The importance of ensuring that dam structures can withstand earthquakes has been recognized and practiced for many years. The technical capability of the dam engineering industry in the seismic design of dam structures has increased considerably since the 1980-1990s. Dams designed using modern...

Payment and settlement systems and services have become vital components of the economic life of contemporary societies. Over the last decades, they have gone through several waves of reforms that have changed the landscape of the national payments system (NPS) in virtually every country in the...

This report is based on a study of the costs of retail payments in Kosovo, using a methodology (A Practical Guide for Measuring Retail Payment Costs) developed by the World Bank's Payment System Development Group (PSDG), part of the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice. The...

This report is based on a study of the costs and savings of retail payments in Albania using a methodology (A Practical Guide for Measuring Retail Payment Costs) developed by the World Bank's Payment Systems Development Group, part of the Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure, and Access at the...

This report aims at assisting Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to establish an effective oversight framework to monitor the different payment and settlement systems, payment instruments and payment service providers in the Maldives. The framework for oversight is based on the Bank for...

Disasters associated with the impact of natural hazards have had adverse social and fiscal effects on Panama over time, and the Government of Panama (GoP) is therefore committed to strengthening the financial management of disaster risks. Actions taken by the GoP in financial management of...

The World Bank Treasury's Reserve Advisory and Management Partnership (RAMP) conducted its third survey on reserve management practices in 2021. One hundred and nineteen central banks, from different regions, income groups, and reserve levels, contributed to the survey, which included questions...

This report forms part of the World Bank's technical assistance project undertaken with the European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and financed under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) Annual Work Program 2020....

The objective of this report is to summarize insights and provide recommendations related to the challenges and opportunities for civil protection (CP) agencies to leverage investments for disaster prevention and preparedness. This report draws on the findings of stakeholder consultations and...

Implicit contingent liabilities, such as those generated by natural disasters, are often not quantified in the government balance sheet. However, when they materialize, they place pressure on government finances that may raise interest expenditures and financial risks. Understanding the impacts...