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.

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Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Insight

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 1285

A Blue Transformation for Pacific Maritime Transport: Overarching Regional Transport

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-05-31) World Bank

This report has eight chapters. Following the introduction (Pacific Peoples and the Sea), the next six chapters each focus on a separate significant component of Pacific maritime transport, analyzing the major influences and challenges, and, where relevant, key areas for future attention. The topics are: international shipping, gateway ports, domestic maritime transport, four related sectors, cruise ship tourism, tuna fisheries, fossil fuel imports, and bulk shipping, natural disasters and climate resilience, and sector governance and institutions. The final chapter, transforming pacific maritime transport, ways forward, distils the report’s findings into the most significant and far-reaching opportunities to transform maritime transport in the Pacific. These are grouped into three broad themes, infrastructure, services, and governance and capacity building. Ways Forward comes at the end and, for readers unable to view the whole report, is a good place to begin. The rest of this executive summary explains why the Pacific is a special case for investment and provides a summary of the main chapters and findings. But first, it describes which Pacific Island countries contributed to the study.
Shaping First Steps: A Comprehensive Review of Preschool Education in Malaysia

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-05-31) World Bank

The potential benefits from supporting early childhood development range from healthy development to a greater capacity to learn and increased productivity in adulthood. Despite undertaking various preschool education reforms and initiatives, issues of access and quality remain and continue to grow. The Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) set a target to achieve universal preschool enrollment by 2020, and Malaysia, along with many other developing countries, has yet to achieve this. Findings from the World Bank’s preschool survey and stakeholder interviews carried out for this report point to a range of issues, such as a lack of preschool seat availability in certain areas, low awareness among parents on the benefits of sending their children to preschools, affordability of preschool expenses, low teacher quality, and concerns over the overlapping roles between the multiple ministries and agencies that oversee ECCE in Malaysia. This review is carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and is a comprehensive assessment of Malaysia’s current preschool education landscape. The review aims to identify the gaps between the targets and aspirations set by MOE and the government under various policy documents and the outcomes to date. It also aims to deep-dive into the underlying reasons for these gaps, and seek solutions to close them and achieve the aspirations. This report synthesizes the findings from research, analysis, and stakeholder engagement activities, and is organized by a framework of targets, pillars, and enablers.
Options for Reducing Plastic Leakage to the Marine Environment from Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture

(Washington, DC, 2023-05-10) World Bank

The Government of Indonesia’s (GoI) National Plan of Action on Marine Plastic Debris (NPOA-MPD 2017-2025) outlines the ambitious objective of reducing marine plastic debris by seventy percent by 2025. Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) is a major component of sea-based sources of marine debris, and is another important sea-based source of plastic leakage. The cultivation of marine and aquatic species, including seaweed, uses plastic components such as buoys, ropes, harvest bins and feed sacks. The primary pathways for plastic leakage from aquaculture include mismanagement, deliberate discharge, extreme weather and catastrophic events such as tsunamis. The impacts of fishery and aquaculture plastic pollution on the environment, economy, livelihoods and food security are significant. The scale of these impacts on fisheries, marine ecosystems and human users has prompted international action. Managing and mitigating plastic pollution from fisheries and aquaculture has the potential to contribute to Indonesia’s marine plastic debris targets while also providing economic opportunities. This report presents options for reducing ALDFG and ALDAG in Indonesia, and improving the management and use of End-of-life fishing gear (EOLFG).
Management, Retrieval and Recycling of End-of-Life and Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear: The Evidence Base from Capture Fisheries

(Washington, DC, 2023-05-10) World Bank

The Government of Indonesia’s (GoI) National Plan of Action on Marine Plastic Debris (NPOA-MPD 2017-2025) outlines the ambitious objective to reduce marine plastic debris by seventy percent by 2025. Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) is considered to be a major component of sea-based sources of marine debris. ALDFG has increased in recent decades due to the expansion of fishing effort and greater use of synthetic fishing gear materials. Drivers of ALDFG generation include gear characteristics, fishery management frameworks and socioeconomic factors. The impacts of ALDFG on the environment, economy, livelihoods and food security are significant. ALDFG management and mitigation strategies have the potential to contribute to Indonesia’s marine plastic debris while also providing economic opportunities. This study aims to enhance the evidence available to support efforts to improve the management, retrieval and recycling of End-of-life fishing gear (EOLFG) and ALDFG in Indonesia.
The Future of Pacific Tourism

