Over centuries, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been the birthplace of some of the world's greatest civilizations. Despite recent setbacks, the region once again can become an engin
Dam safety is central to public protection and economic security. Aging portfolios of large dams, increasing populations, and rapid urbanization require the development of legal and institutional fram
Budget literacy is defined as 'the ability to read, decipher, and understand public budgets to enable and enhance meaningful citizen participation in the budget process'. It is comprised of two main p
Melting glaciers, loss of seasonal snow, and precipitation changes pose significant risks to the stability of water resources in the South Asia region. Glaciers help to moderate river flows in the reg
More children are going to school, staying in school for longer, and learning than ever before in East Asia and Pacific (EAP). During the past 50 years, a group of countries in EAP have successfully t
'Fair Progress? Economic Mobility Around the World' will focus on an issue that has gotten much attention in the developed world, but will present new data and analysis covering most of the developing
Urbanization is one of the most important drivers of economic and social development. The fact that almost 35 million Bangladeshis will become urban dwellers over the next two decades is excellent new
With more than 70 percent of its population living in cities, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is among the most urbanized regions in the world. Yet, although its cities are, on average, more pro
The Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2018 uses maps, charts and analysis to illustrate, trends, challenges and measurement issues related to each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The Atl
How can governments ensure that women have the same employment and entrepreneurship opportunities as men? One important step is to level the law so that the rules for operating in the worlds of work a
This book lays out a range of policy and implementation actions that are needed for countries in sub-Saharan Africa to meet the challenge of improving learning while expanding access and completion of
Drylands account for three-quarters of Sub-Saharan Africa's cropland, two-thirds of cereal production, and four-fifths of livestock holdings. Today frequent and severe shocks, especially droughts, lim
While adoption of new technologies is understood to enhance long-term growth and average per-capita incomes, its impact on lower-skilled workers is more complex and merits clarification. Concerns abou
The report will take an innovative approach to measuring multidimensional connectivity by relying on both economic relationships and network analysis. In addition to capturing how information, people,
The WEB of Transport Corridors in South Asia develops a holistic appraisal methodology to ensure that economic benefits of investments in transport corridors are amplified and more widely spread, and
Electricity shortages are among the biggest barriers to South Asia’s development. Did you know that 30 percent of households in South Asia are not connected to the power grid? Even households and firm
The new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) at its core. A dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6) declares a commitment to "ensure availabili
The Democratic Republic of Congo has the third largest urban population in sub-Saharan Africa (estimated at 43% in 2016) after South Africa and Nigeria. It is expected to grow at a rate of 4.1% per ye
Renewing the social contract, one of the pillars of the new World Bank Group strategy for the Middle East and North Africa, requires a new development model built on greater trust; openness, transpare
The electricity sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is in the grip of an apparent paradox. The region holds the world’s largest oil and gas reserves and has been able to universalize acc
Since 2010, the number and intensity of violent conflicts have increased rapidly. The human and economic costs associated with violent conflict are massive, affecting long-term stability and prospects
Despite decades of development efforts supported by significant amounts of foreign aid, Malawi has experienced weak and volatile economic growth performance over a sustained period. The nation's growt
Developing East Asia has led the way in showing how rapid and broadly shared growth can lift millions out of poverty. And, as this report shows, the region has achieved even more: the wave of prosperi
Successful international integration has underpinned most experiences of rapid growth, shared prosperity, and reduced poverty. Perhaps no sector of the economy better illustrates the potential benefit
The Arab Spring protests caught most of the world by surprise and precipitated a chain of events that changed the course of history in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), ushering in a period of
Globalization and new technologies are impacting the desirability and feasibility of what has historically been the most successful development strategy. Manufacturing has been seen as special, promis
The Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2017/2018 is a biannual publication that provides new research, empirical evidence, and perspectives on the key dimensions of countries' investment climate
'Measuring the Effectiveness of Social Protection: Concepts and Applications' provides the conceptual and analytical framework for assessing social protection (SP) programs, as well as provides a prac
In 2009, Sri Lanka emerged from nearly 30 years of armed conflict with more than 450,000 Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs), a North and East in need of reconstruction and rehabilitation, and a dislo
South Asia is highly vulnerable to climate change. Given that many of the poor live in areas prone to climactic shifts and in occupations that are highly climate-sensitive, such as agriculture and fis
National income is underpinned by a country's wealth--measured comprehensively to include all assets, produced capital, human capital, natural capital and net financial assets--and sustained economic
Economists have long argued that developing countries have the potential for high productivity growth if they adopt existing technologies and apply them to the local context. This report brings to bea
High levels of trade costs persist in the world trading system, despite recent progress in tariff reduction, trade facilitation, and logistics. At least some of these costs can be attributed to non-t
Despite a period of strong economic growth and improvements in many dimensions of welfare, extreme poverty remains a pervasive and complex phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa (referred to as Africa in th
Most of the people in low and middle-income countries covered by social protection receive assistance in the form of in-kind food. The origin of such support is rooted in countries’ historical pursuit
Data is an important ingredient in any successful education system. Building and sustaining a data system are challenging tasks. Many countries around the world have spent significant resources but st
Government strategies for setting energy prices are not uniform across the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region or even across fuels. Instead, they spread across a full spectrum, ranging from disc
Water has always been a source of risks and opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet rapidly changing socioeconomic, political, and environmental conditions make water security a differe
Despite the spread of automation and new supply chain management paradigms, logistics remains dependent on a rather specific set of skills and competences, whether for managerial, administrative or bl
Stylized facts set agendas and shape debates. In rapidly changing and data scarce environments, they also risk being ill-informed, outdated and misleading. So, following higher food prices since the 2
