Netherlands for the World Bank

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Netherlands for the World Bank
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The World Bank Team at the Royal Netherlands Embassy tweets about news related to Dutch organizations interested in working with the #WorldBank. #NL4WorldBank

eC2:Coordinator for Study on Local equity sharing schemes for hydropower projects in Nepal

Deadline: 09-Jan-2017 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)HYDRO

The hydropower potential of Nepal offers a unique opportunity for both economic and social development. In order to maximize these economic and social benefits and opportunities, the government of Nepal in consultation with the various stakeholders has provisioned for various benefit sharing mechanisms arising from the hydropower development. One key aspect of the Benefit Sharing mechanism focuses particularly on the practice of offering direct financial equity or shares to local populations affected by the development of hydropower projects. The main objective of the consultants assignment is to oversee and guide the study of the delivery of Local Equity Sharing Schemes commonly referred to as Community Shares in Nepal, in the context of benefit sharing mechanisms applicable to hydropower projects.

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These are the world’s most sustainable cities

World Economic Forum

What does it mean to be a ‘sustainable city’, and which cities around the worldr8ansexefvgog2knfwagqi3r2drh44rbuin_samryey are best at it? A new index sets out to find the most successful from a list of 100 cities. The ranking from Arcadis, a design and consultancy firm, and the Centre for Economic and Business Research, assesses the sustainability of cities based on three dimensions. The ranking also highlights the pressure cities are under – from population growth to natural disasters.

How countries and communities are taking on gender-based violence

The stat is appalling: 1 in 3 women worldwide have or will experience intimate partner sustainable_communities_v2-200-low.jpgviolence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Although it may take the form of domestic violence, gender-based violence is not merely a personal or family matter. Associated with certain societies’ social norms and many other risk factors, such violence leads to severe social and economic consequences that can contribute to ongoing poverty in developing and developed countries alike.

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How can we help smallholder farmers seize opportunities in Africa?

World Bank Blog coffeeuganda

Agriculture is at the heart of addressing poverty in Africa. I was reminded of that during my recent trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where different stakeholders had gathered to explore how to transform smallholder agriculture for growth. The recent End Poverty Day activities in Africa, which focused largely on agriculture, was also a reminder of how central the sector is to ending poverty and boosting prosperity. Indeed, the different stakeholders I work with on a daily basis—which includes African governments, development partners, civil societies, the private sector and farmers—all agree: Agriculture is important to the future of Africa.

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How can Hong Kong stay smart and competitive? By driving change through a ‘Public-Private-People Partnership’ approach

World Bank Blog – 12/14/2016Smart-Cities-All-you-need-to-know

According to the World Economic Forum’s “Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017,” Hong Kong dropped two notches to rank as No. 9 in its Global Competitiveness Index. The decline occurred mainly because the city faces challenges to “evolve from one of the world’s foremost financial hubs to become an innovative powerhouse.”

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Revisiting Economic Geography

Event Details index

Place is one of the most important determinants of welfare. Simply by moving from the countryside to the city, or from a poor to a rich country, a person can greatly increase returns to labor or access to services. Yet, the study of the role of place in development was long neglected in mainstream economics. This changed significantly over the last 15 years or so and in 2009 spatial issues in development became the topic of the World Development Report Reshaping Economic Geography.

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Global Community Makes Record $75 Billion Commitment to End Extreme Poverty

Targets fragility, refugees, climate change and other pressing challengesWorld Bank building

YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA, December 15, 2016— A coalition of more than 60 donor and borrower governments agreed today to ratchet up the fight against extreme poverty with a record $75 billion commitment for the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries.

“This is a pivotal step in the movement to end extreme poverty,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said. “The commitments made by our partners, combined with IDA’s innovations to crowd in the private sector and raise funds from capital markets, will transform the development trajectory of the world’s poorest countries. We are grateful for our partners’ trust in IDA’s ability to deliver results.”

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Can you crowdsource water quality data?

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The recently released Contextual Framework for Crowdsourcing Water Quality Data lays out a strategy for citizen engagement in decentralized water quality monitoring, enabled by the “mobile revolution.”

According to the WHO, 1.8 billion people lack access to safe drinking water worldwide. Poor source water quality, non-existent or insufficient treatment, and defects in water distribution systems and storage mean these consumers use water that often doesn’t meet the WHO’s Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality.

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Is climate-smart gender-smart?

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) can help make the food system more sustainable in a changing climate. But does it come at a cost to women, rw_gender_ag_blogin terms of a heavier workload?

Climate-smart agriculture’s three pillars: improved agricultural productivity, increased adaptation to climate change and reduction of greenhouse gases are goals well worthy of targeting. On the one hand, CSA practices such as water harvesting or planting trees that provide more accessible fuel, fodder and food can save women’s time. On the other hand, some practices such as increased weeding or mulch spreading can require women to spend more time in the field.

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eC2:Photovoltaic Water Pumping Project

Deadline: 29-Dec-2016 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)water

The project seeks to facilitate the gradual retrofitting/replacement of existing diesel generators for water pumping with solar power. The financing mechanism will consist of a blended financing approach where 50% of the investment in PVP by Community Owned Water Supply Organizations (COWSOs) will be covered by a grant and the remaining 50% covered through a loan from TIB Development Bank. COWSOs will repay the loan through monthly installments via a mobile money payment modality. COWSOs are generally unfamiliar with PVP technology and are not accustomed to receiving and servicing loans. For the Project to succeed, careful COWSO sensitization, training and follow-up is required.
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