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Mauritanie - L’Approche «Gestion Intégrée des Paysages»: Perspectives de Mise en Œuvre et Défis de Mise à L’Échelle
Get PDFIn Mauritania, the evolution of the regulatory and institutional framework since the start of decentralization in 1987 has made it possible to support the local development process and the decentralized management of natural resources. With the support of technical and financial partners (TFPs), several initiatives have encouraged and supported the participation and involvement of rural and local communities to establish models of concerted and enhancing natural resource management, led by local organizations of users of these resources. Overall, the main obstacles to this dynamic are: (i) institutional and organizational instability, including frequent changes in leadership, causing delays in decision-making and discontinuity in the implementation of development strategies and programs; (ii) the inadequacy of human and budgetary resources to facilitate the alignment of public investment policies with the priorities set out in the global debates; (iii) the lack of coordination and synergies between the financing and steering structures of development initiatives at different levels (national, regional and local), often with replications without taking into account previous experiences; and (iv) the lack of transmission belts between the central level and the regions that do not have sufficient autonomy and decision-making power to fully play their role. The government has already shown this orientation with the creation of the Ministry of the Interior, the Promotion of Decentralization and Local Development. The main aim is to strengthen the local and regional planning system, by adopting a truly bottom-up approach, making it possible to articulate local municipal planning with regional planning, in line with the decentralization guidelines (see diagram below), based on the PDCs (drawn up according to an improved approach by referring to the guide for the development of the PDGIP).En Mauritanie, l’évolution du cadre réglementaire et institutionnel depuis l’engagement de la décentralisation en 1987 a permis de soutenir le processus de développement local et la gestion décentralisée des ressources naturelles. Avec l’appui des partenaires techniques et financiers (PTF), plusieurs initiatives ont encouragé et soutenu la participation et l’implication des communautés rurales et des collectivités locales pour asseoir des modèles de gestion concertée et valorisante des ressources naturelles, pilotés par des organisations locales d’usagers de ces ressources. Globalement, les principaux obstacles entravant cette dynamique se situent au niveau de: (i) l’instabilité institutionnelle et organisationnelle, notamment le changement fréquent des responsables, causant des retards dans la prise de décision et une discontinuité dans la mise en œuvre des stratégies et des programmes de développement; (ii) l’insuffisance des ressources humaines et budgétaires favorisant l’alignement des politiques d’investissement public sur les priorités retenues dans les débats globaux; (iii) le manque de coordination et de synergies entre les structures de financement et de pilotage des initiatives de développement à différents niveaux (national, régional et local) avec souvent des réplications sans tenir compte des expériences antérieures; et (iv) le manque de courroies de transmission entre l’échelle centrale et les régions qui ne disposent pas suffisamment d’autonomie et de pouvoir de décision leur permettant de jouer pleinement leur rôle. Le gouvernement a déjà affiché cette orientation avec la création du ministère de l’Intérieur, de la Promotion de la Décentralisation et du Développement local. Il s’agit principalement de renforcer le système de planification locale et régionale, en adoptant une approche véritablement ascendante, permettant d’articuler la planification locale communale avec la planification régionale, en ligne avec les orientations de la décentralisation (voir schéma ci-après), en s’appuyant sur les PDC (élaborées selon une démarche améliorée en se référant au guide d’élaboration des PDGIP)
Nigeria Development Update, October 2025: From Policy To People - Bringing the Reform Gains Home
Get PDFNigeria has made substantial progress on macroeconomic stabilization. However, stabilization gains have yet to substantially improve Nigerians’ livelihoods. This Nigeria Development Update (NDU) builds on the prior edition’s private-sector-led, public-sector-enabled growth strategy and outlines people-centered actions to bring reform gains home to Nigerians: (i) reducing food inflation, (ii) improving the use of public resources for development, and (iii) strengthening the social safety net to protect the poor and economically insecure
