This synthesis provides a review of operationally relevant findings and lessons from World Bank-supported utility reforms in the energy and water sectors, as identified in IEG evaluation products. The report summarizes the IEG evidence of what worked and what did not work, and why, in WB support...

This paper is a synthesis of the findings of reports that look at the drivers of performance in energy and water utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper also provides other insights on issues that complement the findings of these reports. Additional data and evidence were harvested from the...

Carbon prices are needed to incorporate climate change costs into economic decision making. Carbon pricing should be included as part of a broader arsenal of tools to achieve domestic climate targets, but it is not a silver bullet: other policy instruments and investments (for example, public...

Welcome to the Spring 2019 edition of the World Bank's Madagascar Economic Update, which presents recent economic developments and our medium-term outlook. The economy has continued to perform well, with growth in 2018 estimated at 5.2 percent, above regional and global averages. External demand...

The Rwanda Economic Update (REU) analyzes recent economic developments and prospects, as well as Rwanda's policy priorities. The REU is intended for a wide audience of policymakers, business leaders, other market participants, analysts of Rwanda's economy, and civil society. It draws on data...

The formal private sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economies needs to play a critical role for the overall economic transformation of the region. Creating a conducive environment for private sector development depends on a sound understanding of the performance of private...

Identification systems are a core component of sustainable development policies in countries with diverse economic, demographic, and political contexts. The role of digital identification systems in the private sector is equally large. The efficient, accurate, and secure use of personal identity...

There is growing recognition that the private health sector is a significant source of health care in most African countries. According to "Healthy Partnerships: How Governments Can Engage the Private Sector to Improve Health in Africa" (2010), the private sector share of total health...

This study focuses on the role of the private sector in the development and delivery of hydrological and meteorological (hydromet) and early warning services (EWS) in Sub-Saharan Africa within the current landscape of the Africa Regional Weather Enterprise (ARWE). The study begins with a global...

Myanmar exhibits poor health outcomes and lags regional peers. Myanmar's Human Capital Index (HCI) score is 0.47, compared to a regional average of 0.60. Every year, 2,000 pregnant women and 50,000 children die from preventable causes, and 29 percent of children under age 5 are stunted. While...