Ten years after the 1994 genocide—in which an estimated 10 percent of the country's population perished—Rwanda's devastated education system is now back on its feet. Classrooms have been repaired and
'Causes of Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon' is part of the World Bank Working Paper series. The report suggests that, in contrast to the 1970s and 1980s, when occupation of Brazilian Amazonia wa
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been facing considerable economic challenges. Left behind by the industrial revolution, overly dependent on oil resources, and on the fringes of the
Properly used tax expenditures can play an important role in implementing countries' economic and social policies. But they often go unnoticed because they take many forms of revenue forgone, from tax
This book reviews techniques and tools that can be used to evaluate the poverty and distributional impact of economic policy choices. It describes the most robust techniques and tools now available-fr
Recent corporate scandals highlight the importance of both public sector initiatives and sound internal company policies in the fight against fraud and corruption. Policymakers, international organiza
International trade in services is affected by a variety of domestic regulations, ranging from qualification and licensing requirements in professional services to pro-competitive telecommunications r
Recent evidence suggests that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is increasing in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Mediterranean (MENA/EM) region, and that the total number of AIDS-related deaths ha
'The Money Exchange Dealers of Kabul' is an exploratory piece of research on how the informal financial sector operates in conflict-afflicted countries. This paper presents the findings, analyses and
Violent conflict can spell catastrophe for developing countries and their neighbors, stunting and even reversing the course of economic growth. Recent World Bank research on the causes of conflict and
The story of independent evaluation in the World Bank is more than 30 years in the making. However, it is a story that has never been fully told. The Operations Evaluation Department (OED) of the Worl
Over the last few decades the quality of many international water bodies has deteriorated, resulting in economic losses from declines in the fishing industry and in tourism, as well as a loss of biodi
Civil war conflict is a core development issue. The existence of civil war can dramatically slow a country's development process, especially in low-income countries which are more vulnerable to civil
This volume examines the possibilities and pitfalls to successful financial sector tax reform from theoretical, empirical and practical perspectives. It explores the possibilities and limitations of '
This book offers five geographically and institutionally diverse case studies from Latin America, where some of the longest-running and most successful programs in this field have been conducted. Repr
This volume synthesizes insights from the vast literature on land policy. It evaluates the implications of these insights for development policy, taking due account of actual experiences in policy im
Sustainable poverty reduction and equitable economic development depend on the solid foundation of the rule of law. These reforms are underpinned by legal reform, whether it be to increase efficiency
The paper illustrates the constraints that have limited action towards improving nutrition in the developing world. The understanding of how to best promote the needed changes in policies, programs, a
Hospitals remain an important source of critical health care services in most countries, providing both basic and advanced care to their populations. They are often the provider 'of last resort' for t
More than 60 international rivers traverse the continent of Africa. As populations and economies grow, these rivers need to be developed and managed in order to meet the needs of the African people. T
Rapid and sustained growth, in excess of 5% per annum, is key for sustained poverty reduction in Yemen. However, the achievement of such a target is challenging and necessitates aggressive changes in
The importance of social capital for sustainable development is well understood. However, the impact of social capital is not easily quantified and to overcome this, the Social Capital Initiative at t
For decades, governments and donors have attempted to improve social welfare through public support for development finance institutions (DFIs). This monograph presents two measures of social cost. Th
'China: Air, Land, and Water' is a further chapter in the successful and creative dialogue between the World Bank and the People's Republic of China. It focuses on how to promote both China's economic
This book provides an account of the current understanding of social capital. It covers both theoretical and empirical studies, and the concept is debated throughout. Also included in this volume is t
Reproductive health is a relatively new concept, and this paper constitutes perhaps the first comprehensive overview of reproductive health issues in the region. It presents the complexity of these is
This book is a compendium of Mexico's development process, one that recognizes its comprehensive and multi-faceted nature. It focuses on five overarching themes including fiscal sustainability, growth
A large proportion of the 100 historic cities and nearly 200 sacred sites on the World Heritage List are located in the developing world. Of key concern is how historic cities fare against the populat
"The past three decades have seen impressive advances in development in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region. Gains in income and education have been accompanied by reductions in high levels of infa
Poverty is a large and growing problem in Africa resulting in an immense amount of avoidable suffering, foreshortened lives, frustrated potentials, and joyless existences. The poverty trap is more tha
At the beginning of the new century, it is clear that while individual social programs can improve people's welfare and reduce poverty, a more holistic approach is needed in order to lift more people
Although growth of infrastructure services in Vietnam since the late 1980s greatly facilitated rapid growth in exports and gross domestic product (GDP), Vietnam's infrastructure still suffers from a n
The old Russian saying of 'kto kovo' (Who will get whom?) has become 'kem skhvachena eto?' (Who has captured this?) under the new transition economy. Instead of one major figure, such as a Stalin or L
"...Disaster losses include not only the shocking direct impacts that we see on the news, such as the loss of life, housing, and infrastructure, but also indirect impacts such as the foregone producti
A multi-country research initiative to understand poverty from the eyes of the poor, the Voices of the Poor project was undertaken to inform the World Bank's activities and the upcoming World Develop
The magnitude of population displacement and its consequences have placed the issues of reconstructing the livelihoods of those displaced on the world's development agenda. Addressing these issues fro
"Good nutrition is key to maintain or improve health, and people's ability to secure an adequate diet is fundamental to achieving social and economic advances. Although the nutritional status of most
"Decentralization is transforming the structure of governance in Latin America. Since 1983, all but one of the largest countries in the region have seen a transfer of power, resources, and responsibil
"Some people may believe that crises are an inevitable feature of the capitalist system. Others hold that exchange-rate crises will vanish as more and more countries adopt floating exchange rates... B
Tragically, mass killers are nothing new in Africa. Malaria still claims about as many African lives as AIDS, and preventable childhood diseases kill millions of others. What sets AIDS apart, however,
