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What a Waste 3.0: Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management Toward Circularity until 2050
No full textWhat a Waste 3.0 is the third edition of the World Bank Group’s What a Waste series, following the 2012 and 2018 publications. It updates and expands these earlier publications and provides a global reference dataset on municipal solid waste in the context of a transition toward circularity, drawing on the most recent publicly accessible data from 217 countries and economies and 262 cities. This edition consolidates data on waste generation, composition, collection, treatment, and disposal, and presents trends by region and income group. It also includes information on legislation, institutional arrangements, plastics management, private sector participation, employment, environmental impacts, and the costs and financing of municipal waste services
FY 2025 Madagascar Country Opinion Survey Report
Get PDFThe Country Opinion Survey in Madagascar assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in better understanding how stakeholders in Madagascar perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private sector, and
civil society in Madagascar on 1) their views regarding the general environment in Madagascar; 2) their overall attitudes toward the WBG in Madagascar; 3) overall impressions of the WBG’s effectiveness and results, knowledge work and activities, and communication and information sharing in Madagascar; and 4) their perceptions of the WBG’s future role in Madagascar
Not All Shocks Are Shared Equally: Commodity Exporters and International Risk Sharing
Get PDFUsing world commodity prices as an instrument, this paper proposes a novel method for decomposing channels of international risk sharing for commodity-exporting countries. The method identifies the commodity “sector”' as the projection of gross national product growth on commodity-price growth, and the non-commodity “sector”' as its orthogonal complement. The findings show that commodity-price-induced risk is shared significantly more than other risks, in particular via pro-cyclical government savings, but also via counter-cyclical net international factor income
Thailand Monthly Economic Monitor, January 2026
Get PDFThailand’s economy showed signs of mild improvement in November supported by stronger exports and retail trade. Government stimulus measures, including the co-payment scheme and travel incentives, helped lift activity in hotels and restaurants, though overall household consumption remained subdued amid tight credit and elevated debt burdens. Manufacturing output continued to contract, reflecting cautious sentiment despite export gains, while foreign tourism remained weak. Private investment prospects improved, with strong investor interest in digital and high-tech industries. Inflation stayed negative, prompting a policy rate cut to 1.25 percent, while the baht’s sharp appreciation led the central bank’s actions to curb volatility
Leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure for Payment Delivery and Inclusion: Insights from a Personalized VAT Cashback Program in Brazil
Get PDFThis report examines the design and implementation of Devolve ICMS, a state-level personalized value added tax (VAT) cashback program in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, through the lens of the World Bank’s G2Px framework. Using administrative data, a representative beneficiary survey, and qualitative interviews, the report provides an in-depth assessment of the systems and infrastructure supporting the Devolve ICMS program, illustrating the key elements needed to implement a modern VAT cashback program. The analysis highlights the program’s innovative use of digital tools to enhance equity, strengthen compliance incentives, and improve service delivery, while also outlining operational trade-offs and opportunities to better align policies with modern government-to-person payment practices. The experience of Devolve ICMS offers practical lessons for Brazil’s national VAT reform and for countries seeking equitable alternatives to VAT exemption
Nudging at Scale: Evidence from a Government Text Messaging Campaign during School Shutdowns in Punjab, Pakistan
Get PDFText and voice messages have emerged as a low-cost and popular tool for nudging recipients to change behavior. This paper presents findings from a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the impact of an information campaign using text and voice messages implemented in Punjab, Pakistan during the COVID-19-induced school closures. This campaign sought to increase study time and provide academic support while schools were closed and to encourage reenrollment when they opened, to reduce the number of dropouts. The campaign targeted girls enrolled in grades 5 to 7. Messages were sent out by a government institution, and the campaign lasted from October 2020 until November 2021, when schools had permanently re-opened. Households were randomized across three treatment groups and a control group that did not receive any messages. The first treatment group received gender-specific messages that explicitly referenced daughters in their households, and the second treatment group received gender-neutral messages. A third group was cross randomized across the first two treatment arms and received academic support messages (practice math problems and solutions). The results show that the messages increased reenrollment by 6.0 percentage points approximately three months after the intervention finished. Gender neutral messages (+8.9 percentage points) showed larger effect size on enrolment than gender-specific messages (+ 4.3 percentage points), although the difference is not statistically significant. The message program also increased learning outcomes by 0.2 standard deviation for Urdu and 0.2 standard deviation for math. The paper finds a small positive effect on the intensive margin of remote learning and an (equivalent) small negative effect on the intensive margin of outside tutoring. In line with similar studies on pandemic remediation efforts, the paper finds no effect of the academic support intervention on learning. The findings suggest that increased school enrollment played a role in supporting the observed increase in learning outcomes
Investors Can’t Wait: Fast-Tracking Construction Permits and Operating License Approvals in Malaysia
Get PDFMalaysia has made significant progress in improving its business environment to attract investment and boost productivity and competitiveness. This case study examines two pioneering initiatives - the E10 in Kulim, Kedah, and the Kulai Fast Lane (KFL) in Johor - that have streamlined the processing of construction permits and operational license approvals for industrial projects. Launched in response to longstanding regulatory bottlenecks and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, these reforms were spearheaded by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) in collaboration with state and local authorities and the private sector. Both initiatives introduced innovative practices, including initial project briefings, special permissions for early site work, concurrent reviews by technical agencies, and digital innovations. These reforms have enhanced both predictability and transparency, particularly in regulatory processes
Subnational Business Ready in the European Union 2025: Czechia
Get PDFThis year, the Subnational B-READY series covers 66 cities across six EU Member States - Czechia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Spain - covering 64 European regions. In Czechia, Subnational B-READY covers seven cities in seven regions at the NUTS2 level: Brno (Southeast), Liberec (Northeast), Olomouc (Central Moravia), Ostrava (Moravian-Silesian), Plzeň (Southwest), Prague (Prague), and Ústí nad Labem (Northwest). The primary objective of the Subnational B-READY studies is to identify and address regional disparities in regulatory environments and to promote reforms that foster private sector growth, job creation, and sustainability. The Subnational B-READY series delivers a rigorous, data-driven analysis of business climates at the local level, offering actionable insights for policy makers
Urban Expansion and Protection Gaps amid Evolving Flood Exposure
Get PDFFlood risk is increasing globally as climate change interacts with urban expansion and land-use decisions in flood zones. Using a nationally consistent, high-resolution assessment, this study analyzes how settlement growth, climate change, and flood protection shape the evolution of flood exposure across more than 11,000 municipalities in Germany, revealing exposure dynamics relevant to many advanced economies. The study integrates biannual settlement footprint data from 2016 to 2025 with fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flood hazard data, future climate scenarios, and detailed dike protection maps. The results show that in several regions the growth of settlements in flood zones has outpaced that in safe zones, thus reinforcing rather than reducing exposure. Climate change is projected to increase flood exposure substantially by late century, particularly under high-emissions scenarios, with pluvial flooding being the dominant driver of future exposure growth. The study identifies substantial mismatches between exposure and structural flood protection, with many highly exposed areas lacking engineered defenses. The findings underscore how misalignment between urban development, climate adaptation, and protection investment can drive rising flood risk, with implications for land-use planning and resilience strategies
Design Principles for Resilient Low Volume Roads: Engineering Best Practices Guide
No full textThe purpose of this guide is to support preliminary conceptual approaches and systematically promote climate resilience into the full lifecycle of low volume roads— from identification and planning through design, construction, maintenance, and eventual asset decommission. It is tailored to the constraints and needs of agencies where institutional systems are still maturing and resource limited geographical areas, where access is vital and climate risk is rising