The carbon market endured its most challenging year to date in 2009. The global economic crisis, which started in late 2008 and intensified early in 2009, negatively impacted both the demand and supply sides of the market. As industrial output plummeted the demand for carbon assets fell. Yet...

The report discusses the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency's (MIGA) activities for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2000. Highlights discussed in this report include: 1) country membership; 2) guarantee operations; 3) MIGA's financial statements; and, 4) technical assistance services, i.e.,...

This volume takes a critical look at the country's social protection "system" - broadly defined to include policy interventions, public institutions, and the regulation of private institutions that lower the welfare costs of adverse shocks to income from job loss and extended unemployment,...

The first World Bank Economists' Forum was held on May 3-4, 1999. The forum attempts to answer these questions: How do you recognize a hidden fiscal crisis? When capital flows are volatile, what types of policy announcements can help fend off currency crises? Do government training programs for...

Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) are becoming an increasingly important segment of the financial system in some developing countries. This book aims to create awareness of the promise of NBFIs for developing countries and to assist policymakers in creating a coherent policy structure and...

Including health issues at the top of the political agenda, is an indictor for national development. Breaking the vicious cycle of low resources leading to illness, and illness leading to poverty, is a problem that all policy makers face in poor countries. Access to decent and affordable health...

This book is a joint effort lead by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in collaboration with the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) focused on the climate and development challenge for LAC. It deals with a matter that is bound...

Health care expenditures can be financed through a mix of public resources and private spending. Private spending is a much larger share of total health spending in low- and middle-income countries than in higher income countries. Moreover, a significant percentage of private spending in those...

This Economics of Climate Change in the Arab World is presents detailed case studies on the impacts of climate change in the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, and the Republic of Yemen that were summarized. The Arab region is already being impacted by climate change through more frequent cyclones,...

As the world demand for energy continues to grow, a big question is where will all the energy come from and what will the price tag be. With such enormous sums needed, public-private partnerships (PPPs) could play a big role. But the financial crisis has raised worries about funding, and much is...