There is a need to further examine and enhance knowledge concerning the relationship among El Nino and La Nina cycles, drought events, and grain production in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Kazakhstan (RUK) region, which accounts for more than one third of total wheat exports. This report...

The present report summarizes the evidence and findings from a series of studies and new data collection around water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and poverty. This WASH poverty diagnostic was undertaken to increase our understanding of the linkages between monetary poverty and WASH...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a classic example of the paradox of plenty, since the country is extremely rich in natural resources while its population is extremely poor. It is the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a total surface area of about 234 million hectares...

A national financial inclusion strategy (NFIS) can provide an effective instrument to chart a clear and coordinated path toward improving financial inclusion. An NFIS enables stakeholders to jointly define financial inclusion objectives, identify obstacles and opportunities relevant to the...

The rapid review confirms that Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are socially, culturally, and environmentally diverse, with some features in common, and which collectively make them unique to other regions of the world: Small island countries have uniquely fragile water resources...

Afghanistan is facing many economic and political challenges as it deals with spreading insurgency, declining economic growth, and continuing poverty. The government is working on a number of fronts to stimulate economic activity through its own initiatives and in partnership with International...

The Palestinian territories face significant and growing shortfalls in the water supply available for domestic use. With population of approximately 4.8 million growing at an average annual rate of 2.8 percent, the domestic supply gap is projected to dramatically increase unless supply and...

Bangladesh's export growth has been remarkable. Bangladesh aims to generate USD 54.1 billion in export earnings by FY2020, a significant increase over the USD 35 billion earned in FY2015-16. The leading sector, textiles and apparels, usually referred to as ready-made garments (RMG), has created...

In recent decades, Tunisia has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty and increasing access to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. More than 4 million people in Tunisia have gained access to improved sanitation between 1990 and 2015, and 4 million have gained access to...

The City of Yokohama offers useful lessons for other cities seeking to achieve sustainable urban development. It simultaneously managed rapid economic growth and a sharp rise in population through a series of thoughtfully conceived and well" integrated development projects and regulative...