Hydro resources are provided by nature. The exploitation of such resources can generate significant economic rent to the owners. In the past, governments have usually claimed ownership of hydroelectric resources and passed on the rents to their state-owned utilities, which have used them to...

Concerns about global warming and the availability of clean renewable sources of energy are increasing. However, as private companies take over state power utilities, the demand for profit has stifled those concerns. Currently the private sector is building over 40 megawatts of fossil-fuel...

In an effort to meet the continuing demand of the power sector and ensure stability of fuel supply sources, the State Power Corporation asked for World Bank assistance to assess the viability of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel source for coastal provinces. In response to their...

Air pollution has become a serious issue in many Asian cities. A major cause is the expanding motor vehicle population--with growth rates as high as 23 percent in rapidly growing economies such as China. Experience worldwide has shown that the use of clean fuels (low-lead or unleaded gasoline...

This study presents the results of the research by a team of experts working in the energy sector of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union. The objective of the study is to identify successful policies and measures that were employed to address the problem of non-payments in the energy sector.

COVID-19 created a dynamic shock to the international tourism industry, with the related health concerns and travel restrictions impacting travelers' perceptions of risk. Among the most affected economies were Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which are highly dependent on tourism receipts,...

The World Bank Group prepared this report, Climate Change in APEC: Assessing Risks, Preparing Financial Markets, and Mobilizing Institutional Investors to inform policymakers, financial sector regulators, and investors from across APEC member economies about the interconnected climate change...

Iraq's economy is gradually emerging from the deep recession caused by the pandemic and the plunge in oil prices in 2020. Higher oil revenues pushed Iraq's overall fiscal and external balances into a surplus in 2021. The turnaround in oil markets has significantly improved Iraq's economic...