Category Archives: WBG News & Reports

Invisible Bonds: resilience building in the horn of Africa’s borderlands

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It is often said that “a picture is worth a thousand words.“ This is particularly the case in thewater-blog-invisible-bonds.jpg Horn of Africa’s (HoA) borderlands, where images can send an unequivocal message as to the value of water both as part of local and regional approaches to resilience building.

Maps and the use of geographical information systems (GIS) are also key tools in understanding the value of ‘unseen’ resources such as groundwater, a topic that will be at the forefront of the discussions among international water experts at the upcoming World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden.

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Food Security Update

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Download latest Food Security Updatefood-security-page

August 15, 2022 – Record high food prices have triggered a global crisis that will drive millions more into extreme poverty, magnifying hunger and malnutrition, while threatening to erase hard-won gains in development. The war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and the continued economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic are reversing years of development gains and pushing food prices to all-time highs. Rising food prices have a greater impact on people in low- and middle-income countries, since they spend a larger share of their income on food than people in high-income countries. This brief looks at rising food insecurity and World Bank responses to date. 

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What IPCC climate projections mean for World Bank energy projects in Africa

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We already knew climate change would be a major threat to development gains in Africa, but a blog_senegal_energy_-_with_wbg_cop27_branding_fullrecent report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reveals the impacts could be significantly worse. Across the continent, research indicates with greater precision and certainty the future increases in flooding severity and extreme weather events over the coming decades. Among the findings: In West Africa, the number of potentially lethal heat days reaches 50–150 per year at 1.6°C global warming and 100–250 per year at 2.5°C global warming, with the highest increases in coastal regions; In Southern Africa, heavy rainfall events would become more frequent and intense at all levels of global warming, increasing exposure to flooding; and, at 2°C global warming, unprecedented extreme droughts are projected to emerge. These are alarming projections given that the continent is the least responsible for climate change but most vulnerable to its consequences.

Yet even as the climate crisis accelerates, Africa needs to close its huge energy access gap and achieve its development goals. Millions of people across Africa still lack access to basic electricity services.  Communities still live without reliable and affordable electricity needed to deliver social services and to be more resilient, better prepared, and more responsive when disasters hit.

“Yet even as the climate crisis accelerates, Africa needs to close its huge energy access gap and achieve its development goals.

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Three ways a strong dollar impacts emerging markets

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World Bank Mobilizes $4.5 billion in Additional Financing for Vital Support to Ukraine

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WASHINGTON, August 8, 2022—The World Bank Group today announced $4.5 billion in additional financing mobilized for Ukraine under the Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance in Ukraine (PEACE) Project, which aims to help the Government of Ukraine meet urgent needs created by the ongoing war. The financing package is comprised of a $4.5 billion grant provided by the United States.

The additional financing will contribute to sustaining the government’s administrative and service delivery capacity to exercise core functions at the national and regional levels. Specifically, the project will help the Government of Ukraine to cover social payments, healthcare services, and pensions, which are essential for the well-being of the country’s citizens in mitigating the social and economic impacts of the war.

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World Water Week 2022

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August 23-September 01, 2022siwi-wwweek-main-photo780
Online and Stockholm, Sweden

World Water Week, organized each year by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), brings together experts, professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs from various sectors and countries with the aim of developing solutions for water-related challenges.

The theme of this year’s event is “Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water,” with a focus on the diverse aspects of water, how others view and value water, and the exploration of water’s full value to society. For the first time, the conference will be hybrid, allowing delegates to join online and/or in-person in Stockholm, Sweden.

The World Bank Group will convene and participate in multiple sessions on topics ranging from transboundary cooperation and financing to agriculture, technology, innovation, and the climate crisis.

You can also follow our sessions along via @WorldBankWater using #wwweek

 

 

World Water Week 2022 Aug 23 – Sep 1

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World Water Week, organized each year by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI),siwi-wwweek-main-photo780 brings together experts, professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs from various sectors and countries with the aim of developing solutions for water-related challenges.

