Sector/Thematic Studies

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2110

Economic and Sectoral Work are original analytic reports authored by the World Bank and intended to influence programs and policy in client countries. They convey Bank-endorsed recommendations and represent the formal opinion of a World Bank unit on the topic. This set includes the sectoral and thematic studies which are not Core Diagnostic Studies. Other analytic and advisory activities (AAA), including technical assistance studies, are included in these sectoral/thematic collections.

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Mobilizing Private Finance for Nature: A World Bank Group Paper on Private Finance for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-09-25) World Bank Group

Biodiversity and ecosystem services, or nature for short, underpin many aspects of economic activity and are deteriorating at an unprecedented level, with potentially far-reaching implications for economies worldwide. Sustained ecosystem damage can trigger regime shifts and generate systemic impacts on human well-being and economies. For example, the degradation of natural ecosystems has been associated with an increase in the probability of emerging infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely an example of how the disturbance of ecosystems can have systemic consequences. As biodiversity is often seen as a public and therefore open access good, its conservation, restoration, and sustainable use rely heavily on scarce public sector finance. Simultaneously, governments are spending vast amounts to promote economic activities that are potentially harmful to biodiversity. This paper argues that governments and regulators, supported by financial institutions and multilateral development banks (MDBs), hold the key to mobilizing private finance at the scale needed to transform the way we build, produce, and consume to protect nature while fostering sustainable poverty reduction. The analysis looks at two key approaches to mobilizing private finance for biodiversity. First, it assesses opportunities for financing green, that is, the financing of projects that contribute, or intend to contribute, to the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity and its services to people. Second, it looks at greening finance, that is, directing financial flows away from projects with negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystems to projects that mitigate negative impact, or pursue positive environmental impact as a co-benefit. Despite growing innovation in both categories, significant challenges to scaling up private finance remain. These include policies that exacerbate the underpricing of biodiversity; lack of data, measurement, and reporting standards; and issues with biodiversity investment opportunities, which tend to be small scale and noncommercial, making private sector financing a challenge. The paper provides a set of recommendations for governments, regulators, companies, financial institutions, and MDBs. These are synthesized into a set of big five approaches to mobilize private finance for biodiversity: environmental fiscal reforms to realign incentives with sustainable practices; national biodiversity data provision and planning; the establishment of a Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) to support biodiversity reporting; the establishment of a Nature Action 100 to drive change in the companies whose activities most threaten biodiversity; and the provision of catalytic, concessional capital for biodiversity funds and projects.
Transport Costs and Prices in Lao PDR: Unlocking the Potential of an Idle Fleet

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-09) World Bank Group

The cost of transport in Lao PDR is said to be higher than in neighboring countries, affectingthe competitiveness of producers and shippers alike. However, the picture appears to be morenuanced. Since there has not been much hard evidence to support this claim, this paper fills thegap by empirically investigating transport costs and prices for domestic routes in Lao PDR andidentifies the key drivers behind transport costs. The transport sector in Lao PDR can be describedas thin, consisting of a dozen large players (defined as having a fleet size of more than 50 trucks) and many small firms (companies with less than 5 trucks or owner-operators). Many of the micro firms work in the informal sector. Productivity levels in the Lao transport sector are generally very low. Across the study sample, the average annual distance driven per truck is only 55,000 km which is very low, though comparable to other landlocked, developing countries. Transport costs are on average LAK 489 per ton-km (equivalent to USD 0.06 per ton-km). A large majority of transport companies operate within a band of LAK 230 (USD 0.028) and LAK 575 (USD 0.07), of which variable costs make up 62 percent. Smaller firms tend to be less efficient than larger ones in spite of their much smaller overhead costs. The 25 percent cost advantage per ton-km of informal firms is offset by the economies of scale of larger firms that operate newer and larger trucks.
Joining Forces for Better Services: When, Why, and How Water and Sanitation Utilities Can Benefit from Working Together

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-08) World Bank Group

This report describes the methodology applied and outcomes of the Global Study on WSS Utility Aggregation implemented by the Water Global Practice. The work conducted has allowed providing concrete, evidence-based guidance to policy makers and practitioners regarding when, why, and how water and sanitation utilities can work together (“aggregate”) to successfully deliver specific policy outcomes, such as better services or lower costs.
Networked Carbon Markets: Mitigation Action Assessment Protocol

