion and Tenure Insecurity
1. Introduction
Lack of property rights created insecurity and
Pakistan’s youth population (over 60% under age
discouraged investment in housing
30) presents a demographic dividend or a crisis
improvements, further reinforcing
depending on labor market absorption. The
marginalization.
research question: Do vocational training
5. Policy Implications programs reduce youth unemployment by
aligning skills with market demand?
 Formalize selected informal settlements
through property rights and infrastructure 2. Literature Review
upgrades
Reviews national and international studies on
 Integrate low-income housing in urban technical and vocational education and training
master plans (TVET), skill mismatch, and youth employment.
Highlights the lack of longitudinal studies
 Promote affordable housing schemes and measuring long-term employment outcomes in
vertical development to reduce land Pakistan.
pressure
3. Methodology
 Strengthen urban governance and data
collection for informed planning The study uses:

6. Conclusion  Data from graduate cohorts of TVET

programs (2016–2022)
Informal settlements reflect systemic failures in
urban housing policy and reinforce inequality.  Surveys of 1,000 participants from urban
Sustainable urban development in Pakistan must and peri-urban areas
address these disparities through inclusive
 Control group of non-participants
planning, legal reform, and targeted investment.
matched through propensity score
matching

Title:  Employment outcomes tracked 6–24

Youth Unemployment and Skill Mismatch in months post-training

7| P a g e
4. Results and Discussion

4.1 Employment Rates

Program graduates had a 22% higher

employment rate than non-trained peers.
However, only 53% found work in fields relevant
to their training.

4.2 Gender Disparities

Female graduates faced significantly lower

employment uptake (37%) due to mobility,
societal norms, and workplace constraints,
despite similar skill levels.

4.3 Wage Premium

Trained youth earned on average 18% higher

monthly income compared to untrained
counterparts, especially in trades like electrical
work, refrigeration, and digital freelancing.

4.4 Quality and Industry Linkages

Programs with strong private sector involvement

and on-the-job training showed better outcomes.
Others suffered from outdated curricula and low
employer recognition.

5. Policy Implications

 Align TVET curricula with labor market

needs through industry consultation

 Expand career counseling and post-

training job placement services

 Target female inclusion through

community-based training centers

6. Conclusion

Vocational training improves employment

outcomes but must evolve with market needs.
Pakistan’s youth require not just skills, but
relevant, recognized, and marketable ones to
truly harness the demographic dividend.

8| P a g e