Every year most parts of India are affected by drought.But the Centre and State has failed so far to diagnose the drought phenomenon and to come up with a long term solution. Declaration of drought is a sensitive issue. The nature of drought is such that it does not occur in the same intensity across the Country and State and also has differential impacts. Unless this complexity is understood drought declaration will always be controversial and not transparent.

The 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Paris, France, 30 November to 11 December 2015. COP 21 and the resulting Paris Agreement have been seen by many as a turning point in international climate negotiations. Their implications have been particularly significant in the context of forests. In view of this, forest sector stakeholders in Asia and the Pacific require succinct and accurate information on the outcomes of COP 21 and the Paris Agreement.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an issue of concern to governments, organized civil society groups, as well as business actors in the Mekong region. EIA and related forms of environmental assessments are being carried out throughout the region with varying levels of quality, legal frameworks, monitoring and compliance.

This report provides a review of the Armenian mining sector, and assesses its potential to contribute to sustainable economic growth and development. Based on the findings, it provides recommendations for initiatives and actions for the future development of the sector. The report was produced in the period October 2015 to April 2016.

Faced with the challenge of providing adequate transport services with limited resources, cities have, for several decades, been investing in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). ITS utilize Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to make more efficient use of existing transport infrastructure with the aim of improving transport services and reducing congestion, accidents, and air pollution.

Fisheries constitute an important source
of livelihoods for tens of thousands of poor people in the
southwest coastal region of Bangladesh living near the
UNESCO Heritage Sundarbans mangrove forest, and they supply
a significant portion of protein for millions. Among the
various threats fisheries in the southwest coastal region
and Sundarbans mangrove forest will face because of climate
change, adverse impacts from increased aquatic salinity

Adaptation to climate change includes
addressing sea level rise and increased storm surges in many
coastal areas. Mangroves can substantially reduce the
vulnerability of the adjacent coastal land from inundation
and erosion. However, climate change poses a large threat to
mangroves. This paper quantifies the coastal protection
provided by mangroves for 42 developing countries in the
current climate, and a future climate change scenario with a

Despite its challenging circumstances,
Bangladesh has proven to be remarkably resilient and
achieved significant human development gains. The country
partnership framework (CPF) will refocus the World Bank
Group’s (WBG’s) strategic direction on removing stubborn
impediments to job creation and growth. The CPF will build
on a well-performing portfolio, particularly in human
development, identified by the systematic country diagnostic

The WBG’s Colombia Systematic Country
Diagnostic (SCD) analyzed key constraints and opportunities
that will impact Colombia’s development in the context of
three defining country characteristics. They include uneven
territorial development, a long standing armed conflict and
a growth process led by extractive industries. The Colombia
Country Partnership Framework (CPF) proposes to address
these complex development challenges with a flexible,

The objective of this Systematic Country
Diagnostic (SCD) is to identify the priority constraints
Bolivia faces in sustaining its gains on reducing poverty
and enhancing shared prosperity over the next years. It will
analyze the dynamics behind the progress achieved in the
past decade on inclusive growth, and identify a number of
key constraints for sustaining and consolidating this
progress. The SCD begins, in Chapter two, with a

This paper presents the first basin-wide
assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the
hydrology and production of the Ganges system, undertaken as
part of the World Bank’s Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment.
A series of modeling efforts, downscaling of climate
projections, water balance calculations, hydrological
simulation and economic optimization, inform the assessment.
The authors find that projections of precipitation across

Taking a gender-responsive approach to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) means that the particular needs, priorities, and realities of men and women are recognized and adequately addressed in the design and application of CSA so that both men and women can equally benefit.

The gender gap in agriculture affects how men and women access and benefit from CSA.

A gender-responsive approach to CSA addresses this gap by recognizing the specific needs and capabilities of women and men.