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Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program Overview
No full textThe Blue Economy is at the core of economic development and competitiveness for African coastal countries. Job-creating economic sectors like tourism and food-production sectors like fisheries depend on a clean and healthy coastal environment. Future development opportunities in sustainable blue energy and ocean mining are key to countries’ competitiveness. Ecosystem services from mangroves and coastal habitats, upon which coastal populations depend, can be supported by new revenue-generating instruments, like blue carbon. However, unsustainable infrastructure development, pollution, and the inadequate management of natural habitats and resources threaten the productivity of coastal marine ecosystems on the African continent. Climate change-related events such as sea level rise, land subsidence, storm surge, and coastal flooding are exacerbating the region’s vulnerability. The challenge today is: How can coastal countries manage their coastal landscapes to spur economic growth and reduce poverty while adapting to the effects of climate change? The World Bank produces Country Climate and Development Reports, a new series of core diagnostic reports that integrates climate change and development considerations. These reports help countries prioritize impactful actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost adaptation while delivering on broader development goals. In this series of briefs, the World Bank reflects on successful Blue Economy operations that support African countries as they pursue green, resilient, and inclusive recovery and development
A Results-based Approach to Mobilizing Additional Climate Financing
No full textCarbon crediting is increasingly seen as a promising
tool for mobilizing financing for development.
In a world where development aid is shrinking,
carbon crediting provides an alternative avenue for
debt-neutral funding, helping countries achieve their
climate goals while fostering long-term sustainable
development.
This report takes a deep dive into various crediting
approaches—from project-based to the more recent
policy and other scaled-up crediting models. Whether
you’re involved in a specific mitigation project or
working on larger-scale policy changes, this guide
provides valuable insights into which approach might
best support your objectives
De Jure and De Facto Coverage of Parental Benefits in Nepal
No full textWomen constitute nearly half of the
young working age-population in Nepal but are less likely
than men to participate in the labor force. When employed,
they work largely in informal, or subsistence work
characterized by inadequate social protection and are
subject to lower wages relative to men. A key factor behind
these outcomes is that childcare responsibilities fall
primarily on women with little or inadequate support at
work, in the family, or more broadly at a societal level. A
holistic and inclusive parental benefits framework which
includes all parents (men and women), and all working
individuals irrespective of type of employment (formal,
informal, part time), is required to bridge the gap between
childcare responsibilities and employment for women. The
design and implementation of such benefits in developing
economies must be cognizant to the trade-offs arising from
source of financing (payroll or general revenue); and extent
of cost-sharing. This study examines the laws, policies and
schemes governing parental benefits in Nepal to outline
de-jure coverage. It then presents the results of a survey
with 1000 workers in urban Nepal that identify de-facto
coverage of these benefits and enquires about labor market
choices of mothers and fathers. Four key messages emerge.
First, the formal sector workforce, which is less than 10
percent of the employed in Nepal has legislated coverage of
thekey parental benefits, but suffers from gaps in
awareness, and compliance. Second, workers in the informal
sector currently lack parental benefits, 28 percent of whom
have to borrow money around childbirth while others stop
work, reduce hours or dip into savings. Third, there is a
willingness to contribute among informal sector workers, to
the recently launched social insurance scheme that includes
maternity benefits. Finally, women in Nepal are more likely
to shift in and out of employment based on childbirth and
childrearing constraints, while men are less likely to use
childcare as a factor in work decisions, signaling the need
for policies to be complemented with a sustainable social
norm change
The Markets and Competition Policy Assessment Toolkit
No full textThe markets and competition policy
assessment toolkit (MCPAT) is a guide for understanding how
policy can positively shape markets and address market
failures that ultimately affect micro- and macroeconomic
development issues. The MCPAT aims to support policymakers,
competition authorities, and development finance
institutions in realizing the advantages of competitive and
well-functioning markets by setting the right conditions for
firms to improve their economic performance and for markets
to allocate resources efficiently. Competitive and
well-functioning markets do not just benefit consumers, -
they benefit entire economies as they promote productivity,
innovation, efficiency, and consumer choice. The goal is not
simply to increase the number of firms in a market or to
restrict market power but to create an environment where
competition can thrive, firms can innovate, and markets can
function optimally. The structure of this toolkit follows
the steps to conduct an MCPAT analysis in a specific sector
or market. Part I provides an overview of key concepts that
set the basis for conducting the MCPAT analysis and covers
the first step of the MCPAT. Part II focuses on diagnosing
market issues. Part III is about how to fix markets
Case Study
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the
need for accelerated digitization of health care across the
globe. The Government of India amply demonstrated their
digital prowess in their response to the pandemic by
building Digital Public Goods (DPGs) that leverage several
standalone initiatives to develop an integrated national
digital health ecosystem. The aim of this ecosystem is to
support Universal Health Coverage through the provision of
real-time data, information and infrastructure using
open-source, interoperable, standards-based digital systems.
