Often described as the cradle of civilization, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region boasts rich cultural assets, and is the historical origin of major religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. This cultural heritage, coupled with the region s rich natural wonders, has made...

South Asia remains home to the world's largest number of poor. There are also substantial disparities between countries. This, combined with the ongoing recession in economies the world over, raises new concerns about the challenges that confront governments and analysts today. This book...

The surge in global commodity prices of the past few years has presented a tremendous development challenge to South Asian countries. On a net basis South Asia is estimated to have suffered an income loss equivalent to some 9.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between January 2003 and...

South Asia has performed well over the past 25 years in reducing poverty, improving human development and increasing growth, but faster progress with poverty reduction will require a higher rate of growth. This book shows that the development performance is not a puzzle but largely explained by...