Sector/Thematic Studies

6,688 items available

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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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Offshore Wind Roadmap for Sri Lanka

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-08-24) World Bank Group

The World Bank Group (WBG) launched a new global initiative on offshore wind in March 2019. The offshore wind development program objective is to support the inclusion of offshore wind into the energy sector policies and strategies of emerging market countries and support the preparatory work needed to build a pipeline of bankable projects. The objective of this roadmap is to provide strategic analysis and advice on the role that offshore wind can play in Sri Lanka’s future energy mix, analysis on the key opportunities and challenges, and recommendations on next steps in terms of policy formulation, planning, and developing bankable projects. This report is comprised of main body (chapters 2 to 6), which summarize the key findings and conclusions of this report, as well as presenting the roadmap. Chapters 7 to 15 present more detailed analysis of the themes of this report.
Taking Stock, August 2023: Making Public Investment Work for Growth

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-08-10) World Bank

The latest Taking Stock report shows that Vietnam’s economic growth slowed from 8% in 2022 to 3.7% in the first half of 2023. It forecasts a moderate growth of 4.7% in 2023, gradually accelerating to 5.5% in 2024 and 6.0% in 2025. However, the economy faces external and domestic headwinds. Vietnam has ample fiscal space and a proactive fiscal policy supporting short-term demand, removing barriers to the implementation of public investment, and addressing infrastructure constraints can help the economy achieve these targets and promote long-term growth. The report’s special chapter studies Vietnam’s public investment management and how it can contribute to the goal of becoming a high income economy. To harness the power of public investment, the report recommends that Vietnam sustain its level of investment, improve the quality of the proposed project, and address deficiencies in public investment management and inter-governmental fiscal institutions.
Building a Blue Economy Roadmap for Cambodia

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-07-20) World Bank

Cambodia’s coastlines make up a vital component of Cambodia’s national economy, contributing to the country’s growth, employment, and food security. In addition, Cambodia’s coastal areas provide critical ecosystem services (ES) that provide natural protection to coastal communities against adverse impacts of climate change. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is increasingly recognizing this importance and taking steps to harness the potential of the Blue Economy to ensure the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, andjobs, while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. This report is intended to provide an analysis of, and subsequent recommendations for, Cambodia’s sustainable Blue Economy development. Here we focus on three fundamental areas related to marine policy, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and coastal livelihoods including blue growth sectors. We consolidate existing knowledge and data related to Cambodia’s marine and coastal resources and provide recommendations to support the development of a sustainable Blue Economy for Cambodia which can serve as an input for the RGC in the development of its own national blue economy plan or strategy.
Nepal Fiscal Federalism Update, June 2023

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-06-30) World Bank

The World Bank Nepal Fiscal Federalism Update aims to report annually on the progress of fiscal federalism in Nepal and identify implementation gaps. This first such update reviews the progress on fiscal federalism since the publication of the Federalism Capacity Needs Assessment (FCNA) in 2019.
Improving Building-Level Thermal Comfort and Indoor Air Quality in South Asia: Energy-Efficient and Cost-Effective Interventions for a Changing Climate

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-06-12) World Bank

This report provides evidence-based guidance on cost-effective and energy-efficient cooling and ventilation interventions to improve building-level thermal comfort and indoor air quality for a changing climate in South Asia. It focuses on Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan but also covers all the countries in the region, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. After an introduction, the report analyzes local climates and air quality issues, building types, and occupant behavior, as well as available passive and active interventions and their relevance in the region, before concluding with a set of recommendations for all building types. The report also identifies additional recommendations specific to residential and commercial buildings, along with policy and country-specific recommendations.
Bangladesh Land Acquisition Diagnostic Review: Legal and Institutional Framework, Procedures and Practices - Analysis of the Challenges of and Proposals for Strengthening the Country’s Land Acquisition System

(Washington, DC, 2022-08) World Bank

Bangladesh has experienced a rapid pace of economic growth in the last two decades, with notable achievements across several social development parameters. To ensure sustained higher economic growth, the government of Bangladesh (GoB) aims to expand infrastructure related investment in the areas of strategic connectivity, industrialization, tourism development, and trade promotion, all of which require a significant amount of land. Age-old legal and institutional legacies and practices, issues pertaining to institutional capacity, and the lack of interoperability between departments involved in land administration make the overall land acquisition (LA) process extremely complicated and lengthy, with the scarcity of land making it even more challenging. The overall objective of the study was to assess the challenges and identify a mechanism for system strengthening and the scope of needed legal and institutional reform to improve the speed, accuracy, and accountability of the LA process. This report is presented in five chapters that discuss the study method, the analysis of the existing system and its challenges, measures to address the challenges, and the scope of possible legal and institutional reform. After introducing the study in this chapter, Chapter 2 discusses the country’s LA system and the process in practice. Chapter 3 describes the overall land administration in Bangladesh, including the method for transferring property rights, the creation and updating of khatians, and the complexity involved in the ownership decision process, one of the primary causes of delays in the payment of compensation. Chapter 4 presents the key challenges in the LA process, from the frustrations faced by IAs, who watch the timelines for their projects extended years longer than planned, to the worries and concerns of affected landowners waiting for compensation. Chapter 5 presents the proposals for improving and strengthening aspects of the LA process, including pertinent issues identified for possible land administration reform.
Bangladesh Country Gender Assessment 2021

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022) Moyeen, Sabah ; Lonnberg, Tara ; Akter, Marufa ; Chowdhury, Samera ; Parvin, Sabina ; Sethi, Jayati ; Suwal, Erisha Singh ; Tazrin, Mohsiu Rashedin ; Zaman, Sanan Isaba

