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Publication
Climate Resilient Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa Compendium Volume: A Focus on Infrastructure Project Design in Key Sectors
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-09-01)This Compendium Volume presents a series of guidance notes and more detailed complementary technical notes that offer practical insights in support of enhancing the climate resilience of infrastructure investment projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. This first introductory chapter starts with an overview of the investment conditions and climatic context in the region, followed by a description of the scope of this Compendium Volume and individual notes, target audiences, and a roadmap for users of the contents covered in this Volume. -
Publication
Hydrological Risk
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-22)This Technical Note contains a level of technical detail that non-specialists can use for guidance in addressing the hydrological aspects of dam projects early in the project preparation. It is intended to raise awareness and inform specific studies and investigations, as appropriate, during project preparation and implementation. The material presented should be used to prepare terms of reference on such studies and to assess the adequacy of methodology proposed by consultants in response to tenders for advisory services. It is recommended that, reading the Note, the client and the World Bank project teams will assess the required level of hydrological expertise in the teams. The hydrological subjects this Note covers are typical in World Bank–supported operations. There are several other subjects pertaining to hydrology that it does not cover. Enlarging the scope to those subjects will defeat the objective and turn the Note into a handbook on the vast discipline of hydrology. The same selective effort has been applied in choosing the references that the reader can consult to focus on specific subjects. For that reason, the list has been limited to essential references that provide general guidance on required hydrology studies, whereas the additional sources complement the general guidance with references dealing with specific aspects of the project hydrology. -
Publication
The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-15)To meet the climate targets set forth in the International Maritime Organization’s Initial GHG Strategy, the maritime transport sector needs to abandon the use of fossil-based bunker fuels and turn toward zero-carbon alternatives which emit zero or at most very low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout their lifecycles. This report, “The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries”, examines a range of zero-carbon bunker fuel options that are considered to be major contributors to shipping’s decarbonized future: biofuels, hydrogen and ammonia, and synthetic carbon-based fuels. The comparison shows that green ammonia and green hydrogen strike the most advantageous balance of favorable features due to their lifecycle GHG emissions, broader environmental factors, scalability, economics, and technical and safety implications. Furthermore, the report finds that many countries, including developing countries, are very well positioned to become future suppliers of zero-carbon bunker fuels—namely ammonia and hydrogen. By embracing their potential, these countries would be able to tap into an estimated $1+ trillion future fuel market while modernizing their own domestic energy and industrial infrastructure. However, strategic policy interventions are needed to unlock these potentials. -
Publication
Charting a Course for Decarbonizing Maritime Transport: Summary for Policymakers and Industry
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-15)As the backbone of global trade, international maritime transport connects the world and facilitates economic growth and development, especially in developing countries. However, producing around three percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emitting around 15 percent of some of the world’s major air pollutants, shipping is a major contributor to climate change and air pollution. To mitigate its negative environmental impact, shipping needs to abandon fossil-based bunker fuels and turn to zero-carbon alternatives. This report, the “Summary for Policymakers and Industry,” summarizes recent World Bank research on decarbonizing the maritime sector. The analysis identifies green ammonia and hydrogen as the most promising zero-carbon bunker fuels within the maritime industry at present. These fuels strike the most advantageous balance of favorable features relating to their lifecycle GHG emissions, broader environmental factors, scalability, economics, and technical and safety implications. The analysis also identifies that LNG will likely only play a limited role in shipping’s energy transition due to concerns over methane slip and stranded assets. Crucially, the research reveals that decarbonizing maritime transport offers unique business and development opportunities for developing countries. Developing countries with large renewable energy resources could take advantage of the new and emerging future zero-carbon bunker fuel market, estimated at over $1 trillion, to establish new export markets while also modernizing their own domestic energy and industrial infrastructure. However, strategic policy interventions are needed to hasten the sector’s energy transition. -
Publication
The Role of LNG in the Transition Toward Low- and Zero-Carbon Shipping
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-15)Due to its much lower air pollution and potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions benefits, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is frequently discussed as a fuel pathway towards greener maritime transport. While LNG’s air quality improvements are undeniable, there is debate within the sector as to what extent LNG may be able to contribute to decarbonizing shipping. This report, “The Role of LNG in the Transition Toward Low- and Zero-Carbon Shipping,” considers the potential of LNG to play either a transitional role, in which existing LNG infrastructure and vessels could continue to be used with compatible zero-carbon bunker fuels after 2030, or a temporary one, in which LNG would be rapidly supplanted by zero-carbon alternatives from 2030. Over concerns about methane leakage, which could diminish or even offset any GHG benefits associated with LNG, and additional capital expenditures, the risk of stranded assets as well as a technology lock-in, the report concludes that LNG is unlikely to play a significant role in decarbonizing maritime transport. Instead, the research finds that LNG is likely to only be used in niche shipping applications or in its non-liquefied form as a feedstock to kickstart the production of zero-carbon bunker fuels when used in conjunction with carbon capture and storage technology. The research further suggests that new public policy in support of LNG as a bunker fuel should be avoided, existing policy support should be reconsidered, and methane emissions should be regulated. -