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-04) World Bank Group

This Mitigation Action Assessment Protocol (MAAP) is proposed as a key tool for achieving transparency in how these climate actions are designed and how they compare in terms of mitigation value. The long-term goal is to have the MAAP serve as an internationally accepted system for comparing carbon assets and, eventually, the trade potential and exchangeability of carbon credits. Such a framework does not yet exist, but is a much-needed step in effectively and efficiently addressing climate change on a global scale. The MAAP focuses on the mitigation value of a particular type of carbon asset—carbon credits. Carbon credits are generated when jurisdictions reduce carbon emissions below a baseline level. The increasing number and diversity of mitigation actions that are emerging has accelerated the need for independent analyses of the various initiatives and the mitigation value of the carbon credits they generate. The approach presented in this document falls within the broader scope of work from the World Bank Group’s Networked Carbon Markets (NCM) initiative. The proposed MAAP can be applicable to a range of mitigation actions, as well as the evolution of those actions over time. As already stated, the ultimate goal of the MAAP is to compare carbon credits from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and inform linking decisions. However, in the short term, given the current efforts by different jurisdictions toward the design and implementation of mitigation actions, the MAAP is first and foremost intended to be a tool to facilitate prioritization, benchmarking, and better-designed mitigation actions. It can also be used to assist different stakeholders in defining the elements of a robust mitigation action and the level of development expected of the different components required for an acceptable level of confidence in the success of the action. The MAAP could help inform the design of regulatory instruments, such as Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). The assessment of the mitigation value is important if the carbon credits generated from the mitigation action are intended to be traded. The MAAP also proposes an approach to assess the mitigation value of an intervention, which is then not only determined by its isolated impact (carbon integrity) but also by its relevance in the context of jurisdictional effort. This combines analysis of the creditability of the actions implemented and the relative contribution to the global emission reduction effort, which is only likely to be relevant if the carbon assets are to be traded internationally. This examination is done within the specific context of the relative effort that each jurisdiction can actually make to contribute to climate change mitigation.
Tanzania Economic Update, No. 6 : The Elephant in the Room - Unlocking the Potential of the Tourism Industry for Tanzanians

(Washington, DC, 2015-01) World Bank Group

The focus of this economic update is the tourism sector, which is clearly central to Tanzania s drive toward economic emergence. Riding on the country s bountiful natural assets, tourism is a fast growing sector that is not only providing jobs but is also bringing in much-needed foreign currency. This sector already benefits from substantial attention from the country s leadership, notably in the context of the national business council that recently prioritized tourism as a high growth industry and a major source of job creation. Nevertheless, more can be done to increase benefits so they can be felt more broadly across society. This update proposes three strategic directions towards achieving this goal: (i) the diversification of tourism activities, in multiple dimensions; (ii) further integration in to the sector of stakeholders such as local communities and small operators; and (iii) good governance in the management of fiscal revenues as well as in the use of natural assets. This update also assesses the current state of the Tanzanian economy. While recent developments remain globally positive with high and stable GDP growth and with the inflation rate currently in check, fiscal risks for Tanzania have been growing. During the last fiscal year, the Government missed its revenue targets and was forced to cut priority expenditures and accumulate arrears with contractors and pension funds.
Indigenous Latin America in the Twenty-First Century: The First Decade

( 2015) World Bank Group

In 2013 the World Bank set itself two ambitious goals: to end extreme poverty within a generation and to boost the prosperity of the bottom 40 percent of the population worldwide. In Latin America, the significance of both goals cannot be overstated. Indigenous people account for about 8 percent of the population, but represent 14 percent of the poor and over 17 percent of all Latin Americans living on less than United States (U.S.) $2.50 a day. Though the World Bank has chosen two general indicators for measuring progress toward its twin goals - the proportion of people living on less than U.S. $1.25 a day (purchasing power parity, 2005) and the growth of real capital income among the bottom 40 percent of the population - this report acknowledges that these indicators offer only a partial view of the obstacles preventing many indigenous peoples from achieving their chosen paths of development. The report notes that in Bolivia, Quechua women are 28 percent less likely to complete secondary school than a nonindigenous Bolivian woman, while Quechua men are 14 percent less likely to complete secondary school than non-indigenous men. This report seeks to contribute to these discussions by offering a brief, preliminary glance at the state of indigenous peoples in Latin America at the end of the first decade of the millennium. The authors believe that this is the first, necessary step to start working on a concerted and evidence-based agenda for subsequent work in critical areas of development such as education, health, and land rights. The report makes a critical analysis of the many inconsistencies present in much of the data, which in many cases are intrinsic to the difficulties of approaching indigenous issues with tools and data sets not originally intended to account for or include indigenous peoples’ voices and special needs. The report is divided into six sections. The first part, how many and where they are provides a demographic overview of indigenous people in the region, including population, geographic distribution, number of ethnic groups, and indigenous languages. The second section, mobility, migration, and urbanization describes a growing tendency among indigenous people to migrate to Latin American cities, which are becoming critical, though largely ignored, areas for political participation, and market articulation. The third section, development with identity briefly discusses the concept of poverty and reflects on how the use of predominantly Western indicators of well-being might condition the understanding of indigenous peoples’ situations and needs. The fourth and fifth sections broaden this argument by focusing on two particular instances of exclusion - the market and education.
India Development Update, October 2014

