The World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
The World Bank Open Knowledge Repository (OKR) is The World Bank’s official open access repository for its research outputs and knowledge products.
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Total publications: 39,058
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Publication Exploring Household Recovery after a Disaster in a Conflict Setting: The Case of the June-November 2022 Nigerian Floods(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-07-10) Ben Bih, Karima; Jafino, Bramka; Desjonqueres, Chloe; Sirenko, MikhailThis paper examines the compounded effects of conflict on household recovery following disasters, using Nigeria as a case study. The analysis employs the “Unbreakable” microsimulation model to analyze how proximity to conflict influences recovery rates and well-being, measured by consumption losses. Key factors affecting recovery include exposure bias, vulnerability bias, and limited access to resources and social safety nets. Poor households often live in risk-prone areas due to socioeconomic opportunities, making them more vulnerable to disaster impacts. Their livelihoods, typically in sectors like subsistence farming, are easily disrupted, prolonging recovery. Inadequate housing and limited financial access further hinder rebuilding efforts. By integrating conflict data, the paper reveals how violence exacerbates recovery challenges, increasing consumption losses and deepening poverty impacts. The findings highlight the need for targeted resilience policies to address both disaster and conflict-related vulnerabilities, aiming to enhance recovery capacity and minimize welfare losses for the most affected populations.Publication Subnational Certification (SNC): India's Tuberculosis Recognition Program(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-07-10) Yellappa, Vijayashree; Fritsche, Gyorgy Bela; Surendran, Sapna; Dong, Di; Vu, Lung; Gupta, Tanya; Mutasa, Ronald; Yazbeck, Abdo; Nguyen, Son Nam; Mathur, Alok; Somasundaram, VigneshwaranThis report outlines the development of a novel strategy for an intergovernmental transfer program known as performance-based incentives (PBIs). The Government of India initiated the Sub-National Certification for Tuberculosis (SNC) to consolidate efforts aimed at eradicating Tuberculosis (TB). A detailed understanding of the TB burden at subnational levels, along with more granular insights into interventions in various contexts, is critical for TB control. The World Health Organization certifies member states for disease elimination globally; however, the prevalence of diseases varies significantly among Indian states and regions. In response, India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare developed a ‘Sub-National Certification of Progress towards TB Free Status’ initiative to measure progress toward ending TB at district and state/Union Territory levels. The early introduction of the TB Index, designed to complement the SNC scheme, ensures compatibility between the two. This SNC initiative, which is a provider recognition program, rewards increasing levels of tuberculosis elimination relative to a 2015 baseline through public recognition and financial incentives. During its implementation amid over two years of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SNC initiative aims to achieve several objectives: (i) assess the current pace, challenges, and lessons from the SNC's initial implementation to inform future improvements and scale-up; (ii) promote this domestic innovation on an international scale; and (iii) contextualize this innovation within other performance-based innovations in the health sector, offering a range of options for countries aiming to eliminate TB. This document aligns with the Lighthouse India Initiative. The World Bank documents lessons and evidence from India while sharing global lessons and best practices with Indian policymakers and technocrats. By situating India’s innovation within the broader scope of international health experiences with various award-based, incentive-based, performance-based, and results-based approaches, the report provides a comprehensive menu of options for future efforts to combat Tuberculosis.Publication Digital vs in-Person Business Training at Scale: Cautionary Lessons from a Randomized Trial in Ethiopia(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-07-10) Asheber, Tsedey; Cassidy, Rachel; Ebrahim, Menaal Fatima; Ubfal, Diego Javier; Weis, ToniDigital business training offers flexibility and scalability, but translating these features into tangible benefits for women-led businesses is challenging. Completion rates were much higher for in-person training. While over 75 percent of women started the training in both groups, only 22 percent of app users completed the program, compared to 71 percent of in-person participants. Neither training modality led to measurable improvements in business outcomes. Business survival, revenues, profits, inputs, and practices remained unchanged across both groups. Business knowledge gains were modest and similar for both modalities, even among women who completed the program. The cost advantage of digital training was smaller than expected. Although the average cost per participant was lower for app-based training, the necessity of in-person onboarding to generate initial engagement narrowed the cost differential and raised marginal costs. Standalone training may not be sufficient to improve business performance. Even among women entrepreneurs with growth-oriented intentions, business training alone had no significant effect, suggesting the need for complementary interventions to address other binding constraints. Improving digital training outcomes will require stronger incentives to keep learners engaged. Gamification and tailored support for individuals with low digital literacy may help sustain participation and improve outcomes for e-learning programs.Publication India - Trends in Poverty from 2011-2012 to 2022-2023: Methodology Note(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-07-10) World BankThis technical note outlines updated poverty trends in India, drawing on data from the 2022–23 and 2011–12 Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (CES) conducted by the National Sample Survey Office. It introduces a new methodology based on the Modified Mixed Reference Period (MMRP) and evaluates poverty using international poverty lines (IPLs) defined in 2017 purchasing power parity (PPP). The analysis includes thresholds for extreme poverty, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries, and also explores potential adjustments using 2021 PPPs. The findings indicate a marked reduction in poverty levels over the past decade, reflecting improvements in household welfare. These updated estimates differ from earlier World Bank figures, which relied on alternative data sources and methodologies, such as the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) and uniform recall periods. The revised approach offers a more refined and current understanding of poverty and inequality in India, emphasizing the importance of accurate data and methodology in shaping economic assessments and policy decisions.Publication Mongolia Public Finance Review: Health Background Note(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-07-10) World BankThis background note provides more detail on the key findings for the health sector from the forthcoming World Bank 2025 Mongolia Public Finance Review. It is intended for policymakers and practitioners who are interested to know more about the efficiency of health spending in Mongolia. It can be read in conjunction with the Public Finance Review or as a standalone report.