Physical cash and commercial bank money are dominant vehicles for retail payments around the world, including in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Yet payments in EMDEs are marked by several key deficiencies, such as lack of universal access to transaction accounts, widespread...

Outdoor air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths worldwide, the majority of which are caused by exposure to fine particulate matter (or PM2.5) air pollution. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Reducing PM2.5 air pollution is thus crucial for...

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face significant financing gaps that stifle innovation and economic growth. The credit gap alone is estimated at dollar 4.5 trillion as of 2017 for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) only. Bank financing has been the traditional source of...

The paper will focus on the resolution frameworks of a sample of 12 countries taken from 6 regions. The review of the sample countries is used to analyze issues that may be relevant for other countries and to discuss potential challenges faced in implementing effective safeguards. The remainder...

This retrospective examines how the World Bank's strategic use of climate-related trust funds has enabled it to play an outsized role in catalyzing climate action worldwide for nearly 30 years. By looking back at the history of climate and carbon finance, with a focus on the pioneering role of...

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the development context for the world is fundamentally challenged in many ways. The pandemic has taken a drastic human toll, and its global-scale economic and social impacts affected rural development work focused on the most poor and vulnerable populations. It has...

Food price inflation has increased persistently in recent years in Turkey with a widening divergence from international food price inflation. The study analyzes the main inefficiencies in the Turkish agricultural sector through the lens of food price formation and discusses the policy actions...

APEI member countries and Madagascar (APEI ) identified enhanced regional agricultural trade as a key priority. The matter was referred to the World Bank for further analysis which is presented in this report. Potential for increased agricultural exports from APEI+ countries to Mauritius and...

In recent decades, the agriculture and fisheries sector in the Philippines has grown but has clearly not lived up to its potential. Philippine agriculture has weathered the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic better than the overall national economy. Recent government reports highlight...

This report assesses agriculture policy support estimates in Angola. These estimates represent the monetary value assigned to different agriculture support policies and programs using the OECD methodology for the years 2018-2019. The advantages of using the OECD methodology are that: (a) it...