When investing in small and mid-size hotel projects, the IDB, as a general rule, requires that the Sponsor develop and implement an environmental and social management system (ESHSMS). The ESHSMS is typically developed after completion of the Environmental Assessment Process which, depending on...

For the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean to respond effectively to the Climate Change challenge, they need to be able to understand what the impacts of Climate Change may be for each country and the extent of each country's contribution to the problem before they can define and...

This working paper first introduces tradable permits as part of an overall taxonomy of economic instruments in the field of water management. In this context, three fundamentally different fields of application of tradable permits systems relating to water are presented: tradable water...

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...

This paper evaluates the use of subsidies to achieve efficient resource utilization, beginning with a discussion of the nature of erosion and methods of estimating rates of erosion. The second section presents a short review of the literature on onsite and offsite erosion damage assessment,...

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...

This is a summary of a report prepared for the II Meeting of the Regional Policy Dialogue on Environmental Management, to be held the 25th and 26th February 2003 in Washington D.C. The report contains an overview of the available international literature and information on the application of...

To choose better water investments we need to have a better appreciation of what is possible with improved governance, of how to identify improved governance, how to design institutions for it, and how to incorporate it into planning and investments. This paper reviews the theoretical and...

Bank investments in tourism and other coastal development projects have been on the rise, generating an interest in the development of instruments and tools that would more effectively inform Bank staff on critical issues, and support the management of the environmental and social risks of the...

Health problems due to poor air quality have been among the main environmental concerns in Mexico City, Santiago, Bogotá, Sao Paulo, Lima, Quito among other cities in the region. This study provides quantitative estimates of key air pollution concentrations, health impacts, and the monetary...