There are the booming megacities such as Tokyo, Mumbai, and Nairobi. Then there are cities that are declining in population, such as Detroit. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where we recently conducted a study on urban growth trends, we found unique demographic patterns affecting the urbanization process in the region. For example, the region has had fertility rates below replacement levels for more than two decades, and most countries in the region have negative net migration rates.
Author Archives: NL4WorldBank
Stronger Investment and Export Growth Continue to Strengthen Indonesia’s Economy
JAKARTA, December 14, 2017 — The Indonesian economy continued to expand at a solid pace during the third quarter of 2017 helped by commodity tailwinds and stronger domestic and external demand, according to the World Bank’s December 2017 Indonesia Economic Quarterly.
Real GDP growth increased from 5.0 percent in the second quarter to 5.1 percent in the third quarter of 2017. Investment growth rose to its highest level in more than four years and foreign direct investment recorded the largest net inflow in more than seven years. Export and import volumes registered double-digit growth for the first time since 2012.
World Bank Group will no longer finance upstream oil and gas after 2019
Paris, 12 December, 2017 – At the One Planet Summit convened by President Emmanuel Macron of France, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, the World Bank Group made a number of new announcements in line with its ongoing support to developing countries for the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement’s goals.
Lessons from the Field: Bangladesh, Mobile Money and Financial Literacy for Women
The World Bank Group’s (WBG) Universal Financial Access 2020 (UFA2020) envisions that all adults worldwide will have access to a transaction account or an electronic instrument to store money, send payments and receive deposits by 2020.
The lack of financial inclusion is a pressing issue in Bangladesh, and women are disproportionately excluded: only 26% of women have accounts at financial institutions. Mobile financial services (MFS) are well positioned to deliver financial services to segments that can prove prohibitively expensive for banks, such as women in rural areas. Despite the strong growth of the mobile financial services (MFS) market, only 6% of women have MFS accounts. Continue reading
Towards a Climate-Smart World: 12 Ways for a Resilient Future
In early 2016, the Fiji province of Ra was hit by Cyclone Winston, the biggest storm ever 
recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, impacting 62% of the Fiji population and caused F$2 Billion in damage (20% of GDP). It killed 44 people, injured hundreds and left 131,000 people homeless. The Category 5 storm first made landfall in Ra, leaving its communities completely devastated. Cyclone Winston was an example of new enemies facing communities. Enemies that are linked to climate change.
Getting to financial close on PPPs: Aligning transaction advisor payment terms with project success
Getting to commercial close on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) transaction is a major 
milestone. But the deal is far from done. Getting from commercial close to financial close involves satisfying a long list of PPP contract Conditions Precedent, the terms, and conditions of lenders, among other requirements. The process is tricky and involves a lot of heavy lifting, particularly in emerging markets where the market for PPPs and supporting institutional structures may not yet be robust. None of this is news. Continue reading
Opening doors: How national IDs empower women cross border traders in East Africa
When Agnes became a young widow with four children still to raise, many people in her community thought she would have to take her children out of school. 
But education is important to Agnes and to support her family, she turned to business and became a cross border trader.
“I buy millet in Uganda and sell it in Kenya,” she explains. “In Kenya, I buy sugar and then bring back to Uganda.”
‘Learning for All’ Must Include Children with Disabilities
December 1, 2017– While the developing world has made strong progress towards 
universal primary education, education is still largely an unfulfilled dream for millions of children with disabilities. Leroy Philips, a youth leader and radio broadcaster from Guyana, recalls what it was like growing up blind.
eC2: DEVELOPING AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND PPP SCREENING TOOL FOR INDONESIA
Deadline: 11-Jan-2018 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)
Objective: SCOPE OF WORK: Under this consultancy work, a Multi-Sector Screening and Prioritization Tool for proposed infrastructure projects (from the 19 infrastructure sectors as defined in Perpres 38/2015), will be developed for the Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS).
Making Sand into Gold
Those of you who have visited Dubai in recent years may relate to what I am going to say: Dubai is in the middle of the desert, and its land, not that long ago, was really worth nothing. Now it is one of the most vibrant international cities in the world. All this happened in a relatively short time span.
Behind this impressive development, there was leadership, a vision that was converted into laws and policies, institutional reforms, and human resources development that made it possible. At the center of it all, was land and real estate policies. The Dubai Land Department is one of the best in the World. According to the World Bank Doing Business Report, Dubai ranks No. 10 in the world in registering properties, which far exceeds the ranking of many of the developed economies.
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