World Bank Technical Paper
25 primary works • 59 total works
Mining and industrial activities, if poorly managed, can damage the environment and leave behind contaminated soils, polluted groundwater, and waste material. The two papers in this volume illustrate the methodologies developed for selecting priority sites for remediating environmental problems due to mining. It also describes the high priority investments that would provide the greatest benefits for the available resources. The methodologies have broad application and could be used to identify priority remediation investments in other sectors where past activities have led to environmental problems.
Reducing poverty is the central development challenge in Bangladesh. This poverty assessment addresses several basic 'counting the poor' questions: Who are the poor? How numerous are they? Where do they live? What are the characteristics of poor households? How should we measure poverty? Has poverty declined? Has inequality increased? In answering these questions this poverty assessment constructs a poverty profile for Bangladesh. Although poverty has declined in Bangladesh in the 1990s, the remaining challenges are enormous. This report is part of a long-term process of capacity building and mainstreaming of poverty analysis in Bangladesh. Its findings suggest five pillars of a possible poverty reduction strategy: * Accelerating economic growth * Promoting education for the poor * Investing in poor areas * Improved targeting of public expenditures and safety nets * Forming further partnerships with NGOs Discussions with stakeholders, NGOs, the government, poverty researchers, and other donors in Bangladesh arising from this report will help to build support for an action plan and more detailed policy and institutional changes for faster poverty reduction.
Using the Ricardian approach (a cross sectional analysis of farm performance across different climate zones), this report examines the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector and the sector's adaptation to that change. Studies in the report measure the climate sensitivity of low-capital agriculture, test whether actual farm performance is as sensitive to climate as agronomic models predict, and compare the climate sensitivity of low-capital farms with the results already calibrated for U.S. agriculture. The goal of the study is to examine farm behavior and test whether there is any evidence that farmers in developing countries currently adjust to their local climates.
Comprehensive River Basin Development
by World Bank, Barbara A. Miller, and Richard B Reidinger
Published 22 December 1998
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the United States represents one of the few successful examples of comprehensive river basin development. Established to guide the development of the resources within the Tennessee River Basin, TVA operates a wide variety of water, power, economic development, and environmental programs within the region. This report presents an overview of TVA's growth and development, its institutions, and its operational programs.
No. 432.
Although procedures for pricing 'retail' distribution have been established for a long time, methods for pricing bulk or 'wholesale' water supplies are still evolving. How to finance the infrastructure and service of bulk water supply, and how to use pricing to achieve efficient allocation and use of water as a resource are the central issues that emerge from discussions about bulk water pricing. Efficiency will lead to allocating water resources better, reducing water losses caused by poor maintenance of the supply systems, and increased monitoring of water quality. At first glance, Brazil may not appear to be a relevant country from which to draw lessons in distributing scarce water resources, since it contains 12 percent of the world's fresh water supply. However, with its vast territory and issues of regional drought and population explosion, Brazil provides a unique environment in which to demonstrate how adequate pricing of bulk water on a regional level can help allocate water efficiently. This paper offers a framework for bulk water pricing reform and examines the lessons from recent analytical work and practice in Brazil, as well as relevant international experience. It then offers recommendations for the development of both water pricing and allocation policies to facilitate continued implementation of bulk water pricing in Brazil.
'Under the right conditions and applications, evaporative air-conditioning (EAC) technologies can provide excellent cooling and ventilation with minimal energy consumption.' Evaporative air-conditioning technologies are being used increasingly in residential and commercial applications worldwide. EAC technologies, which rely on water as a coolant rather than on chemical refrigerants, are economical to produce and use and have important environmental benefits. This paper introduces the technical aspects of EAC, reviews EAC's scope of application, and surveys the specific climatic conditions under which EAC can be used most effectively in industrialized and developing countries.
