The report highlights how much recent
achievements, in terms of growth, and poverty reduction, owe
to the progress the country has made on a broad front of
policy issues, such as openness to trade, investment, and
competition, as well as education, and financial regulation.
Nonetheless, progress has been uneven in several fronts,
such as the need to intensify trade liberalization, and
domestic competition; to strengthen governance across

The report assesses the main factors
which constrain the sustainable development of the Gezira
Scheme (GS), to develop medium, to long term plans,
including short-term actions, to address those constrains.
The GS, is described as a large and complex enterprise,
because although it is one the world's largest
irrigation systems, it has become one of the least
efficient, irrespective of the fact that it uses thirty five

The book examines the impacts of medium-
and large-scale mines on local communities, through six case
studies, analyzing both the socioeconomic and cultural
effects, as well as environmental impacts of mining
operations on the communities. From a multidimensional
perspective, studies investigate mining operations costs,
and benefits, with an emphasis on the sustainability of
benefits, and the outcomes of the legal, and consultative

This paper deals with economic rents
arising from the development of hydroelectric generation on
international watercourses. The paper briefly defines the
concept of economic rent and its application to
hydroelectric developments. It explores two areas of
precedents that shows how the concept could be applied in
developments on international watercourses. First, it looks
at international law on the ownership and rights of use of

Forest resources directly contribute to
the livelihoods of 90 percent of the 1.2 billion people
living in extreme poverty and indirectly support the natural
environment that nourishes agriculture and the food supplies
of nearly half the population of the developing world.
Forests also are central to growth in many developing
countries through trade and industrial development. However,
mismanagement of this resource has cost governments revenues

Bhutan has shown remarkable economic
performance over the last two decades. Growth during the
second half of the 1990s was particularly strong, with
annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth averaging 6.5
percent. A large part of this performance has been supported
by generous inflows of foreign aid and buoyant electricity
exports to India, which have spurred growth both directly by
expanding export earnings and indirectly by stimulating

The report reviews the macroeconomic
perspectives of Uruguay, focused on its rural development
and natural resources intensive sectors, to form the basis
for expanding agricultural production, and increasing
productivity. It reviews the country's sectoral
composition, exports of natural resource intensive products,
and labor and capital use, as well as the tax burden.
Although agriculture represents less than ten percent of the

Despite its healthy economic growth, due
to good macroeconomic management, and progress in trade
liberalization, Sri Lanka's development is perceived to
be well below its potential. Certainly, the civil conflict
has taken a heavy social, and economic toll on the
country's performance, but also governance, and public
institutions have weakened, though maintaining a dominance
on the financial sector, and utilities, which further

Following the East Asian financial
crisis, the Bank's involvement in Thailand intensified,
enabling a multifaceted stabilization, and structural reform
dialogue, which deepened the economic, financial, and sector
knowledge of the country. The study benefits from this
analytical work, and provides an overview on the ongoing
policy dialogue, regarding short- and medium-term reform,
through a number of instruments. To promote longer-term

Forestry contributes 7-10 percent of Lao
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 15-20 percent of
non-agricultural GDP. In rural areas forest exploitation is
one of the few available economic activities, and non-timber
products provide more than half of family income. The sector
contributes 34 percent of total export value, and even more
of net foreign exchange. Forestry royalties as a share of
government revenues have decreased from 20 percent in the

Forestry contributes 7-10 percent of Lao
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 15-20 percent of
non-agricultural GDP. In rural areas forest exploitation is
one of the few available economic activities, and non-timber
products provide more than half of family income. The sector
contributes 34 percent of total export value, and even more
of net foreign exchange. Forestry royalties as a share of
government revenues have decreased from 20 percent in the

Although the State of Ceara, in Brazil,
is a model of good economic, and fiscal performance given
its poverty status, recent analysis show poverty remains
severe, in spite of significant reductions over the last
decade. The combination of good governance, and sound fiscal
management, industrial promotion, and public investments
have been successful, but the report questions whether
different policies, could have led to higher growth, and