VAT Cashback Programs in Practice: The Case of Devolve-ICMS in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Get PDFThis note describes the Devolve-ICMS program, an innovative VAT cashback initiative aimed at refunding taxes to low-income households in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Using administrative records, the authors document several stylized facts about the workings of the program. First, even the poorest households sometimes consume in formal stores. Second, as a share of reported income, lower income families consume relatively more on average. Third, 60 percent of households only receive a flat cash transfer, unrelated to their formal consumption–this highlights the trade-offs in generosity vs. incentivizing formal consumption. Finally, formal consumption is substantially higher for female headed households and for participants in a concurrent lottery program that also incentivizes formal consumption
Tool to Assess and Quantify Credit Risk from Public Corporations in the Transport Sector: Guidance Note
Get PDFState-owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in the provision of transport infrastructure and services. Many transport SOEs perform poorly, which undermines their ability to undertake needed capital and operating expenditures. Weak financial performance can limit SOEs access to financing markets and create fiscal risks. In some cases, financial markets tend to exercise less discipline on SOEs than on comparable private enterprises because they expect the government will bailout the SOEs if needed, creating fiscal risks. Being creditworthy, that is having the ability and willingness to repay and honor financial obligations fully and on time, allows a company to access commercial financial markets. But even if SOEs are not interested in borrowing from commercial markets because they have access to plenty of public funds, gaining and maintaining a creditworthy status can provide discipline to the operation of an SOE, by providing an incentive to improve efficiency and financial sustainability. Proper assessment of the creditworthiness of SOEs and understanding of the factors undermining it can help SOE managers and government officials take the necessary actions to ensure SOEs gain and maintain access to financing markets in a financially and fiscally sustainable manner. The tool presented in this guidance note allows SOE managers and government officials to undertake a shadow credit rating of SOEs to identify the factors undermining their creditworthiness in a systematic manner
World Bank Group Scorecard FY2025
Get PDFThis document presents three different views of the World Bank Group (WBG) Scorecard: (1) WBG scorecard view presents all data at the WBG level for a set of 51 indicators (8 Vision indicators, 22 Client Context indicators, and 21 WBG Results indicators). It provides an overview of the WBG's performance and progress towards its goals. The Scorecard is released at the Annual Meetings of the WBG and the International Monetary Fund in October 2025. (2) Disaggregation by female, youth, and disability-inclusiveness view breaks down the WBG results indicators by WBG institution, focusing on gender, youth, and disability-inclusive results. (3) Other disaggregation’s view provides a breakdown of data based on select criteria such as regions, income groups, WB small states, small island developing states, least developed countries, and fragile and conflict-affected situations. These disaggregation criteria allow for a more detailed analysis of the WBG’s results
Bulletin de conjoncture économique pour la Tunisie, automne 2025: Renforcer les filets de sécurité sociale pour plus d’efficacité et d’équité
Get PDFTunisia’s economy showed moderate recovery in 2025, with growth reaching 2.4 percent in the first nine months, driven by a rebound in agriculture, construction, and tourism, despite contractions in hydrocarbons and financial services. Inflation continued to decline, allowing cautious monetary easing, while external balances remained under pressure due to a widening trade deficit partially offset by resilient tourism receipts, remittances, and rising foreign direct investment. Fiscal consolidation advanced, yet public debt remains high, and financing constraints persist, with increasing reliance on domestic borrowing crowding out private sector credit. Despite recent job creation, labor market fragilities and gender disparities endure. Over the medium term, growth is expected to stabilize around 2.4 percent, constrained by subdued investment, structural bottlenecks, and limited external financing. Tunisia’s extensive social protection system—particularly the AMEN program—has contributed to reducing poverty and inequality, but faces challenges related to targeting, institutional capacity, and long-term financial sustainability. Strengthening governance, expanding economic inclusion measures, and advancing structural reforms will be essential to support a more resilient, efficient, and inclusive development trajectory.L’économie tunisienne a connu une reprise modérée en 2025, avec une croissance atteignant 2,4 % au cours des neuf premiers mois, tirée par un rebond de l’agriculture, de la construction et du tourisme, malgré la contraction des hydrocarbures