Transferring Irrigation Management to Farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India
by World Bank
Published 30 November 1999
'It has been my cherished desire to usher in a SMART government, which will be simple, moral, accountable, responsive and transparent. I am very keen that the capabilities of the people should be harnessed and enhanced. Involvement of the people and stakeholders in delivery of public services through self-help and collective action should take place in all important sectors such as irrigation, education, health and welfare, civic amenities, for a better quality of life.' - Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh While the Irrigation Department in Andhra Pradesh was preoccupied with the contractor-oriented works in new projects, there was practically no flow of funds for the maintenance of the existing systems. Most of the schemes had then fallen into disrepair. The Government of Andhra Pradesh undertook a series of bold reform measures in quick succession to mitigate this plight. These included formulating a clear irrigation sector reforms policy, enacting legislation to create farmers organizations to manage and maintain all the irrigation systems, increasing water charges to restore sector viability, launching massive training programs for farmers and the irrigation bureaucracy to improve efficiency, and thereafter allocating resources to the farmers organizations to assume repair and maintenance of the irrigation and drainage systems to improve conveyance of water and bridging the gap between the potential created and actual utilization. The encouraging initial impacts of the program have garnered worldwide attention. This report brings out the legal, economic, social and political processes through which this reform program has gone so far. It considers the further progress of the program that would ultimately create a "virtuous circle". Study of Andhra Pradesh's successes and failures with this program can provide a design for a similar or modified reform program in other developing countries which would be suited to their circumstances.
Physical limits to fresh water expansion--an emerging reality in many parts of the world--make absolute water scarcity inevitable. The inability of the already developed water supply to meet an ever-growing demand for fresh water also makes the emergence of relative water scarcity unavoidable. Water scarcity--both in its absolute and relative forms--gets accentuated further by an increasing premium attached to water quality and ecological sustainability. The water sector has undergone remarkable changes in recent years. While past achievements were associated mainly with investment in new physical structures, recent developments in the water sector are associated to a greater extent with improved management and institutional changes. Although both the nature and direction of these institutional changes vary by country-specific economic, political, cultural and resource realities, there are clearly identifiable trends and patterns. This report suggests a new methodology to shed light on the process of institution-performance interaction. It demonstrates the use of the methodology by applying it to an extensive cross-country data set, and by deriving policy guidance based on the results. The authors aim to stimulate thought and debate about methodologies and strategies to be used in order to evaluate institutional change and institution-performance interactions in the water sector.
Options for Managing and Financing Rural Transport Infrastructure
by World Bank
Published 31 August 1998
In Sub-Saharan Africa, ineffective rural transport services present a major obstacle to economic and social development. Deciding who owns the roads, who finances the maintenance, and who manages them is a fundamental requirement. This volume proposes a framework for improving management and financing of local government roads and community roads and paths based on two distinct owner categories and a redefined partnership between the public and private sectors.
No.331.
No. 442.
The Role of Foreign Direct Investment and Trade Policies in Poland's Accession to the European Union
by World Bank
Published 23 September 1999
This study examines the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade policies with regard to Poland's accession to the EU. It also discusses developments in foreign trade, market access for Polish products, and foreign trade institutions and policies. It outlines the premises of a strategy that would assist Poland in its aim for accession. This publication is a Technical Paper sponsored by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Division. It is part of a comprehensive series regarding the many important factors that influence European Union (EU) accession in the Central and East European countries (CEEC). The topics in the series cover both the social and economic aspects of accession across a broad range of sectors. The series also provides background information for specific acceding countries. These publications will be of interest to EU member and candidate countries, their ministries, and any one studying the accession issue.
No.391.
As environmental protection is attracting increasing political attention and public support, many developing countries are designing and putting into practice environmental institutions. This study analyzes the experience of several OECD countries in order to identify factors that influence the role and success of environmental management; possible causes of the discrepancy between national environmental objectives and actual performance; and implications of lessons learned and recommendations for countries that are in the process of establishing or redesigning their environmental management systems.
'Modern society has eliminated the inhumane debtors' prisons for handling the insolvent debtor and in their stead have enacted benign modern laws in the area of bankruptcy. Unscrupulous merchants now use these benign laws for fraudulent purposes.' Based on case studies in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela, this is the first publication to provide recommendations about the important legal and institutional issues that are involved in bankruptcy reform in a critical region of the global economy. The authors note that effective bankruptcy policy balances several requirements for the conduct of a stable, successful economy. For example, it might be in the greatest interests to all parties if a company is given an opportunity to restructure and make use of the scarce resources remaining in its possession. On the other hand, inefficient firms, especially those that have long survived only on state subsidies, may need to fail in order to free space in the market for more efficient, better-managed companies. Finally, there are the needs to enforce loan contracts and provide an equitable system of debt collection.
No.346.
