Other Infrastructure Study
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Publication
The Mexican Tourism Sector as a Driver of Shared Growth
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-11-18)The goal of this paper is to estimate (with the data available) the impact of tourism as a factor of shared growth at the local or municipal level in Mexico. This country provides an excellent research example due to its socioeconomic characteristics, the fact that tourism is an important economic activity and that, in spite of not having an ideal database to prove empirically that tourism is associated to shared growth, there are reliable databases that combined may provide insightful information. The main findings are: first, tourist destinations in general have better economic conditions that neighbor communities. Second, in general we find that growth in tourism (growth in tourism related employment) is associated to more employment, to lower percentage of population working in social security, and to better figures in the Human Development Index (HDI). It has also been found that growth in maquila and oil industries do not present these positive impacts. -
Publication
Transport Development Priorities in Papua and West Papua
(World Bank, 2009-10-01)The province of Papua of the Republic of Indonesia was provided special autonomy under law 21-2001 in recognition of the fact that 'the management and use of the natural wealth of Tanah Papua has not yet been optimally utilized to enhance the living standard of the natives, causing a deep gap between the Papua province and the other regions, and violations of the basic rights of the Papuan people.' The goal of special autonomy was to help Papua and Papuans catch up to the rest of Indonesia in terms of living standards and opportunities. Yet, now almost a decade later, and after the split into two provinces: Papua and West Papua, progress toward this goal has been slow. In recognition of this, the Indonesian central government issued presidential instruction 5-2007 on the acceleration of development of Papua and West Papua instructing all relevant technical ministries to devote special attention to the two provinces and to coordinate their programs with the governors of both provinces. Transport is a key piece of the development puzzle and is a high priority for all levels of government in Papua and West Papua. Yet, despite this, and large amounts of investment channeled toward the sector, the people of Papua and West Papua are not receiving substantially better transportation services than they were before special autonomy. This report aims to set out a set of priorities that transport development must follow in Papua and West Papua if investments are to be productive and remain useful for their entire design life. -
Publication
Indonesia - Investing in the future of Papua and West Papua : Infrastructure for sustainable development
(World Bank, 2009-10-01)The remote and sparsely populated provinces of Papua and West Papua face a time of great change. Monetary transfers from Jakarta have grown extraordinarily in recent years, by more than 600 percent in real terms and 1300 percent in nominal terms since 2000, greatly increasing demand for goods and services. The high price of imports in the interior is producing pressure to improve roads in order to lower transport costs. Pressure is mounting to open up the interior of the region to commercial interests that would like to extract resources: copper, gold, coal, petroleum, natural gas, and, above all, timber. Investment in infrastructure, especially in road transport, is seen as the means to make dreams of development a reality. Building infrastructure in Papua and West Papua also is challenging because of physical (i.e. topographical and geological) conditions. Much of the region has either poorly drained peat soils or steep slopes with thin soils subject to landslides and erosion. Most of Papua and West Papua also receive heavy seasonal rainfall. The cost of building a good, well-planned road into the highlands is Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 6 to 10 billion per kilometer, far more than has been budgeted in the past. Combined with the low population density (a region three times the size of Java has a population smaller than that of Lombok), this means that it takes bigger networks of roads and power to serve the population. Moreover, such infrastructure has been inadequately maintained. As a result, especially outside urban areas, there is too little to show for past investments in roads, water supply systems, or power generating capacity. The aim of this report is: (i) to lay out the challenges that faces infrastructure planners and implementers in the central, provincial, and Kabupaten and Kota governments in a clear manner; and (ii) provide those planners and implementers with recommendations, based on the best information available, on how to mitigate the effects of these challenges. -
Publication
Country Guidelines for the Conduct of Road Safety Management Capacity Reviews and the Specification of Lead Agency Reforms, Investment Strategies and Safe System Projects
