This 2015 index of sustainability
indicators has been prepared in accordance with the
internationally recognized standard for sustainability
reporting Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and
complies with the ‘core option.’ The GRI Index provides an
overview of sustainability considerations within the World
Bank’s lending and analytical services as well as its
day-to-day operations and management of staff. The World

The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) initiative seeks to develop a science basis for policy actions to address land degradation. The purpose of this chapter is to provide with a conceptual framework and sound and feasible methodological standards for ELD assessments at global and national levels. Only if some basic standards are identified and adhered to, comparative assessments can be conducted between countries and useful aggregation of findings, based on these case studies, can be achieved.

Economic, agronomic, and biophysical drivers affect global land use, so all three influences need to be considered in evaluating economically optimal allocations of the world’s land resources. A dynamic, forward-looking optimization framework applied over the course of the coming century shows that although some deforestation is optimal in the near term, in the absence of climate change regulation, the desirability of further deforestation is eliminated by mid-century.

This report evaluates International
Development Association (IDA) support to Nepal during
2003-2008. IDA’s overarching goal during this period was to
support the Government’s efforts to reduce poverty and
improve human well-being. IDA focused on helping to foster
broad-based growth, social development, social inclusion,
and good governance. The evaluation highlights the need to
introduce greater realism into the country assistance

Increasing temperatures and wildfire incidence and decreasing precipitation and river runoff in southern Africa are predicted to have a variety of impacts on the ecology, structure, and function of semi-arid savannas, which provide innumerable livelihood resources for millions of people.

Integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets into the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Intergovernmental Working Group report on land degradation neutrality

This report on the assessment of land
governance in Brazil summarizes and discusses the results of
a series of standardized self-assessments of the land
governance situation in Brazil, conducted entirely by
Brazilian speakers. Therefore, these findings represent the
perception of local experts based on their experience of
news and data available. The main aim of this report are
federal and state authorities directly involved in land

This report seeks to understand the
successes, challenges and opportunities of Cambodia’s
agricultural transformation over the past decade to derive
lessons and insights on how to maintain future agricultural
growth, and particularly on the government’s role in
facilitating it. It is prepared per the request of the
Supreme National Economic Council and the Ministry of
Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries and is based on the

The authors have assembled 1960–2012
infrastructure stock data from 145 countries to estimate the
demand for infrastructure services in emerging markets and
developing economies. This paper identifies that the
required resource flows to satisfy new demand while
maintaining service for existing infrastructure amounts to
$836 billion or 6.1 percent of current gross domestic
product per year over the period 2014–20. The annual

The case for climate action has never
been stronger. Current weather extremes, including storms,
floods and drought, affect millions of people across the
world. Climate change is putting water security at risk;
threatening agricultural and other supply chains as well as
many coastal cities. The likelihood of severe pervasive and
irreversible impacts will grow without action to limit and
reverse the growth of GHG emissions globally. Last year’s

Reliance on solid fuels for cooking is
an indicator of energy poverty. Access to modern energy
services - including electricity and clean fuels - is
important for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
It can also reduce womens domestic burden of collecting
fuelwood and allow them to pursue educational, economic, and
other employment opportunities that can empower them and
lead to increased gender equality. Similarly, the use of