et des services financiers. L’inflation a continué de baisser, ce qui a permis un assouplissement prudent de la politique monétaire, tandis que les soldes extérieurs sont restés sous tension en raison d’un déficit commercial grandissant partiellement compensé par la bonne tenue des recettes du tourisme, des envois de fonds des travailleurs émigrés et de l’augmentation des investissements directs étrangers. L’assainissement budgétaire a progressé, mais la dette publique reste élevée et les contraintes de financement persistent, le recours croissant aux emprunts intérieurs évinçant le crédit du secteur privé. Malgré la création récente d’emplois, les fragilités du marché du travail et les disparités entre les sexes persistent. À moyen terme, la croissance devrait se stabiliser autour de 2,4 %, plombée par des investissements atones, des goulets d’étranglement structurels et des financements extérieurs limités. Le vaste système de protection sociale de la Tunisie — en particulier le programme AMEN — a contribué à réduire la pauvreté et les inégalités, mais se heurte à des difficultés liées au ciblage, à la capacité institutionnelle et à la viabilité financière à long terme. Le renforcement de la gouvernance, l’élargissement des mesures d’inclusion économique et l’avancement des réformes structurelles seront essentiels pour soutenir une trajectoire de développement plus résiliente, efficace et inclusive
Heatwaves and Their Effects on Transportation Systems: A Comprehensive Review
Get PDFThe impact of increased temperature on transportation
infrastructure and services is a critical yet often underexplored component of disaster risk
management and climate change research. Transportation systems are the backbone of
economies worldwide, facilitating the movement of people and goods. However, they are
also highly susceptible to temperature variations. Increased temperatures can compromise
the integrity of infrastructure, leading to decreased service life, increased maintenance costs,
and potential safety hazards. Fifty flights were grounded in Arizona in 2017
because of extreme heat. Without improvements to infrastructure—such as
lengthened runways—this could mean 200 to 900 flights grounded annually by 2030, and
500 to 2,200 grounded annually by 2050. Over the last 40 years, railroad buckling
(or “sun kinks”) in the United States caused more than 2,100 derailments. . As
the climate changes, heat and other extreme weather can cause equipment issues, delays,
passenger discomfort, and safety risks for travelers and workers. Transportation infrastructure and services urgently require evidence-driven adaptation
protocols to enhance preparedness as extreme heat events intensify worldwide
Guidance Note on Integrating Gender into Land and Property Valuation and Taxation
Get PDFGuidance Note on Integrating Gender into Land and Property Valuation and Taxation: While land and property taxation and valuation policies and methods are by default gender neutral, the world in which these systems operate is not. While data on women’s land and property rights is limited, available evidence from 53 countries shows that within those countries, over 70 percent of women do not own any land. This guidance note explores the intersection of gender, land and property rights, and land and property valuation and taxation. It draws from secondary research and applied experience to explore the potential gendered impacts of processes, projects, and activities focused on land and property valuation and taxation. The guidance is meant for governments, practitioners, World Bank teams, and others interested in the topic. The note supplements existing guidance and frameworks on land and property valuation and taxation which seldom recognize the differences in women’s land and property rights and ownership and the impact that has on outcomes of valuation and taxation
Maldives: Decision Support for Coral Reef and Climate Resilience Using Bayesian Networks
Get PDFThe coral reef ecosystems of the Maldives are critical to the nation’s ecological integrity, economic development, and climate resilience. As a small island state, the Maldives is heavily dependent on healthy reefs to support tourism, fishing, and coastal protection. However, these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by a combination of global stressors, such as climate change and ocean warming, and local anthropogenic pressures, including overfishing and tourism-related degradation. In this context, tools are needed to support policy analysis and decision-making, evaluating trade-offs between conservation and economic development objectives. This working paper introduces a novel decision support tool built on a Bayesian network modeling framework to evaluate and compare the potential impacts of different policy interventions on reef health. The model was developed using a comprehensive dataset that integrates field-based ecological surveys with satellite-derived environmental and socioeconomic variables. Hard Coral Cover was used as a key indicator of reef health, and