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-06)The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank jointly issued the world report on road traffic injury prevention on world health day 2004, dedicated by the WHO to the improvement of global road safety. The report's publication signaled a growing concern in the global community about the scale of the health losses associated with escalating motorization and a recognition that urgent measures had to be taken to sustainably reduce their economic and social costs. The purpose of these guidelines is to promote a safe system approach to road safety management and specify a management and investment framework to support the successful implementation of the world report recommendations. The guidelines provide practical procedures designed for application at a country level to accelerate knowledge transfer and sustainably scale up investment to improve road safety results. They have been prepared to assist country road safety professionals, World Bank and regional development staff, international consultants, community groups, private sector organizations and all other global, regional and country partners and stakeholders supporting country road safety investments. -
Publication
China : Road Traffic Safety, the Achievements, the Challenges, and the Way Ahead
(Washington, DC, 2008-08)Road traffic injuries are a major but neglected global public health problem. Worldwide, the number of people killed in road traffic accidents each year is estimated at almost 1.2 million, while the number injured could be as high as 50 million. Without increased efforts and new initiatives, the total number of road traffic injuries and fatalities worldwide is forecast to rise by 65 percent between 2000 and 2020, while in low and middle-income countries, road traffic fatalities are expected to increase by as much as 80 percent over the same period. In 2002, road traffic injuries were the ninth leading cause of years lost worldwide, equal to 2.6 percent of the global burden of disease. On current trends, by 2020, road traffic injuries are likely to be the third leading cause of years lost. Part one of this reports presents the achievements of the Chinese Government in the last five years and the challenges it faces. Part two reviews the World Bank's experience with road safety in China over the last 20 years and summarizes the legacy of its efforts and the lessons learned. Finally, part three discusses recommendations on the way ahead for World Bank's road safety initiatives in China. -
Publication
Lessons Learned from Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in Transport Sector Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Washington, DC, 2008-06)The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) pandemic burdens Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and continues to constrain its social and economic advancement. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has estimated that in southern Africa alone, 930,000 adults and children died of AIDS in 2005. This represents about one-third of AIDS deaths recorded globally that year. In addition, about 12 million children below the age of 17 in SSA are estimated to have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Africa Technical Transport Sector Unit (AFTTR) has made progress in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in its portfolio. However, there is still more work ahead in ensuring that all projects are mainstreamed as needed. In this context, the transport sector board needs to continue supporting such future mainstreaming efforts by establishing a sector board strategy for HIV/AIDS activities on Bank-financed transport projects. The diverse nature of transportation activities implies that mainstreaming is both challenging and urgent. In 2000, the Africa transport team gave high priority to its contribution to the campaign against the HIV/AIDS pandemic and pledged to mainstream HIV/AIDS actions in the Bank's lending operations and at country level in the transport sector. The transport sector contributed significantly through integrating simple activities into its operations (such as HIV/AIDS contract clauses into bidding documents for road construction site workers). Similarly, the Bank financed a first-round workshop to prepare HIV/AIDS prevention policy in the workplace for Ministry employees. Its main objective is to develop and implement highly focused prevention interventions to reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence and slow down the spread of the disease in the transport sector. This document is subdivided in four sections. The first section gives background information on the transport sector and HIV/AIDS. The second section describes the Bank's transport sector activities, with particular focus on the Africa region and its achievements regarding HIV/AIDS. The third section presents the process and the results of the assessment of the Africa transport sector portfolio for HIV/AIDS mainstreaming. The fourth section enumerates the lessons learned as well as the recommendations made to the World Bank's Transport Sector Board and to stakeholders in the client countries. -
Publication
Access, Affordability, and Alternatives : Modern Infrastructure Services in Africa
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2008-02)Africa lags well behind other developing regions in infrastructure access. The limited gains of the 1990s have not increased much in the 2000s. There is clear evidence that many countries are failing to expand services fast enough to keep ahead of rapid demographic growth and even faster urbanization. As a result, if present trends continue, Africa is likely to lag even further behind other developing regions, and universal access will be more than 50 years away in many countries. However, there is variation in performance across countries, even within the low and middle income brackets. A significant number of countries have succeeded in increasing the number of people who have access to water, electricity, and sanitation, by an annual average of 5-10 percent. Further investigation is warranted to explain what determines the superior performance of these countries. -
