This report presents a comprehensive analysis of how AI can be responsibly deployed across agrifood systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It provides a roadmap of applications, requirements, and investment priorities focusing on ethical, inclusive, and scalable use.
COTONOU, November 18, 2025 – At the conclusion of a regional summit held on November 17–18, 2025, in Benin, ministers responsible for digital affairs from West and Central African countries adopted the Cotonou Declaration, signaling their strong commitment to accelerating digital transformation in the region. They set ambitious targets for 2030, including achieving affordable and reliable broadband access for 90% of the population, deploying interoperable public digital infrastructure such as digital identity and payment systems, doubling intra-African e-commerce, and adopting harmonized frameworks for cybersecurity, data governance, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a trusted environment.
Continue reading“Credit: World Bank Group. All rights reserved”
From a young age, Leah Francis Basu was fascinated by the mechanics of an aircraft. “I loved aircrafts,” she recalls, describing the moment she first discovered the science of lift. “It was surprising to me to learn the Bernoulli’s principle, where air moving faster over the top of the wing creates lower pressure, while the air beneath the wing remains at higher pressure, forcing the aircraft upward to take off.”
Continue reading
Imagine landing your dream engineering role at one of Silicon Valley’s top technology companies – from your apartment in Riyadh, Cairo, or Beirut. This dream is now within reach for thousands in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), provided they have the right skills.
Continue reading
The world is facing a dangerous decline in freshwater availability. This persistent freshwater loss—known as continental drying— is disrupting jobs, incomes, and ecosystems. By combining satellite data with economic and land-use information, Continental Drying: A Threat to our Common Future, offers new insight into where and why freshwater is disappearing and what can be done.
The report maps global hotspots, quantifies the economic and environmental toll, and outlines a three-pronged strategy—managing demand, augmenting supply, and improving allocation—to tackle the continental drying crisis. Beyond water, addressing trade barriers, investing in education and skills, and expanding access to markets and finance are critical to strengthening jobs and safeguarding livelihoods worldwide.
“Credit: World Bank Group. All rights reserved”
There are over 830 million people around the world living in extreme poverty today, but who are they, and what do we know about their daily lives? A deeper understanding of the characteristics of people and households living in extreme poverty can help us design more effective policies. To gain those insights, we need key data.
Continue reading
Across the world, people are feeling the strain of a changing environment. In 2025, nine out of 10 people were living in places where the land is losing productivity, the air is polluted, or the water is becoming scarce or unsafe. In low-income countries, most people face all three of these challenges at once—putting health, jobs, and growth at risk.
Continue readingWASHINGTON, November 4, 2025 – Today the World Bank approved the Technical Assistance to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) project, also known as RETRADE SAPP, to support increasing and expanding the regional electricity market in the SAPP.
Continue reading
Netherlands for the World Bank 