The Role of Government and the Private Sector in Fighting Poverty
by World Bank
Published 1 March 1997
The government deficits that have played such a prominent role in Ukraine's continued economic decline reflect in large measure the fact that government has been slow to relinquish the role it played during the Soviet era. Since independence, Ukraine has suffered one of the most severe economic declines of any country in this century. While other transition countries in the region successfully replaced their old command economies with market economies, Ukraine continued to protect unprofitable enterprises to preserve employment and income levels. To support this strategy, the government has borrowed more money than it takes in and, at the same time, competes with private enterprise domestically for credit. As Ukraine's economic foundations proceed to crumble, the Ukrainian Government. the World Bank, and the International Center for Policy Studies in Kyiv examined the issues surrounding the crisis. The group analyzed the data and policy studies that were prepared by various Ukrainian and World Bank teams of experts and formulated recommendations for strategies to stem the growing tidal wave of economic collapse now threatening Ukraine. This report presents the issues that are creating these crises and outlines a course to prevent a crash. This report will be of interest to government agencies, economists, bankers, and academics.
Design and Appraisal of Rural Transport Infrastructure
by Jerry Lebo, Dieter Schelling, and World Bank
Published 30 April 2001
This paper is part of a four-volume series of publications on rural transport promoted by the World Bank's Rural Transport Thematic Group under the aegis of its knowledge management activities. The four volumes are - 'Options for Managing and Financing Rural Transport Infrastructure' - 'Improving Rural Mobility' - 'Developing Rural Transport Policies and Strategies', and - this paper on 'Design and Appraisal of Rural Transport Infrastructure'.
Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource for most of the world's citizens. The current trends indicate that the overall situation is likely to deteriorate further, at least for the next decade, unless the water profession eschews 'business as usual' practices, which can only allow incremental changes to occur. Groundwater is the least understood and least appreciated, yet the most important, natural resource available to mankind. Groundwater represents about 97% of the existing fresh water resources, excluding the resources locked in polar ice. More than one and a half billion people in the urban parts of the world today depend on groundwater. Groundwater supply is more reliable than the seasonal, and sometimes erratic, surface water and provides the main line of defense against drought. Moreover, the quality of groundwater is, by and large, superior to surface water and cheaper to develop. However, when available, data on groundwater is very scanty. As a result, the World Bank is now paying increasing attention to this valuable resource, through both operations and sector work. This publication represents the proceeding of the seminar 'Groundwater: Legal and Policy Perspectives' that was organized by the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank. It explains some basic technical aspects of groundwater, surveys the regulatory framework for it, and discusses the World Bank experience and international law regarding this precious resource. It is a timely publication and should also assist in a better understanding and appreciation of this valuable source. It will be of interest to Bank staff, borrowing country officials, international agencies and research organizations working on groundwater.
No. 438.
This publication summarizes some of the key research findings from current literature and applies the lessons from it to the potential migration problem faced by countries in the EU. Its main objective is to present a review of existing economic theory and empirical evidence to evaluate the likelihood of migration flows from acceding or neighboring countries toward the current EU member states. This publication is a Technical Paper sponsored by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Division. It is part of a comprehensive series regarding the many important factors that influence European Union (EU) accession in the Central and East European countries (CEEC). The topics in the series cover both the social and economic aspects of accession across a broad range of sectors. The series also provides background information for specific acceding countries. These publications will be of interest to EU member and candidate countries, their ministries, and any one studying the accession issue.
Forests play a vital role in maintaining Nepal's impressive biodiversity, which has global significance: With only 0.1 percent of the world's total area, Nepal contains 2 percent of the planet's flowering plants, 8 percent of its birds, and 4 percent of its mammals. As Nepal develops its forest resources, it needs to minimize the biotic pressures affecting the structure and dynamics of forest plant communities and wildlife populations and thereby reverse the current destructive pressures on the country's biodiversity. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the ways in which forest resources are used in Nepal. Its focus is to examine systematically the costs and benefits of present and possible future sustainable and biodiversity-friendly management practices from household, national, and global perspectives. The authors define the analytical framework and the costs of financial and economic alternatives. They also present the economic, social, institutional and legal issues, and recommend strategies for change. The report should be of use to national and donor agencies concerned with the management of natural resources and conservation of biodiversity in Nepal, providing a framework for possible future donor support to the sector. It highlights issues that are of importance in the formulation and implementation of natural resource management programs by government and non-government agencies.