Publication
Stronger Power: Improving Power Sector Resilience to Natural Hazards
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-06)The power sector is both highly vulnerable to natural hazards and a priority for any country'srecovery and reconstruction. After Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, most of the power gridwas down. One year and tens of billions of dollars later some customers were yet to be reconnected to the main grid. This type of long and widespread power outage has major consequences on people's health and well-being, for instance through lacking access to refrigeration for food and medicine, and on the ability of firms to produce and provide people with goods, services, jobs, and income. In most countries, the power system is designed to cope with high-frequency but relatively low impact events. Low-frequency, high-impact events – such as many natural disasters – are rarely considered fully, and the implementation of planned management measures is often patchy. Furthermore, the power system is a special kind of infrastructure due to the heterogeneity of the generation assets and its wide spatial distribution. The latter means that power systems are often exposed to natural hazards and sometimes to more than one hazard, leading to high repair costs when disasters strike. This paper, prepared as a sectoral note for the Lifelines report on infrastructure resilience, investigates the vulnerability of the power system to natural hazards and climate change, and provides recommendations to increase its resilience. It first describes how power outages are often the consequence of natural disasters and outlines the main vulnerabilities of the power sector. It then proposes a range of approaches and solutions for building a more resilient power sector – from increased robustness to greater flexibility – showing that the additional cost of resilience is not high if resources are well spent. Finally, it describes how emergency preparedness and disaster recovery encompass not only technical aspects, like asset strengthening or criticality analysis, but also "softer" skills, like governance, regulatory or capacity building, and education. -
Publication
The Status of Infrastructure Services in East Asia and Pacific
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-10-03)Infrastructure plays an important role in the economic and social development of any country. Access to reliable, high-quality, efficient and affordable infrastructure services is a critical factor for reducing poverty and inequality, promoting economic growth and improving productivity, creating jobs, and promoting environmental sustainability and resilience in the face of major uncertainties including climate change. Given the World Bank Group’s active role in infrastructure development, the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) regional team has commissioned this report to take stock of the current levels of access, quality, tariffs, and costs associated with infrastructure services. This report aims to provide an overview of the status of economic infrastructure in several key sectors in the EAP region, particularly for networked infrastructure services such as urban water supply and sewerage, road transport, and electricity distribution. The exercise aims to shed light on the areas of greatest need, as well as to identify which sectors and geographical areas most require focused investments. The report also offers an account of trends and current levels of private sector investment in EAP countries to help inform financing strategies and decisions. -
Publication
Energy-Water Nexus in Southern Africa: Background Paper to Support Dialogue in the Region
(Washington, DC, 2016-06-30)The objective of this paper is to provide high-level background information on the interdependency between the supply of electricity and water in Southern Africa. The paper assimilates information based an extensive review of recent work on the energy and watersectors in the region and beyond, and the World Bank’s sector dialogue in the region. The paper is intended to help facilitate a dialogue on the energy-water nexus in the region, especially fromthe perspective of electricity sector planning, and help the World Bank engage key sectorstakeholders on the issue.The value of this paper is in bringing together the latest knowledge work and other key information relevant for energy-water nexus dialogue in Southern Africa. This information has been derived from a number of fragmented sources, and an effort has been made to present the information in a logical framework, in one document that can help initiate discussions in the region.This paper was conceptualized as a background discussion paper and does not seek to make any recommendations on policy alternatives to tackle challenges facing the region on energy-water nexus issues. Any recommendations should be rooted in a thorough assessment of the specificchallenges, institutions and objectives of the region; and most importantly should follow from aconstructive regional dialogue amongst key stakeholders.The issues and implications that surround the energy-water nexus are numerous. The use of electricity and water as critical inputs to economic activity, implies that there are many interlinkages that can be explored. To increase the usefulness of the information and the framework presented, this paper focuses on the perspective of electricity supply, and highlights nexus issues that are directly relevant to it. Important related nexus issues such as agriculture and its dependence on reliable water and electricity (the energy-water-food nexus) are not considered and are left for future work. Thus, in referring to the energy–water nexus, the paper considers issues on electricity and water sectors in relation to electricity supply and long-term planning around it, including the feedback loop to water. By highlighting key analytical work and drawing insights relevant to Southern Africa, this paper aims to support an informed regional dialogue on decision making about the energy–water nexus in the region.