The first World Bank Economists' Forum was held on May 3-4, 1999. The forum attempts to answer these questions: How do you recognize a hidden fiscal crisis? When capital flows are volatile, what types of policy announcements can help fend off currency crises? Do government training programs for...

The objective of this book is to provide detailed advice on how to design multi-topic household surveys based on the experience of past household surveys. The book will help identify define objectives, identify data needed to analyze objectives, and draft questionnaires to collect such data....

Infrastructure has played a major role in China's rapid development. Over the past decade the road network expanded by more than 40 percent, water production grew by more than 50 percent, and China has become the world's second largest energy producer. However, foreign direct investment in...

Including health issues at the top of the political agenda, is an indictor for national development. Breaking the vicious cycle of low resources leading to illness, and illness leading to poverty, is a problem that all policy makers face in poor countries. Access to decent and affordable health...

This OED report finds that the Bank has made progress on the environment, and notes that its commitments were not accompanied by precise goals and performance monitoring. It advances explanations of why things have turned out this way. It offers recommendations which focus on how to restore the...

The book examines the impacts of medium- and large-scale mines on local communities, through six case studies, analyzing both the socioeconomic and cultural effects, as well as environmental impacts of mining operations on the communities. From a multidimensional perspective, studies investigate...

The chapters in this book examine the data on infrastructure and the poor in developing countries and consider how policies centered on private provision can address their needs. Many of the chapters focus on the extent to which the poor have access to infrastructure services of reasonable...

This document assesses the quality of financial accountability and transparency in Nepal and makes recommendations for improvement. The findings and recommendations were widely discussed with various government agencies, non-government agencies, private sector, oversight agencies, and donor...

The book intends to trigger, and support policy debate in Colombia. The first part distills four thematic chapters, responsive to the country's current realities, as well as to the five decades of development partnership with the Bank, spanning the entire development spectrum. First, violence,...

Infrastructure plays a crucial role in supporting Cambodia's growth and development. Improving access to efficient and affordable water, electricity, transport, and telecommunications services has a major impact on the living standards of individual households. This Country Framework Report...