Africa is urbanizing late but fast. This brings many benefits but, as this report shows: thus far, urbanization in Africa, unique in a number of respects, is having deleterious and largely unchecked impacts on the natural environment; the degradation of natural assets and ecosystems within...

In 2022, Brazil celebrated its 200th anniversary. What will Brazil celebrate at its 220th anniversary, in 2042? Following the recent elections there is a window of opportunity for reforms that will shape Brazil's development over the next decades. "The Brazil of the Future: Towards Productivity,...

Over the past decade, material efficiency and resource productivity have surfaced on the global policy agenda. The rise of the circular economy (CE) agenda reflects the objective of moving away from the current systems of production and consumption based on the 'take-make-use-waste' linear...

In March 2023, the Second Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA2) identified USD 411 billion worth of investments required for Ukraine's reconstruction. The World Bank Group's new report "Private Sector Opportunities for a Green and Resilient Reconstruction in Ukraine", developed in...

The services sector has been the main source of economic growth in recent decades, with logistics, finance and information technologies playing an essential role in the functioning of modern economies while business services, healthcare and entertainment feature among the world's fastest growing...

Lebanon's forest landscapes are unique in the Mediterranean region and, over the centuries, have provided multiple socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental benefits. However, societal changes have had a significant impact on these landscapes, putting them at risk of further degradation....

In the context of weakening global demand, growth in the Western Balkans decelerated over the course of 2022 and into 2023. Against the background of the lasting effects of shocks from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sticky inflation, and tighter financial conditions, global demand has been...