This Strategy Note sets out a framework for World Bank involvement in the environment sector in the immediate to medium term. It elaborates upon and reinforces the environmental objectives specified in Thailand's Eighth National Economic and Social Development Plan (1997-2001) and the World...

"The debate over the curse of natural resources has haunted developing countries for decades if not centuries. A review of existing empirical evidence suggests that the curse remains elusive. The fragile negative effect of natural resources on economic growth might be due to international...

Recent studies in the DRC tend to focus on human rights abuses or on the status of women, however few investigations examine the link between mining and sexual violence. There is a dearth of research specifically into the gender dimensions of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) as a means to...

Following a strong performance in 2012, Malaysia's economy hit a soft patch in the first quarter of 2013. Economic growth has been supported by the strong, broad-based performance of domestic consumption and investment from public and private sources. The acceleration of investment growth has...

Valuing ecosystem services-the benefits humans obtain from earth's many life-support systems-is an important step in devising interventions to achieve sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience. The services provided by healthy ecosystems are essential for supporting life. Their loss would...

This report provides estimates of social and financial costs of environmental damage in India from three pollution damage categories: (i) urban air pollution, including particulate matter and lead; (ii) inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and hygiene; (iii) indoor air pollution; and four...

"Oil and mineral revenues raise national savings and hence facilitate investment, capital accumulation, and sustained growth; thus, there are benefits of owning large natural resources. There can be a significant spillover effect from the oil sector to the non-oil sector particularly if...

"How rich would resource-abundant countries be if they had actually followed the Hartwick Rule (invest resource rents in other assets) over the past 30 years? Hamilton, Ruta, and Tajibaeva use time series data on investments and rents on exhaustible resource extraction for 70 countries to answer...