Sector/Thematic Studies

6,525 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

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.

Sub-collections of this Collection

Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Insight

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Bending the Pollution Curve: An Analysis and Prioritization of Pollution Management in Ethiopia

(World Bank, Washington DC, 2022-09-14) Xie, Jian ; Tiruneh, Tamene ; Belayhun Woldemeskel, Bereket ; Lewis, Christopher Arthur ; Schlumpberger, Sven ; Croitoru, Lelia ; Guttikunda, Sarath

Pollution and environmental degradation often worsen as countries develop and industrialize. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis suggests that, initially, economic growth increases pollution up to a certain income threshold, and then it begins to decrease pollution. Pollution reduction is not inevitable, however. As one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, Ethiopia has been facing natural resource depletion and pollution problems which threaten to slow or impede development gains. The country must actively improve its pollution management practices and mitigate the impact of pollution on its economy, public health, and the natural environment as much as possible. This report aims to identify, diagnose, and evaluate air, water, and solid waste pollution issues facing Ethiopia and advise governments on developing and prioritizing pollution management interventions through a long-term perspective. It assesses the impacts of pollution problems and estimates the economic costs of pollution in selected study cities, which provide an economic basis for prioritizing and recommending pollution management interventions and programs. The report concludes that, with a good understanding and public awareness of pollution problems, strong political will, and sound strategies for pollution management, Ethiopia may bend the EKC and avoid the “pollute first, clean up later” development path that industrialized countries have taken—creating the chance for a cleaner environment, a healthier population, and a stronger and sustainable development progress.
Collection of Policy Notes for the New Somali Government: Unlocking Somalia’s Potential to Stabilize, Grow and Prosper

(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2022-06) World Bank

The arrival of a new government provides an opportunity to reinvigorate the reform agenda to deliver inclusive growth for the Somali people. Since the establishment of the Provisional Constitution in 2012, Somalia has made commendable progress on many fronts. Macroeconomic stability has been maintained, high levels of indebtedness are being addressed through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, several sector laws and institutions have been established, and a poverty reduction strategy paper has been developed – the ninth National Development Plan (NDP9). However, much remains to be done and the time has come to mark the next milestone in Somalia’s development trajectory through advancing reforms anchored in the HIPC process. The objective of the collection of policy notes is to provide sector-specific policy advice for the leadership of the new government, drawing on the expertise of the World Bank Group. This overview chapter synthesizes the advice across the sector policy notes and is organized in four sections. The first section outlines the current context. The second section presents the framework for organizing the policy notes. The third section summarizes the advice, and the fourth section concludes.
Ethiopia - Rural Income Diagnostics Study: Leveraging the Transformation in the Agri-Food System and Global Trade to Expand Rural Incomes

(Washington, DC, 2022-06) World Bank

Ethiopia began the decade on a great run, with high economic growth and significant gains in poverty reduction nationally. But the gains were unevenly shared. Multiple shocks at the beginning of the new decade threaten to discontinue progress and possibly undo most of the gains made in the recent past. This rural income diagnostics (RID) study seeks to inform how to promote growth in rural incomes to accelerate poverty reduction. The objective of the RID is to examine how those who currently reside in rural areas can have higher incomes in the future, which can entail one or more members moving to urban areas. The focus is on income growth that results in higher incomes on average, but also income that is less volatile because of due consideration to effective risk reduction and management, and to ensuring that growth is sustainable. While the RID focuses only on income that is earned by rural households, it is much more detailed in its identification of the constraints because of this narrower focus. The diagnostic provides evidence to validate constraints and key areas of focus in ongoing agriculture and rural policy reforms and other relevant reforms under the Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda (HGERA), elevate the importance of some reforms where immediate action is required, and provide empirical arguments to support important policy interventions where consensus may be lacking or there is policy hesitation.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Economic Update, 7th Edition: Digital Inclusion for Equitable Growth; The New Telecom Law : A Key Catalyst

