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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

Braving the Storms: The outlook for East Asia and the Pacific, illustrated

The Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the uneven recovery of developing East Asia and Pacific (EAP) countries.   The invasion comes on top of the economic distress caused by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, the financial tightening in the United States, and the pandemic resurgence and the economic slowdown in China. While commodity producers and fiscally solid countries in the region may weather these shocks with less difficulty, these events will dampen the growth prospects of most economies in the region. Overall economic growth is projected to slow to 5 percent in 2022— 0.4 of a percentage point less than expected in October.  If global conditions worsen and national policy responses are weak, growth could ease further.

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Are we ready for the coming spate of debt crises?

Higher inflation. Slower growth. Tightening financial conditions.

In recent weeks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated global economic risks.  There is a fourth element, however, that could make the mix combustible: the high debt of emerging markets and developing economies.

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eC2: Prioritizing Resilient Investments for Water Security in Botswana

Deadline: 25-Apr-2022 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.)water_hero

The main objective of this assignment is to develop a national and transboundary water resilient strategy for Botswana. This study will quantitatively assess the climate change risks of water resources management and development alternatives vis-à-vis other identified risks unrelated to such change. The study will include a roadmap for a phased adaptation leading to increased multi-dimensional resilience of the Botswana water resources system using Decision-Making Under Uncertainty Methodologies (DMDU). The assessment will evaluate tradeoffs across in-country water management and services investments as well as the three transboundary options (Chobe-Zambezi transfer, Lesotho-Botswana transfer, and desalination from Namibia). See detailed file with request for expression of interest.

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Addressing Challenges to Growth, Security, and Stability

In his speech, “Addressing Challenges to Growth, Security, and Stability,” President700x700-scene-setter-speech_0.png Malpass will discuss how conflict, COVID-19, and climate change have created unprecedented challenges for developing countries, hurting the poorest and most vulnerable people and communities. He will outline how, moving forward, crisis recovery and longer-term development requires economic transformation, investment in human capital, and security and stability underpinned by support from the international community.

This speech will be broadcast live from Poland, a country that has taken in over 2.3 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing war.

Watch the World Bank Group Public Events
Visit the Official Spring Meetings 2022 website
Visit the World Bank Group website

 

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Is there a best way to target social assistance?

eC2: Study on climate smart agriculture technologies and investment opportunities

Deadline:21-Apr-2022 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) water-tajikistan780x439

The objective of this assignment is to provide a toolkit for women regarding nature based solutions that the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development’s (DCED) Green Growth Working Group. The toolkit should support the development and growing market demand for affordable, gender-responsive, nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity in developing countries, and that women as entrepreneurs, business owners, workers and supply-chain actors – are particularly well positioned to help address this need.

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eC2: Study on climate smart agriculture technologies and investment opportunities

Deadline: 19-Apr-2022 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) south_africa

The Government of South Africa has identified agriculture as one of the key sectors that could contribute to greening the economy due to its backward and forward linkages with job generation, food security, foreign export earnings and raw material production, making the sector an important engine for the growth of the rest of the economy. At the same time, this potential is significantly threatened by climate change . With more than 70 percent of its croplands relying primarily on rainfall for farming, existing cropping and livestock systems will be directly affected by expected climate induced changes in precipitation and temperature patterns. The agricultural sector is therefore one of the focal sectors of South Africas National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) that was promulgated in 2020 and of the countrys updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement . The adoption of climate smart agriculture technologies provides opportunities for sustainable intensification consistent with food security and development goals, and climate change adaptation and mitigation needs.

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Four paths to respond to the food price crisis

As the devastating war in Ukraine rages on causing untold suffering, its impact is being feltroti_hero far beyond its borders, battering a world emerging from a pandemic that has hit developing countries hardest.  Among the most critical is the food price crisis, calling into question the affordability and availability of wheat and other essential staples.

There is no downplaying the blow that the war has dealt to food systems, already fragile from two years of COVID-19 disruptions, climate extremes, currency devaluations, and worsening fiscal constraints. Because Ukraine and Russia account for over a quarter of the world’s annual wheat sales, the war has led to a significant rise in the price of food , not only wheat but barley, maize, and edible oil among others exported by these two countries. Global and domestic food prices were already close to all-time highs before the war, and a large question mark looms over the next seasons’ harvests worldwide due to the sharp increase in fertilizer prices as well.

“Whether we succeed in managing food price volatility and navigating our way out of this new crisis depends on national policies and global cooperation.”

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