In the last decade, digital public infrastructure within
India has expanded exponentially. Several initiatives like
the digital identity system known as Aadhaar (for unique
identification), and the Unified Payments Interface have
become central to India’s public service delivery
architecture. The Unified Payments Interface has transformed
heterogeneous payment modalities by aggregating them under
one easy to use, highly secure mobile-based system for money
transfer. Mobile and internet connections have expanded at a
fast pace and penetrated ever deeper into rural areas.
Currently over 572,000 villages out of 597,000 have mobile
or network connectivity. There are nearly 1.2 billion mobile
subscribers, 800 million internet users, and 510 million
smartphone users. This expansion can be attributed to the
cost of mobile and internet connections dropping
substantially, allowing for increased digital access across
the country. Within the public digital infrastructure, there
are 1.24 billion unique Aadhar digital IDs in place, and it
is estimated that nearly 10 billion plus eKYC (Know Your
Client) transactions and 2.64 billion Unified Payments
Interface transactions take place monthly. This
infrastructure forms the basis of the Ayushman Bharat
Digital Mission (ABDM)
FY 2024 Nigeria Country Opinion Survey Report
No full textThe Country Opinion Survey in Nigeria assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in better understanding how stakeholders in Nigeria 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 Nigeria on 1) their views regarding the general environment in Nigeria; 2) their overall attitudes toward the WBG in Nigeria; 3) overall impressions of the WBG’s effectiveness and results, knowledge work and activities, and communication and information sharing in Nigeria; and 4) their perceptions of the WBG’s future role in Nigeria
Strategies for a More Sustainable Future
No full textThis report assesses the current performance of tourism in the Caribbean1 and, in light of
the new trends, identifies future pathways and policies for sustainable growth in three
targeted segments. These segments were selected to include the traditional markets of
cruise and all-inclusive resort accommodation as well as new opportunities in the high-value
segment of adventure tourism. Cruise and all-inclusive resorts continue to be priorities for
governments as they provide jobs, stimulate foreign direct investment (FDI), and generate the
majority of regional demand (WTTC, 2022) (CTO, 2020). However, influence and market power
in these segments have also created environmental and social risks and inhibited tourism
diversification. Adventure tourism offers potential to add value and diversity to the rich
endowment of natural and cultural assets and expand the value proposition and local
economic impact of traditional markets. Additionally, it can create a new ecosystem of
suppliers appealing to an entirely different market segment of high-spending tourists.
Segment selection was based on analysis of current impacts, growth projections, and scales
of environmental and social externalities that examined the importance and value of the
segments to the Caribbean. It also integrated feedback from consultations with key
stakeholders and alignment with national policies and trends
An Opportunity to lead in Partnership with the 2030 Water Resources Group
No full textWater poses significant risks to
global corporations in three areas: Direct operational and
supply chain risks, market and reputational risks, and
regulatory risks. The 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG), a
partnership platform managed by the World Bank, believes it
is in companies’ business interests to invest in mitigating
water risks in their operations and beyond their factory
gates, playing an essential role in creating a more
water-secure world. More than 300 companies are engaged in
the global and country work of WRG, an initiative that
facilitates collaboration between governments and businesses
Market Study on Scaling Up Off-Grid Solar in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Togo
No full textThe present report is based on data collected through an in-depth literature review on the six targeted countries as well as individual interviews with a total of 147 key off-grids solar (OGS) stakeholders across these countries, including (i) institutional players, comprising government and regulatory bodies, bilateral and multilateral donors, and nongovernmental organization (NGOs), (ii) solar companies, that is, importers, manufacturers, and distributors of solar equipment on cash and/or credit, for both domestic (lighting and entertainment) and productive purposes (for example, irrigation, cooling), (iii) financial institutions (FIs), comprising commercial banks, microfinance Institutions (MFIs), investment funds, and leasing companies, and (iv) institutions managing financial instruments (direct loans, credit lines, guarantee lines, and so on), comprising international and regional development finance institutions (DFIs), national development funds, and national/regional guarantee funds. The complete list of stakeholders interviewed can be found in Annex 1. The report is organized as follows: section 2 describes the existing policy and regulatory environment of the OGS sector at the regional level and specifically in the six countries covered by the study; section 3 describes the main initiatives, programs, and projects to develop the OGS sector implemented at the regional and national levels; section 4 describes the current distribution landscape for OGS and solar productive use of energy (SPUE) products in the six countries; section 5 describes the current OGS financing landscape in the six countries, both at the FI (section 5.1) and financial instrument manager levels (section 5.2). Finally, section 6 summarizes the key conclusions and provides recommendations for technical and financial support measures to strengthen the sector, with a specific focus on a proposed risk-sharing facility (RSF) for OGS sector financing
Vietnam Macro Monitoring, January 2025
No full textIndustrial production increased in
December 2024. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
increased from 1.6 percent (m/m, SA) in November to 2.1
percent (m/m, SA) in December 2024, as businesses ramped up
production to meet year-end consumer demand. The improvement
is due to the increased production of key export products
such as textiles, footwear, furniture, electronics, and
electrical equipment. Manufacturing production for domestic
consumption such as food and beverages also expanded.
However, in terms of prospects, Viet Nam’s PMI was down from
50.8 in November to 49.8 in December, entering
contractionary territory, as new orders growth slowed, while
firms scaled back employment and inventories