(Washington, DC, 2022-05) World Bank

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has suffered from decades of conflict, poor governance, and volatile economic growth reflecting commodity dependence. Poverty remains widespread in the country, including in urban areas, albeit uneven across regions. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated the DRC’s existing economic vulnerability to external shocks while boosting the use of digital technology. This 7th edition, covering the period 2020–2021 and the first quarter of 2022, examines how the DRC economy responded and fared amidst adverse shocks, with a view to improving the country’s resilience in the future. It analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global recovery, as well as the most recent impact of the war in Ukraine on the DRC’s main macroeconomic aggregates. The report focuses on the importance of digital development in bringing about poverty reduction and inclusive growth. It leverages the critical breakthrough of the new Telecommunications Law to improve connectivity and close the digital divide, while exposing the remaining challenges. This economic update targets a broad audience, including decision makers, the business environment, local and international development partners, civil society actors, the academic environment, and economic and financial analysts.
A Study of Road Safety Lead Agencies in Africa

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-02-22) Mitullah, Winnie ; Small, Martin ; Azzouzi, Mustapha

This study of road safety lead agencies (RSLAs) in Africa takes place at an important time when serious injuries on roads are at the centre of discussions on sustainable development. RSLAs in Africa are considered to be critical vehicles for responding to road safety challenges, although how well they do this remains largely unknown. In literature, their functionality, complexity and autonomy has widely been assessed. However, there is limited attempt to link the management capacity of RSLAs to the observed road safety outcomes such as serious injuries and fatality reduction or reduction in the cost of road traffic crashes. Consequently, there is limited evidence as to whether or not lead agencies in Africa are achieving the intended goals of improving road safety status. This study sought to better understand these difficulties and the potential steps to success for RSLAs in Africa. It was commissioned by the African Development Bank and the World Bank and focuses on sixteen African countries. It is part of a global study of road safety lead agencies being undertaken by the World Health Organisation. The study is structured into four sections. Section 2 describes the two-phase methodology–desk study and preparation of the research instruments, data collection and analysis. This is followed in Section 3 by a discussion of the concept of lead agency, which lays the ground for presentation of the study results regarding lead agency performance in Section 4. Section 5 identifies lessons from the study and makes recommendations to improve lead agency performance.
Pathways to Electric Mobility in the Sahel: Two and Three-Wheelers in Bamako and Ouagadougou

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-02-14) Arroyo-Arroyo, Fatima ; Vesin, Vincent

This study analyzes the potential for electrification of two- and three-wheelers in Sahelian cities, using Bamako and Ouagadougou as case studies. The electrification of urban mobility in the Sahel has the potential to address pressing development issues such as reducing local air pollution, decarbonizing the transport sector, reducing vulnerability to petrol imports, and creating new jobs. The study has a particular focus on the electrification of two- and three- wheelers due to their dominant share of total mobility in Sahelian cities. In Ouagadougou, two-wheelers are used mostly for private vehicle use. In Bamako, they are used for private travel as well as commercial passenger travel as mototaxis and freight transport. Several international experiences show that switching from internal combustion engines to electric twoand three-wheelers has a high potential to reduce local air pollution and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as well as noise pollution. The World Bank aims to develop a dialogue with the governments of the Sahel region regarding the transition to two- and three-wheelers in cities, and consequently the reduction of carbon emissions, air pollution and dependence on fossil fuels. Based on the analysis of the mobility situation in the cities of Ouagadougou and Bamako, independent recommendations were prepared on how to develop a roadmap for transformation to e-mobility in Sahelian cities. The study focuses on all types of two- and three-wheeled vehicles, both motorized and nonmotorized. Thus, in addition to scooters, motorcycles and tricycles, bicycles are also included in the study. Similarly, the study considers two- and three-wheeled vehicles for the transport of people and goods.
Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Management in Yobe State, Nigeria

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-02-09) Isah, Nuraddeen Ibrahim

