This paper is focused only on this objective: the alleviation of regional concentrations of poverty. There are several reasons. First, judging from the public documents of multilaterals and governments, poverty reduction is often the primary objective of regional development efforts in the ECA...

This paper lays out the big issues that affect regional cooperation and development in the wider Central Asia region, and analyzes in greater detail areas where there appear to be good prospects for progress in the short run. The paper develops a framework for approaching regional cooperation in...

In recent years, the countries of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) have experienced a marked decline in investments by international private operators/investors in local infrastructure-much in line with the trend observed in other emerging markets. This decline has been particularly significant in...

Although the number of reported cases of HIV in Central Asia is still very low, the growth rate of the epidemic (about 500 cases in 2000 to over 12,000 in 2004) is a cause for serious concern. Central Asia lies along the drug routes from Afghanistan to Russia and Western Europe, and it is...

Stopping Tuberculosis in Central Asia reviews the epidemiological situation, control efforts, and financing of tuberculosis programs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It was based on a review of existing statistics and reports, and on consultation with key...

The Californian power crisis appears to have greatly rekindled the latent doubts on moving to more competitive market structures for such an essential service as electricity. The recent collapse of Enron and several other industrial giants, as well as doubts about the reliability of external...

The countries of Central Asia are still at the earliest stages of an HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, there is cause for serious concern due to: the steep growth of new HIV cases in the region; the established related epidemics of injecting drug use, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and...

This study aims to contribute to the debate about the appropriateness of health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the countries of the Europe and Central Asia region. It is primarily addressed at policy advisors and senior analysts at the local, regional, and global level, who...

This study analyzes the extent of knowledge and technology absorption for firms in Europe and Central Asia (ECA), as well as the factors that influence absorption, using statistical analyses of various data sources, including the World Bank enterprise surveys, patent databases maintained by the...

This paper reviews the status of weather and climate services in Europe and Central Asia (ECA).Worldwide, the accuracy and value of weather and climate services are rising, bringing great economic benefits. However, many National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Europe and...