(Washington, DC, 2014-10) World Bank Group

Growth rebounded significantly due to strong industrial recovery aided by growth in investment and exports. Capital flows are back, signaling growing investor confidence, as inflation has moderated from double digits, exchange rate has stabilized, and financial sector stress has plateaued. Monetary policy continuity has been maintained and there has been some progress on fiscal consolidation. With the economy still below potential and reform momentum picking up, growth is expected to strengthen over the medium-term. Inflation is expected to decline with monetary policy switching to inflation targeting while the current account deficit is expected to widen somewhat as import demand and capital inflows rise. Fiscal consolidation is expected to continue through stronger revenue mobilization. Downside domestic risks can be offset through accelerated structural reforms.
Reconstruction and Recovery Planning in the Aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

(Washington, DC, 2014-10-01) World Bank Group

This report summarizes the just-in-time advice provided by the World Bank to the government of the Philippines (GoP) immediately after Typhoon Haiyan. The Bank helped the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) develop the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) plan, providing recommendations and sharing international good practice on key aspects of recovery and reconstruction, including institutional arrangements for recovery implementation, use of remote damage assessment, resilient recovery, and reconstruction of housing, buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. The report is divided into six chapters: 1. Rapid Damage Assessments: Using Remote Sensing Technologies and Risk Information to Help Determine Preliminary Reconstruction Needs 2. Buildings and Infrastructure: Good Practices for Resilient Reconstruction 3. Housing: Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Housing Reconstruction Programs 4. Building Back Better: Restoring Key Sectors, Local Economy, and Livelihoods 5. Roads and Bridges: Enabling Operational Continuity of Lifelines for Evacuation and Post - Disaster Response 6. Institutional Structures: Good Practices and Options for Effective Planning and Implementation of Reconstruction and Recovery. International experience shared through the engagement includes lessons learned from community driven reconstruction in Indonesia and Pakistan; shelter and housing recovery in Haiti; emergency reconstruction in Turkey; resilient infrastructure and hurricane contingency planning in Florida; resilient reconstruction of buildings in California, Haiti, Japan, and Turkey; remote damage assessment in Pakistan; and resilient road and highway management in East Asia and New Zealand.
Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Mozambique : A Demand-Side Assessment

(Washington, DC, 2014-08) World Bank Group

The key findings and recommendations presented in this report cover 4 main areas: financial inclusion, financial capability, relationship between financial inclusion and capability, and financial consumer protection. The remaining chapters are structured as follows. Chapter one explores the financial inclusion landscape in Mozambique. Chapter two gives an overview of Mozambicans' levels of financial capability, in particular about their financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. The relationship between financial capability and inclusion is discussed in chapter three. The last chapter investigates if the products which financially included individuals use are effectively meeting their needs.
Enhancing Sensitivity to Conflict Risks in World Bank-funded Activities : Lessons from the Kyrgyz Republic

(Bishkek, 2014-07) World Bank Group

The Kyrgyz Republic is a landlocked mountainous country of 5.5 million and home to several ethnic groups. Nevertheless, economic stagnation, rising corruption, and inter-ethnic tensions have posed risks to the country's stability. Following the revolution and ethnic disturbances in 2010, the World Bank introduced a conflict filter for its Kyrgyz Republic operations in 2011 as a screening tool to ensure that Bank projects do not exacerbate conflict risks. The objectives of the conflict filter were: (i) assisting task teams to be cognizant of the context in which they operate in the Kyrgyz Republic; (ii) assisting task teams in identifying and managing the conflict and fragility risks in the World Bank-supported activities; (iii) supporting task teams and the client in identifying measures to help strengthen trust, social inclusion, and social cohesion in the context of World Bank supported activities and in targeted project areas; and (iv) assisting task teams and the clients in applying good practices for conflict management and citizen engagement in fragile environments. The application of the conflict filter has evolved over time in three distinct stages: in the first stage, a country-wide conflict analysis was undertaken and a matrix was developed. In the second stage, the conflict filter team applied the conflict filter matrix in a comprehensive manner, covering all projects in the portfolio. In the third stage (July 2014-June 2014), the conflict filter adopted a more selective and practical approach by focusing primarily on projects under preparation. This note summarizes the application of the conflict filter to the Bank's Kyrgyz Republic portfolio during its third year of implementation. The note provides a brief update on recent conflict and fragility dynamics in the country. It also provides a summary of the activities with a focus on selected projects where the application of the conflict filter influenced project design and implementation. Finally, the note shares some lessons learned to guide future conflict filter application in the Kyrgyz Republic and elsewhere.