In addition to the morbidity and mortality concerns of outdoor air pollution, studies have shown that air pollution also generates problems for children`s cognitive performance and human capital formation. High concentrations of pollutants can affect children`s learning process by exacerbating...

To choose better water investments we need to have a better appreciation of what is possible with improved governance, of how to identify improved governance, how to design institutions for it, and how to incorporate it into planning and investments. This paper reviews the theoretical and...

This paper focuses on the question of whether the magnitude of long-established environmentally related taxes (ERT) is related to countries environmental performance. While environmental taxes efficiencies have previously been discussed, those taxes contribution to reducing pollution and...

Environmental taxes have been discussed as one of the main mechanisms to deal with environmental problems. Nonetheless, instruments of this type have rarely been implemented, and the adoption of new or higher environmental taxes has faced resistance in some countries. The purpose of this work is...

The main objective of this report is to provide relevant information to improve the decision-making process regarding air quality and pollution control.Abstract: Este documento fue comisionado por la Red de Medio Ambiente del Diálogo Regional de Política para la III Reunión Hemisférica...

For the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean to respond effectively to the Climate Change challenge, they need to be able to understand what the impacts of Climate Change may be for each country and the extent of each country's contribution to the problem before they can define and...

The Environment and Safeguards Group (ESG) of the IDB has examined how potential environmental and social risks of major Bank-supported road improvement investments in natural resource rich and socio-culturally diverse "frontier" regions have been identified and addressed in various parts of...

This paper proposes a concept of green infrastructure, centered on a multi-level approach to infrastructure development that addresses these impacts. The paper argues that only multi-level solutions, encompassing national policy, sector planning, and sound project engineering, will be able to...

Bank investments in tourism and other coastal development projects have been on the rise, generating an interest in the development of instruments and tools that would more effectively inform Bank staff on critical issues, and support the management of the environmental and social risks of the...

This paper summarizes environmental considerations that the Bank should take into account in preparing its new country strategy with Bolivia (2011-2015). Some of these are already contemplated to a certain extent in the existing strategy. Following this introductory section, which briefly...