This paper provides an overview of the characteristics of Central American rivers and related freshwater ecosystem services, discusses trends in hydropower development and known environmental and social consequences, and offers suggestions for finding a balance between hydropower and the...

This study analyzes present-day and historical demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural changes in traditional native groups and in their environment, which have led to a growing loss of ethnic and ecological diversity in the main tropical rainforests of Latin America. The study summarizes...

The expansion of project analysis to incorporate the environmental effects of a project is a direct descendent of the development of project analysis. Traditional project Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) was developed in the United States in the 1930s to analyze large public investments in the water...

This paper provides a brief overview of the linkages between the primary factors driving gold mining, how these interact with regional geology to concentrate impacts on specific river basins, and the primary environmental and social impacts that can erode the economic benefit delivered from gold...

The Environment and Safeguards Group (ESG) of the IDB has examined how potential environmental and social risks of major Bank-supported road improvement investments in natural resource rich and socio-culturally diverse "frontier" regions have been identified and addressed in various parts of...

The purpose of this technical note is to identify key environment and safeguard-related risks and opportunities that should be taken into account in the new Country Strategy for the Dominican Republic (DR) as required by the IDB's Environment and Safeguard Policy approved in January 2006....

This document discusses the impact that global climate change has on food production both globally and in Latin America and the Caribbean. The author discusses environmental issues including extreme temperatures, water scarcity, flooding, and soil erosion. Using available information, this...

Included in this working paper is a discussion of the history of deforestation and forest degradation in Latin America and policy recommendations towards conserving natural forests. The author argues that the main opportunity to conserve natural forests may be in the recognition of and payment...

The IDB's strategy in Brazil seeks to promote and further the reform and modernization of the public sector, to support efforts to improve the competitiveness of Brazilian goods, to support the efforts to reduce social inequalities and poverty and, finally, to address the problems of...

The IDB's strategy in Brazil seeks to promote and further the reform and modernization of the public sector, to support efforts to improve the competitiveness of Brazilian goods, to support the efforts to reduce social inequalities and poverty and, finally, to address the problems of...