(Washington DC, 2023-04-25) World Bank

Over the two decades preceding the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, tourism became one of the most important drivers of economic growth across the Pacific. The COVID-19 crisis had a devastating impact on tourism activity in the Pacific, with severe and potentially durable economic and social consequences. This study takes a fresh look at tourism’s role for development in the Pacific, its future after COVID-19, and the scope to foster a greener, more resilient, competitive, and inclusive sector. It complements and builds on the 2016 Pacific possible report, which assessed specific opportunities to increase arrivals in a context of rapid tourism growth, by considering the changes to the industry’s model that could maximize tourism’s economic, social, and environmental benefits for Pacific Islanders. It does this by: (i) taking stock of the evidence on tourism’s historical contribution to development in the Pacific Island Country (PICs) and of the COVID-19 crisis’ impacts, (ii) analyzing current obstacles and potential opportunities for a more competitive and sustainable Pacific tourism, focusing on selected issues key to target higher value markets, and (iii) recommending policy priorities and investment needs to (re)position the Pacific tourism model for the future and broaden its benefits, focusing on competitiveness, environmental sustainability, resilience and inclusiveness. Given the scarcity of data on Pacific tourism and frequent discrepancies across sources, one of the study’s main contributions is to provide a detailed quantitative assessment of the sector and its economic impacts, for instance on jobs, poverty, and public revenue, based on an extensive data collection, cross-checking and integration exercise.
Papua New Guinea Economic Update, March 2023: Unlocking the Economic Benefits of Gender Equality

(Washington DC, 2023-04-14) World Bank

High commodity prices and the removal of COVID-19 restrictions spurred economic recovery in 2022. The government continued with fiscal consolidation to safeguard macroeconomic stability. Higher commodity prices contributed to higher inflation and stronger external balances. Economic growth is projected to slow down in 2023 due to lower global demand, supply constraints due to planned maintenance in extractive facilities and the delayed reopening of the Porgera gold mine. Further fiscal consolidation can become more challenging. As a step toward unleashing these economic benefits, the government can modernize the Employment Act and address gender-based violence (GBV) through increased enforcement of commitments and scaling-up interventions. Successful private sector initiatives that address GBV at the workplace, providing anti-harassment training and support services to those affected by GBV can be scaled-up. Similarly, interventions supporting women’s employment through targeted outreach, skilling or access to networks can be sustained and expanded.
GovTech Maturity Index, 2022 Update — East Asia and Pacific Regional Brief

(Washington, DC, 2023-04-11) World Bank

According to the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) 2022 update for the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region, 11 countries are progressing well in groups A and B, and the remaining 14 countries in groups C and D are exhibiting medium to low focus on GovTech initiatives in general. Initiatives associated with the improvement of public service delivery and core government systems are closer to the technology frontier. However, the regional average GTMI score of 0.474 is lower than the global average of 0.552, which indicates that all four focus areas can be improved through investments in platforms that encourage citizen engagement, as well as strategies, laws, and programs that create an enabling environment for digital transformation to thrive. Additional investments in government systems and public services are also required, as demonstrated in the report.
Improving Behavioral Change Interventions: A Closer Look at 4Ps Family and Youth Development Sessions

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-04-10) Rodriguez, Ruth ; Revilla, MA. LAARNI