The theme of this year’s event is “Seeing the Unseen: The Value of Water,” with a focus on the diverse aspects of water, how others view and value water, and the exploration of water’s full value to society. For the first time, the conference will be hybrid, allowing delegates to join online and/or in-person in Stockholm, Sweden.

The World Bank Group will convene and participate in multiple sessions on topics ranging from transboundary cooperation and financing to agriculture, technology, innovation, and the climate crisis.

You can also follow our sessions along via @WorldBankWater using #wwweek.

 

 

 

 

Food and Security Update

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AT A GLANCE
• The agricultural, cereal, and export price indices were stable over the past 2 weeks.
• Domestic food price inflation remains high around the world. High inflation continues in almost all low–
income and middle–income countries, and the share of high–income countries with high inflation is also
increasing sharply.
• Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to free more than 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in Ukraine’s Black
Sea ports.
• The war in Ukraine threatens poor countries with overlapping food and debt crises.
• The Horn of Africa is suffering its worst drought in more than 40 years.

FULL REPORT

 

 

Job: Junior Professional Associate

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Junior Professional Associate

Job #: req12469
Organization: World Bank
Grade: Ungraded
Term Duration:  2 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Global based on business need
Required Language(s): English

Description

Junior Professional Associates – Program Description

The Junior Professional Associate (JPA) program is a unique opportunity to gain entry-level professional experience and first-hand exposure to the challenges – and rewards – of international development. 

 
Are you a recent graduate? Do you have passion for and commitment to helping others? Are you looking for a solid, two-year entry-level work experience in a multicultural environment? If so, you may be interested in the the World Bank’s JPA program.
 
 
In your JPA assignment, you’ll use your strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, your knowledge of technology and your research abilities – working with more senior colleagues and project teams in their work both in operations and in corporate functions. You’ll have an opportunity to hone your skills and acquire new ones while gaining first-hand exposure to the challenges of reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Your experience as a JPA may be used as a steppingstone to a career in government, consulting, the private sector, academia or other development agencies.
 
 
What are we looking for?
 
 
Your academic achievements are superior and place you in the top portion of your graduating class. Your analytical and research skills extend to areas of specialization such as: economics, finance, human development (public health, education, nutrition, population), social sciences (anthropology, sociology), agriculture, environment (climate, blue economy), infrastructure, private sector development, as well as other related fields, including corporate and administrative functions (IT, legal, accounting, communications, etc.).

You are fluent in English and, preferably, in at least one other Bank language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, or Chinese). You love technology and integrate it in your work.

 
What are we offering you?
 
 
We will provide you with the opportunity to gain entry-level professional experience in a premier development institution, on a two-year, non-renewable Extended Term Consultant (ETC) contract with benefits.
 
 
Eligibility Criteria
 
 
The following are minimum requirements to be eligible for the JPA program: 

     – Be 28 years of age or younger on your first day of service

     – Hold the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree with a superior academic record

     – Be fluent in English

     – One or more of the Bank’s working languages is a plus: Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish 

 
Since this employment program is highly competitive, applicants under active consideration for employment may be asked to submit academic records as well as references. The World Bank will contact only those applicants whom hiring managers wish to interview.
 
 
Positions may be located in any of the World Bank’s offices across the world.
 
 
A JPA assignment is not an entry point for a career at the World Bank and employment beyond the two-year contract will be prohibited for a period of two years after the end of the contract. However, some former JPAs may rejoin the organization later in their careers after gaining experience elsewhere and becoming experts in their professional fields.
 
 
Recruitment and hiring for this employment category is ongoing throughout the year.
 
 
How do I apply?
 
 
Interested candidates may apply online. (Please take care to provide required information where indicated). Please note that applications will be kept active in our database for a period of six months. Should you still be interested in JPA program after six months, you will need to re-apply. Only those identified for an assignment will be contacted to discuss their interest and availability. Candidates are selected by the hiring manager on a highly competitive basis.
 
 
The World Bank continually searches for qualified individuals with a diverse set of backgrounds from around the globe. We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.
 
 
Individuals with disabilities may be provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions and support in receiving other workplace accommodations. Please contact the Disability Accommodation Fund at disabilityfund@worldbank.org for further information and support.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.