This paper focuses on evaluations with
findings that challenge important assumptions of the
development field. Its objective is to pinpoint the areas to
watch for in operations or policies that are decisive for
results. By drawing the attention of development
practitioners, policy makers, and evaluators to these
seemingly obvious but often neglected areas, it aims to
improve development effectiveness by better connecting

The last two decades have witnessed a
growing recognition of the importance of taking cultural and
ethnic diversity into consideration when designing and
implementing development programs. As societies around the
world have become more culturally diverse, and the role
culture plays in the formation of identity has become better
understood, governments are beginning to pay greater
attention to the management of cultural diversity and are

The climate is changing, and the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region is vulnerable to the consequences. Many of the region's countries are facing warmer temperatures, a changing hydrology, and more extremes, droughts, floods, heat waves, windstorms, and forest fires. This book presents an overview of what adaptation to climate change might mean for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It starts with a discussion of emerging best-practice adaptation planning around the world and a review of the latest climate projections.

This report demonstrates that a
"climate-smart" energy strategy is possible for
countries in the East Asia region, with support from the
international community. In the past three decades, the East
Asia region has experienced the fastest economic growth in
the world, accompanied by rapid urbanization. As a
consequence, energy consumption has more than tripled and is
expected to further double over the next two decades. This

The amount of available water has been
constant for millennia, but over time the planet has added 6
billion people. Water is essential to human life and
enterprise, and the increasing strains on available water
resources threaten the mission of institutions dedicated to
economic development. The ultimate goal is to achieve a
sustainable balance between the resources available and the
societal requirement for water. In this evaluation the

The first volume of Independent
Evaluation Group (IEG) series (IEG 2009) examined World Bank
experience with the promotion of the most important win-win
(no regrets) energy policies, policies that combine domestic
gains with global greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. These
included energy pricing reform and policies to promote
energy efficiency. This second phase covers the entire World
Bank Group (WBG), including the International Finance

Global warming and changes in climate
have already had observed impacts on natural ecosystems and
species. Natural systems such as wetlands, mangroves, coral
reefs, cloud forests, and Arctic and high-latitude
ecosystems are especially vulnerable to climate-induced
disturbances. However, enhanced protection and management of
biological resources and habitats can mitigate the impacts
and contribute to solutions as nations and communities

The past eight years witnessed
China's phenomenal growth and integration into the
world economy, expedited by its accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in 2001. The accession greatly
accelerated China's domestic reforms. By the end of
2007, China was ranked the second largest exporter and third
largest trader in the world after its exports grew at over
20 percent per year for the sixth year in a row. The

The Paraguay-Parana rivers waterway
system (referred to in the text as the Hidrovia, or HPP) is
potentially the greatest axis for freight movement in the
sub-region and a possible integration mechanism for the
Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) countries. However, 90
percent of freight in the sub-region is moved by road
transport, a significantly inefficient mode of transport in
terms of fuel consumption, space use and greenhouse gas

The Zambezi River Basin (ZRB) is one of
the most diverse and valuable natural resources in Africa.
Its waters are critical to sustainable economic growth and
poverty reduction in the region. The overall objective of
the Zambezi River Multi-Sector Investment
Opportunity Analysis (MSIOA) is to illustrate the benefits
of cooperation among the riparian countries in the ZRB
through a multi-sectoral economic evaluation of water

This policy note was prepared in
response to a request from the Government of Southern Sudan
(GoSS) for World Bank assistance in developing legislative
and institutional policies and strategies that will take
advantage of the potential of the region's forest
resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, food
security, sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and to
protection of forest-related environmental services such as

The remote and sparsely populated
provinces of Papua and West Papua face a time of great
change. Monetary transfers from Jakarta have grown
extraordinarily in recent years, by more than 600 percent in
real terms and 1300 percent in nominal terms since 2000,
greatly increasing demand for goods and services. The high
price of imports in the interior is producing pressure to
improve roads in order to lower transport costs. Pressure is