An important component of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the flagship conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the Philippines, is the delivery of complementary services such as Family Development Sessions (FDS) and Youth Development Sessions (YDS) to program beneficiaries. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these were regular face-to-face sessions providing practical information on topics such as parenting, early childhood care, and disaster preparedness to adult beneficiaries and guidance on adolescent dynamics to young children in 4Ps households, with the overall aim of promoting positive behavioral changes. This technical note examines the process undertaken to enhance and align the content of the FDS and YDS based on the 4Ps law that mandates a maximum 7-year operational period, and it discusses feedback and insights from beneficiaries and implementers. Moreover, it considers the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, which have led to mobility restrictions among beneficiaries and implementers since March 2020. Due to the pandemic, the delivery of FDS have relied mostly on broadcast and social media platforms, with options for small group neighborhood sessions in areas with low rates of COVID-19 infections, while YDS have been mostly suspended due to school closures nationwide, without in-person gathering. For a more effective delivery of these learning sessions, this policy note proposes key recommendations on adapting to future shocks and emerging beneficiary needs, developing strategic communications, mobilizing resources, strengthening monitoring and evaluation, and connecting to core values. In particular, it proposes regular updating of module content to maintain relevance and applicability, strengthening alternative modes of program delivery to increase coverage, providing training to facilitators to improve capacity, raising awareness to increase program uptake, creating a clear monitoring and evaluation system to track progress, leveraging the use of technology, and providing post-program exit support to sustain positive behavioral changes among beneficiaries.
Taking Stock, March 2023: Harnessing the Potential of the Services Sector or Growth

(Washington DC, 2023-03-14) World Bank

The services sector has been a critical contributor to economic growth in Vietnam but its performance lags comparators The services sector has been the economy’s largest sector for the past decade. Looking ahead, services could play a crucial role in supporting Vietnam to sustain productivity growth and achieve its ambition to become a high-income economy by 2045. However, the performance of Vietnam’s services sector lags peer countries. Small scale of firms, restrictions to services trade, low technological adoption and few inter-sectoral linkages affect productivity. Based on the preliminary analysis presented in this report, the four broad policy directions can be identified. First, Vietnam could further reduce restrictions to services trade and foreign investment. Second, Vietnam should encourage further adoption of digital technologies within firms to spur innovation. Third, focus should be on strengthening workers skills especially basic digital skills and the capabilities of firms and managers. Lastly, Vietnam should leverage services to promote further growth of other sectors, especially manufacturing.
Pacific Economic Update, February 2023

(Washington DC, 2023-03-14) World Bank

This publication is the inaugural edition of the future publication series on Pacific Economic Update (PEU). It consists of two parts. Part A analyzes the recent economic developments in Pacific Islands. Based on these developments, the PI EU summarizes the outlook for the region’s economies and risks to this outlook. Second, the PEU provides an in-depth examination of a public debt issues in the Pacific and proposes policy recommendations to address public debt related challenges. The PEU is intended for a broad set of audience, including regional forums, policy makers, business leaders, international donors and the community of analysts and professionals engaged in the economies of Pacific Island countries. In dealing with the challenges of rising inflation, tepid recovery from the pandemic and global slowdown, the PICs should strike a balance between supporting livelihoods and reducing future public debt risks. The need for fiscal support during the current environment of high inflation and tepid economic recovery is understandable as it provides the much needed relief for vulnerable households and businesses to navigate the crisis. Nonetheless, these support measures create significant fiscal burdens, and are unsustainable, particularly if the high energy and food prices persist longer than envisaged. Most PICs already face low capacity to finance unexpected shocks which would be further tested by a natural disaster event. Therefore, PICs should tread a delicate balance between fiscal support measures and achieving fiscal sustainability. Any forthcoming fiscal support should be well-targeted, time-bound, and deficit-neutral. Over the medium-term, fiscal efficiency gains and ongoing donor support is critical to finance key development challenges and climate adaptation. Revenue-based fiscal consolidation measures could include improving the efficiency of tax collections and eliminating tax exemptions. On the expenditure side, PICs have limited room to sharply cut spending given the expected modest growth and ongoing development needs. Therefore, it becomes imperative to improve the efficiency of public spending, to maximize social dividends for every dollar spent. Resulting savings from fiscal consolidation measures could help build sovereign wealth funds to provide added fiscal buffers during shocks and economic downturns. Due to high vulnerability to disasters and climate change, PICs will need to seek ongoing concessional financing for critical climate adaptation and development needs.