Climate change is challenging our status quo as the frequency of extreme weather events 
keeps increasing. Water scarcity could cost some regions up to 6% of GDP and floods could force hundreds of millions of people from their homes by 2050. At the same time, we’re facing a $15 trillion infrastructure finance gap.
Tag Archives: World Bank
A green reboot for cities: Strategies for post-COVID growth
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.
The Long Shadow of Informality: Challenges and Policies
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
Defying Predictions, Remittance Flows Remain Strong During COVID-19 Crisis
A green reboot for cities: Strategies for post-COVID growth
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.
Supporting Pollution Reduction Efforts to Protect the Health of Egyptians and Spur Economic Recovery
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.
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.
Food Relief for Poor Afghans Amid COVID-19
Story Highlights:
- 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.
Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report
Highlights
- Gas flaring, the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction, takes place due to a range of issues, from market and economic constraints, to a lack of appropriate regulation and political will. The practice results in a range of pollutants released into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane and black carbon (soot).
- The Global Gas Flaring Tracker finds that oil production declined by 8% (from 82 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2019 to 76 million b/d in 2020), while global gas flaring reduced by 5% (from 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2019 to 142 bcm in 2020).
- Russia, Iraq, Iran, the United States, Algeria, Venezuela and Nigeria remain the top seven gas flaring countries for nine years running. These seven countries produce 40% of the world’s oil each year, but account for roughly two-thirds (65%) of global gas flaring.
India’s Youth Rise Up to Fix Country’s Toxic Air Problem
Seeing bluer skies in India—a nation known for its alarming air pollution levels—remains a major
governmental priority. In recent times, the country launched its flagship National Clean Air Program (NCAP) to provide a roadmap to prevent, control, and reduce unhealthy air and mitigate its effects on development. Yet, much remains to be done, and one can still cough up troubling statistics on the lack of clean air in India: On an average, 248 million Indians lose 8 years of their lives due to exposure to poor air quality. And 1.67 million deaths were attributable to air pollution in India in 2019.
Turning the Tide on Marine Plastics in South Asia
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.
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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