Poised to thrive: Empowering women with skills and jobs in South Asia

Sangay Choden, in her own words, displayed much Tha Dhantse—a Bhutanese concept of having the courage to do the right thing with integrity and loyalty. Choden was the first female science graduate in her family and now handles complex power projects with ease as the manager with the Bhutan Power Corporation Limited.  She has climbed mountains, both literally and metaphorically, she says.

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How the World Bank is tackling the growing global waste crisis

Every year, the world produces over two billion tonnes of municipal waste, a figure expected to rise by 73 percent to nearly four billion tonnes by 2050. Managing this surge will be a major investment and policy challenge for cities in low- and middle-income countries.

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Improving Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa

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Despite increasing food production over the past three decades, 58% of Africans remain food insecure. Transport is an often-overlooked contributor to this challenge. Poor transport connectivity, failures at critical ports and border crossings, and high trade costs create long food supply chains that fail to reliably get staple products to people.

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Meet the Community Champions Shaping a Future with Nature

In national parks and ecological corridors globally, community champions are fostering harmony between people, wildlife, and other biodiversity, while creating jobs and other economic opportunities in their local areas.

The Global Wildlife Program (GWP) is one of the largest global partnerships created to support country-led initiatives that tackle illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, mitigate human-wildlife conflict and zoonotic spillover risk, and promote wildlife-based livelihoods. With funding from the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank-led program works with community champions across 38 countries, including in South Africa, Indonesia, Mali, and Ecuador.

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World Bank Supports Bangladesh in Flood Risk Reduction and Recovery

Dhaka, May 14, 2025 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $270 million financing to bolster Bangladesh’s flood recovery efforts and enhance its resilience to future disasters, including support for constructing and rehabilitating critical infrastructure, strengthening agricultural system and improving livelihoods in areas devastated by the August 2024 floods. 

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How Electricity is Powering Value Addition in Tanzania’s Villages

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Where villagers once struggled with basic tools and meager earnings, they now use modern electric machinery to create valuable finished products.
  • From increased rice production and reduced transportation costs, to booming sunflower oil businesses, access to reliable power is boosting local economies.
  • Tanzania is bringing its vision of universal electrification to reality with support from a $550 million International Development Association investment.
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The hidden jobs engine: unleashing the potential of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa

A common misunderstanding persists about job creation in Africa. Many envision cities as the epicenters of economic opportunity. Yet for millions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the path to decent work still winds through agriculture. With youth unemployment rising and cities unable to absorb the growing labor force, agriculture—still the region’s largest employer—must be transformed into a more productive, appealing, and innovative sector.

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2025 World Bank Youth Summit

The World Bank Group Youth Summit returns for its 12th edition, bringing together young people (ages 18-35) to tackle urgent global challenges. This year’s focus is on digital transformation, creative industries, and youth-led innovation for a livable planet.

The Summit’s mission is to:

  • Empower youth to explore innovative solutions to development challenges
  • Equip youth with the tools to create and participate in impactful projects
  • Foster dialogue between youth, the World Bank Group, and other key global stakeholders.

Join us on May 19-20 for key sessions broadcast here, including a civil society roundtable, plenaries on data-driven solutions and youth-led innovations in agriculture, a creative industries session, and a fireside chat on digital currencies. All sessions will be in English with interpretation in العربيةFrançais, and Español.

Check the Agenda tab for a detailed schedule. To learn more about the WBG Youth Summit, visit worldbank.org/youthsummit.