Publication
Land Policy Dialogues : Addressing Urban-Rural Synergies in World Bank Facilitated Dialogues in the Last Decade
(Washington, DC, 2007-06-27)Land policy, administration and management are areas of strong client demand for technical advice and operational support. This review sought to help the Bank better position itself to present coherent advice on policy, institutional arrangements and practice. The potential implications are a lowering of reputational risk to the Bank; greater efficiency in the process including joint data gathering; and building of greater momentum and ownership of national land policy dialogues. The review found that dialogues are not as divergent as initially thought. Positions that are central to the Bank's message on tenure security, land market efficiencies, administrative integration, proactive and economically efficient land use management and encouragement of rental markets, all receive consonant reflection from the prescriptive policy advice generated by the Bank. The review notes that especially in democratic environments, policy prescriptions are to be judged in the dynamics of political economy and that land is one component where the bargaining becomes most contested. Finally the review suggests the need to go beyond the desk review that was possible in this undertaking and to use more extensive consultations with task team leaders and sector managers to convert the background paper produced under the current exercise into a position paper with a wider audience. -
Publication
Land Acquisition in Afghanistan : A Report
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-06)The purpose of this report is to review and assess Afghanistan's legal framework regulating social safeguards (national and local laws, regulations, procedures and policies) with special reference to the law and practice of compulsory land acquisition, or expropriation. The overall objective of the report is to consider how Afghanistan's legal framework would address social safeguard issues in upcoming World Bank projects which are likely to involve land acquisition and resettlement of those persons whose land is to be acquired in connection with project implementation. The report will consist of a narrative of the context within which the assessment will be conducted and the assessment which will in both narrative and tabular form. Afghanistan is embarking upon a massive programme of public works to improve and upgrade the infrastructure of the country: better roads, clean water; more schools and hospitals in both rural and urban areas are needed to provide a better life for all Afghans. The World Bank is committed to providing assistance towards the realization of this programme. Much of these public works will involve the acquisition of land on which people are at present living and obtaining a livelihood from. It is important to stress at the outset of this report that far from the object of the report being to impede or prevent these necessary public works, the aim of the report and any consequential changes in the law which might result from its proposals are designed to facilitate those public works by providing for a clear and fair system of land acquisition, compensation and resettlement for those people who will be required to leave their homes and land for the greater public good in order that the public works can be carried out. Where people are satisfied that they have been treated fairly, they will be more likely to co-operate in being moved from their homes and this will facilitate the execution of the public works. -
Publication
Brazil - São Paulo : Inputs for a Sustainable Competitive City Strategy, Volume 2. Background Report
(Washington, DC, 2007-03)Through an analysis of selected topics, this study aims to offer inputs for a successful recovery strategy for the city and the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo (MSRP) in Brazil. The study first presents an analysis of the underlying factors of the economic transition in the MRSP, highlighting the factors behind the recent performance of the MRSP in terms of job creation and growth. Then, four inputs that would lead to a 'recovery strategy' for the MRSP are discussed in detail: The key area in the recovery strategy is 'Improving Fiscal Performance and Creditworthiness.' This is discussed in Chapter 2 and it provides an assessment of the current fiscal situation, revising the fiscal scenario, and the links between economic performance and fiscal spending. A second area of focus within the recovery strategy is 'Improving Competitiveness and the Investment Climate.' Chapter 3 assesses this issue along with the business environment in the MRSP, using both direct surveys and econometric models. A third area of focus under the MRSP recovery strategy is 'Improving Institutional Partnerships.' Chapter 4 explains this issue as confusing institutional framework; overlapping responsibilities, the lack of coordination across government levels, and little interaction with the private sector have hampered the MRSP's ability to react to economic and fiscal shocks. Finally, 'Improving Service Delivery' is the fourth focus area within the MRSP recovery strategy and is covered in chapter 5. The challenges of service delivery are illustrated in this chapter through careful examination of housing policies and programs in the Municipality of Sao Paulo.