This Country Gender Assessment presents key gender issues to be considered for Bangladesh’s desired transformation. The objective of the assessment is to inform the World Bank Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Bangladesh, which is currently being developed. Gender issues are discussed across the four pillars of the World Bank Gender Strategy FY16–23 (World Bank Group 2015). Given the unique challenges emerging from the Displaced Rohingya Population (DRP) influx, gender gap analysis is also conducted for the host community in Cox’s Bazar district. Timely discussion of the impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on women and girls is included as part of the analysis of gender gaps across these five areas. Similarly, the impacts of climate change on women and girls and their potential role in climate adaptation are also discussed across pillars. The Country Gender Assessment serves as a compendium of existing analytical work on gender issues and opportunities by the World Bank, GoB, development partners, academia, and others, including the Bank’s Bangladesh jobs diagnostic and voices to choices report. The executive summary highlights key interlinkages between the barriers to gender equality and the frontier challenges that Bangladesh is facing
Bangladesh: Enhancing Coastal Resilience in a Changing Climate

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022) Kazi, Swarna ; Urrutia, Ignacio ; van Ledden, Mathijs ; Laboyrie, Jean Henry ; Verschuur, Jasper ; Haque Khan, Zahir-ul ; Jongejan, Ruben ; Lendering, Kasper ; Mancheño, Alejandra Gijón

As the World Bank and government of Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of development cooperation this year, a key highlight is the journey towards addressing climate change and improving the resilience of the coastal zone. From the outset, the World Bank has been a long-standing partner in the government’s efforts to reduce the risks from disasters and enhance coastal resilience, resulting in a number of noteworthy achievements. Bangladesh demonstrated how investments in the entire chain of disaster risk reduction saves lives, reduces economic losses, and protects development gains. Proactive policies and sound investments in strengthening resilience across multiple fronts over the last five decades have resulted in a drastic decline in the number of casualties from cyclones. Bangladesh’s approach has been an integrated one, from grassroots strengthening of community-level adaptation and community-based early warning systems, to investing in key protective infrastructure and promoting innovations, all founded on a strategic policy framework. With the success of these initiatives, Bangladesh has emerged as a global leader in climate resilience. Although there has been significant progress, with the coastal population and economy expected to grow, and the intensity and magnitude of extreme events projected to increase due to climate change, hazard impacts still pose a great threat to the development ambitions of the country. Thus, further actions are needed to improve the resilience of the coastal zone. This report provides new perspectives and insights into how to address the impacts of climate-related hazards in the coastal zone. The report provides evidence of the drivers of risks in Bangladesh’s coastal zone, analyzes what has been achieved so far in reducing these risks, and reviews the lessons learned from these achievements. Supported by in-depth analytical work, the report explores innovative solutions illustrated with artist impressions and puts forward seven key recommendations to enhance coastal resilience in Bangladesh and build shared prosperity for decades to come. What is clear from the report is that investing in coastal resilience will bring multiple benefits, and that the time to act is now.
Multihazard Multisectoral Risk Communication Framework for Pakistan, 2021

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

Pakistan remains susceptible to emergencies caused by a variety of natural hazards. There are two fundamental reasons for Pakistan’s high vulnerability. The first reason is increasingly high exposure due to rapid changes in the region such as unprecedented population growth, urbanization, deforestation, climate change, and rising human–animal proximity among others. The other reason for Pakistan’s high vulnerability, which is also critical to this particular endeavor, is its insufficient capacity for emergency response. Without disregarding the fact that the status of Pakistan’s capacity for risk communication has evolved since the JEE’s report in 2016 (especially considering the unprecedented focus on risk communication efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic), it is crucial to address the gaps identified to ensure Pakistan is prepared for the next public health mergency. This document provides the way forward for addressing those gaps. The document has two main components. The first main component of the document is an in-depth situation. analysis of the existing risk communication mechanism. The second is a framework for i) ensuring preparedness through institutionalization, and ii) activating campaigns during emergencies.
Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector

(Washington, DC, 2022) World Bank

India, recognizing the complex challenges of rising temperatures, was one of the first countries in the world to develop a comprehensive Cooling Action Plan in 2019. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) sets out a long-term vision of ensuring sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits. The ICAP recognizes that cooling is a cross-sectoral challenge, and that sustainable delivery of cooling is needed to deliver climate-resilient economic growth. To help India achieve the ICAP’s bold vision while identifying entry points for World Bank sectoral engagement, the Bank commissioned a study in December 2020, with the aim of identifying practical ways to Support the Implementation of the ICAP, including via identification of the role of concessional finance in delivering cooling solutions. Following a consultation process involving over 20 different stakeholders from academia, industry, thinktanks and the Government, the study found that over the next few decades, the projected growth of cooling-related sectors will result in an exponential rise in cooling and refrigerant demands, and energy consumption in all sectors. This will be matched with an increase in GHG emissions, projected to double by 2027. It concludes that India’s cooling strategy can help mitigate risks of heat on lives and livelihoods, lower carbon emissions, and position India as a global hub for green cooling manufacturing. Additionally, India’s long-term food security and public health security depend on a reliable cold chain network. Unlocking opportunities to create a sustainable cooling strategy will also help India in its post-COVID recovery by boosting investments, creating jobs, reducing emissions, and securing the supply chains of medical care products, health infrastructure, as well as food products. The study includes a series of roadmaps designed to help achieve sustainable cooling in key ICAP thematic areas, i.e., Space Cooling in Buildings, Cold-Chain and Refrigeration (Agriculture and Health), Passenger Transport Air-Conditioning and Refrigerants. The study finds that concessional finance by multilateral development banks, financial institutions and the private sector will play a key role in helping India develop financial instruments and innovative models to accelerate the adoption of sustainable cooling measures. These innovative financial instruments will be crucial to develop and transform the cooling market in India.