the model evaluates several key drivers, including sea surface temperature, human population density, tourism activity, and conservation status. To manage the complexity of these interrelated variables, the model employs a hierarchical structure that includes both manifest (observed) variables and latent (induced) factors. These latent factors capture broader thematic groupings, enabling a “big-picture” understanding of the dynamics of the reef ecosystem. This structure supports transparency and interpretability for stakeholders and decision makers. The decision support tool uses a Bayesian network to perform causal inference, simulating how changes in one part of the system, such as the designation of marine protected areas, affect outcomes throughout the network. Simulation results suggest, for example, that marine protected areas can have a positive impact on coral cover and should be considered as part of a comprehensive reef management strategy. To ensure usability and accessibility, the model has been integrated into an interactive, web based simulator, which is now live and fully operational. This platform allows policymakers, stakeholders, and non-specialists to explore the consequences of various policy choices under different scenarios. Users can visualize trade-offs between ecological and economic outcomes under different policy regimes, such as expanded protection zones, tourism restrictions, or fishing controls. This promotes a deliberate and explicit decision-making process. Beyond introducing the decision support tool itself, the study outlines a broader vision for a national coral reef data hub that would centralize spatial and temporal information from field surveys, remote sensing, and model output. Such an integrated platform would institutionalize evidence-based decision-making, facilitate cross-sectoral coordination, and ensure the continuity of reef monitoring and policy evaluation over time. By fostering sustained engagement with scientific tools and data, this infrastructure could also strengthen local capacity and embed analytical competencies within Maldivian institutions. The current version of the Bayesian Decision Support Tool represents a proof-of-concept prototype rather than a decision-ready product. Future phases will focus on refining the model through structured stakeholder consultations, formal elicitation of local value judgments, and integration into the Digital Maldives for Adaptation, Decentralization, and Diversification (DMADD) climate-resilience data platform. These steps will ensure that the system reflects national priorities, cultural context, and institutional realities, laying the foundation for long-term, sustainable adoption. Emerging Generative AI capabilities, such as AI-assisted knowledge discovery and model parameterization, could further enhance future iterations of the tool, accelerating the synthesis of scientific knowledge and the continuous improvement of causal structures. In conclusion, this study demonstrates how Bayesian network modeling can transform complex environmental data and expert knowledge into a transparent, interpretable, and practical decision-support framework. Combining scientific rigor with flexibility, the approach provides a systematic means to evaluate policy options, balance ecological sustainability with economic development, and guide the long-term management of coral reefs in the Maldives. Embedded within a broader data and policy ecosystem, the tool represents a significant step toward strengthening climate resilience and adaptive capacity in the coastal and marine systems of the country
Implications for Carbon Tax Policy - Technical Note
Get PDFAs Pakistan pursues its climate commitments, carbon pricing offers a market-based tool to align economic incentives with environmental goals. This note examines Pakistan's carbon emission profile, current emission levels, and their projected increases as the country transitions to a higher middle-income status. Using the latest household survey available, it imputes carbon content to the consumption basket of Pakistani households and discusses the direct, indirect, and behavioral channels affected by carbon taxation. The note argues that taxing carbon should be part of a comprehensive policy addressing the actual carbon price in the economy, which includes phasing out of energy subsidies that lower the cost of carbon emissions —at a high fiscal cost. Carbon pricing emerges as a policy with a potential "double dividend"
that can simultaneously reduce emissions and generate substantial fiscal resources for development initiatives or tax burden reduction elsewhere in the economy. However, implementation success hinges on addressing distributional effects, as analysis shows lower-income households would primarily experience impacts through indirect price increases in essential goods rather than through direct energy costs. The note emphasizes the importance of considering these channels when designing policies to compensate vulnerable households impacted by carbon taxation