Tag Archives: COVID

A green reboot for cities: Strategies for post-COVID growth

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In the case of pandemics, billions of dollars in prevention are worth trillions of dollars for the cure. But how do we translate that simple insight into effective action that saves lives? 

Countries, influential stakeholders and institutions have largely failed to take preventative action, despite clear evidence of need following the SARS and avian influenza outbreaks. The consequences are clear, and the world is now paying the price for failing to take advantage of past opportunities to make prevention a priority.

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The Long Shadow of Informality: Challenges and Policies

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A large percentage of workers and firms operate in the informal economy, outside the line of sight of governments in emerging markets and developing economies. This may hold back the recovery in these economies from the deep recessions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic—unless governments adopt a broad set of policies to address the challenges of widespread informality. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the extent of informality and its implications for a durable economic recovery and for long-term development. It finds that pervasive informality is associated with significantly weaker economic outcomes—including lower government resources to combat recessions, lower per capita incomes, greater poverty, less financial development, and weaker investment and productivity.  Continue reading →

A green reboot for cities: Strategies for post-COVID growth

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Around the world, cities have paid a high price for the COVID-19 pandemic.  Thousands of municipalities are facing increased pressures to provide essential services while simultaneously coping with dramatic revenue declines. The situation is particularly severe in emerging markets where resources are sparse. 

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Supporting Pollution Reduction Efforts to Protect the Health of Egyptians and Spur Economic Recovery

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Recent studies highlighting the adverse impact of pollution on growth estimate that the annual economic cost of air pollution on health in the Greater Cairo area alone is about 1.4 percent of Egypt’s Gross Domestic Product.

Healthy citizens are the cornerstone of every country’s development and are integral for sustainable economic growth. Given the many health hazards of pollution—from cancer to respiratory ailments and much more—it is increasingly becoming recognized as an impediment to growth and development. Recent global efforts to minimize pollution, through initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and The Paris Agreement, aim to set global guidelines for countries in order to reduce pollution. 

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Food Relief for Poor Afghans Amid COVID-19

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Story Highlights:Food Relief for Poor Afghans Amid COVID-19

  • 750,000 Afghan households facing food insecurity and hunger have received food and basic necessities packages. Over 5 million households are expected to benefit.
  • Two World Bank projects support this relief effort through the Afghan government’s Dastarkhwan-e-Meli program, which aims to alleviate hunger and unemployment for the most vulnerable.
  • Local Community Development Councils buy the relief packages from local providers, thus helping create jobs and stimulate local economies.

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Turning the Tide on Marine Plastics in South Asia

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South Asia is the third largest contributor to global plastic waste. It generates 334 million metric tons of solid waste every year. Nearly 70-80% of this waste ends up in the ocean 12% is plastic. On current trends, if no action is taken, the amount of mismanaged waste (including plastic) across South Asia is projected to double to 661 million tons by 2050, adversely affecting the region’s ocean ecosystems, livelihoods, human health, and sustainable development more broadly. COVID-19 has further exacerbated plastic pollution, with increased demand for single-use plastic and pressure on solid waste management systems.

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Financing SDG2: Hunger and malnutrition- what will it take?

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One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the health crisis has triggered an economic crisis and a protracted rise in food insecurity.  Basic sustenance has become unaffordable for the world’s poorest, and disruptions of health and nutrition services will have long term consequences. Even before the pandemic, the world was not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) goal of Zero Hunger.

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Time to decarbonize transport for a green, resilient and inclusive recovery

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At a time when we face enormous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is heartening to see the world mobilizing as never before to tackle the looming crisis of global warming. From renewable energy to carbon markets to sustainable agriculture, countries are taking steps to address emissions and enhance resilience.  The international development community is also stepping up. In 2020, the World Bank Group reached its highest ever level of climate financing, at $21.4 billion, and we recently announced our plan to align all-new World Bank operations with the Paris Agreement by July 2023.

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Deploying Digital Tools to Withstand Climate Change in Low-Income Countries

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Climate change is increasing the frequency of natural hazards.
  • Disaster risk management specialists have improved the ability of countries to respond to risks, using a variety of digital technologies.
  • Mapping, micro-tasking and visualizing tools are critical to reduce the impact of climate change in the world’s poorest countries.

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