Following the conclusion of the North-East Nigeria Recovery and Stabilization Programme (NENRSP) in June 2018, the UK Government agreed to support the continuation and scaling up of World Bank (WB)-executed post-RPBA (Recovery and Peace Building Assessment) work through the second phase of Governance Partnership Facility (GPF)-funded activity. This second phase of activity is entitled ‘Enabling Sustained Recovery in the Northeast’ (ENSURE). ENSURE, which focuses on the states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, and on Federal Government institutions mandated to oversee recovery in the northeast, is implemented in close coordination with a second WB-executed project (financed through a European Union Trust Fund) that seeks to promote recovery-related financial governance reforms (including coordination) in Borno State. The ENSURE program is to operationalize and support the Government of Nigeria’s (GoN) implementation of the Recovery Strategy and Framework, as defined by the North-East (NE) Nigeria RPBA and Buhari Plan; and to identify practical recommendations for ongoing and future GoN and development partner operations and collaboration, including the Multi-sector Crisis Response Project (MCRP).
Reconsidering Sites and Services: A Global Review

(Washington, DC, 2022) World Bank

With African cities urbanizing rapidly, there is a growing appreciation that it is time to take a fresh look at the potential for the sites and services approach to meet urban development and housing needs in these rapidly growing urban areas. The report presents guiding principles on designing sites and services projects for Task Team Leaders (TTLs) and operations teams that emerge from a study conducted by the Urban Poverty, Inclusive Cities and Housing Global Solutions Group (GSG). The report provides a clear understanding of the large scale 1st generation sites and services by assessing their design and implementation, establishing their effectiveness in meeting the set objectives, examining reasons most governments and donors abandoned the intervention, identifying factors that contributed to their success or failure in countries where they were adopted, and identifying how building technologies, land and housing markets have changed over time in support of or against sites and services. The report also presents low-carbon alternatives that can be applicable in this approach, before concluding with lessons and potential guiding principles for possible future projects.
Improving Paratransit in Maseru and Gaborone: Using Innovative Data Techniques in a Diagnostic Approach to Inform Strategy

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022) Jia, Wenyu ; Beukes, Edward Andrew ; Coetzee, Justin ; Van Ryneveld, Philip

This report aims to advance the understanding of how to improve urban mobility in cities in SSA through building incrementally on the existing paratransit sector, informed by innovative data techniques and data-driven diagnostics. It is based on assessments of paratransit undertaken in Gaborone and Maseru, the capital cities and main economic centers of Botswana and Lesotho respectively; and aims to identity short-term, practical initiatives to improve mobility in these cities. This report summarizes the outcome of an in-field data collection in the project cities; documents paratransit sector assessment to deepen the understanding of mobility demand, constraints and conditions, and the operating environment and issues faced by the paratransit sector within the cities of Maseru and Gaborone; and proposes recommendations in policy, regulations, infrastructure and services in consideration of the local context.
Malawi COVID-19 Urban Cash Intervention Process Evaluation Report

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-12-31) Paul, Boban Varghese ; Msowoya, Chipo ; Archibald, Edward ; Sichinga, Massimo ; Campero Peredo, Alejandra ; Malik, Muhammad Abdullah Ali

This report presents the findings of a process evaluation for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) urban cash intervention (CUCI) program. The CUCI was initiated by the Government of Malawi in 2020 to help mitigate the adverse health and economic effects of COVID-19 on urban poor populations in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba, and Mzuzu. CUCI is the first major cash transfer program in Malawi to focus on urban areas. It therefore provides a conducive and fertile learning ground for shaping future policy and programming, both in terms of urban cash transfers and shock-responsive interventions. The goal of this process evaluation is to understand the quality of implementation of CUCI at each stage of the delivery chain, with a view to informing future policies and programs. The study looks at what, how, and why CUCI activities were implemented, what worked well, and what did not work well along the nine stages of CUCI’s delivery chain. The assessment also integrates the four building blocks of adaptive social protection, i.e., programs; data and information systems; finance; and institutional arrangements and partnerships - across all stages of the delivery chain. The process evaluation plans to draw lessons that can inform medium- to long-term considerations regarding the design and implementation of both urban safety nets and shock sensitive social protection policies and programs. The section lays out the context in which the CUCI was designed and implemented. It does this through examining the impacts of COVID-19 and social protection responses by governments - firstly at a global and regional level, and then with regard to Malawi.