WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has launched a Code for Development, as part of its promotional strategy to raise awareness and improve people’s lives in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The IDB said that the code is a platform that allows governments, civil society and citizens to explore and reuse open code digital tools to support programs and projects for social and economic development in the region.“Every year, governments from around the world invest millions of dollars in software and digital tools to simplify administrative processes, fight climate change, strengthen health awareness and improve the quality of life.“If these digital tools were open to be shared and adapted for new uses, governments and organizations could achieve enormous savings and scale economies. We decided for that reason to launch a new platform for digital tools and open code”, said Federico Basanes, Knowledge and Learning Sector Manager for the IDB.Code for Development allows users to access and reuse different types of digital tools that have been successfully used for development projects supported by the IDB or governments from the region, such as HydroBID, an integrated system to simulate the impact of different aspects of climate change or populations with water resources from various basins in Latin America and the Caribbean; or SmartMap, a web platform that allows people to visualise, analyse and superimpose geographic data.The tool also allows governments and citizens to share their digital tools or open code for others to use and reuse.“Software is a fundamental tool for the design and implementation of projects and programs. With Code for Development, the IDB wants to consolidate its commitment to the use and promotion of open knowledge, as well as accelerate the dialog about how technology can drive development in Latin America and the Caribbean”, said Basanes.The IDB said advanced users and software developers can also download the code source stored in the IDB’s GitHub account and create new versions that can be adapted to their needs.It said the platform is also open for governments and citizens who are committed to finding for innovative solutions for developmental problems in Latin America and the Caribbean to contribute with their open code.