The important role of biomass fuels
today. Timor Leste is a relatively small country located in
the eastern part of Timor Island with an area of about 1.5
million ha and an estimated 2007 population of 1.0 million.
At about US$550 GDP per capita, it is one of the least
developed countries in the world, with an estimated 40
percent of the population in poverty. However, the
development of offshore oil and gas resources in partnership

This is a draft edition of the Poverty Environment Nexus (PEN) report for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. The purpose of this conference edition is to present the findings from the studies that have been undertaken in each country over the last three years as well as to obtain relevant comments and feedback from the conference participants that could be included in the final edition of the report. The material presented in this report is based upon comprehensive case studies as well as national analytical work performed in each country.

This regional study encompasses three
Central American countries: Nicaragua, Guatemala, and
Honduras. The focus of this report is Honduras. The
objective of the study is to understand how broad-based
economic growth can be stimulated and sustained in rural
Central America. The study identifies "drivers" of
sustainable rural growth and poverty reduction. Drivers are
defined as the assets and combinations of assets needed by

The overall goal of this report is to
give strategic focus to implementation of the agricultural
water management (AWM) components of the corporate
strategies. Its specific objectives are to set out the
changing context of demand and supply for agricultural
water; to identify the policy, institutional, and incentive
reform options that will accelerate productivity
improvements and pro-poor growth; and to articulate

China's environmental
degradation has developed over centuries, but record recent
rates of economic growth have now widened environmental
impacts and accelerated many adverse trends. China's
urbanization and industrialization have produced rising
material standards of living but have ever more costly
environmental consequences. The period 1992-2001 coincided
with a renewed Bank commitment to the environment,

The study develops a new method to
measure the impacts of climate change on agriculture called
the Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ) Model. A multinomial logit is
estimated to predict the probability of each AEZ in each
district. The average percentage of cropland and average
crop net revenue are calculated for each AEZ. Then an
estimate of the amount of cropland in Africa and where it is
located is provided. Using current conditions, the model

The report highlights the GEF's
work with small island developing states (SIDS) on key
natural resource issues -climate change, biodiversity,
international waters, and land degradation. It also
describes the GEF's strategic priorities for SIDS over
the next five years, recognizing the interrelatedness of
SIDS' global environmental problems and their links to
economic and social development. The Global Environment

This Policy Note is based on the Final
Report of the Environmental Energy Review (EER), prepared
over two years, with the full collaboration of the
Government of Iran, and the assistance of international, and
national consultants. The EER report comprises: an analysis
of the current situation with regards to energy generation,
and use; an evaluation of the growth prospects with regard
to energy generation, and use; the identification of the

This report is a review of the Lesotho's financial system covering: i) the macro-financial environment; ii) safety and soundness of the banking system; iii) non-bank financial institutions; and iv) microfinance and finance for small and medium enterprises. The report was based on data and other information collected during the March 2003 mission.

In line with one of the major themes in
the Bank's Environment Strategy, this 2005 annual
review is devoted to the theme of environmental health.
Viewpoint articles in this edition reflect several external
perspectives: the World Health Organization (WHO) lays out
the panorama of environmental risk factors; a successful
example of combating urban air pollution is provided by the
former mayor of Bogotá; successful strategies to enhance

In the past decade, Tanzania has
experienced high economic growth and it is in the global
limelight as a recent success story in Africa. A variety of
factors have contributed to this success, including
liberalized policies and reforms, infusion of external
capital from development partners and the private sector,
debt cancellation, and a strong performance by emerging
sectors such as mining, tourism, and fisheries. Its social

The purpose of the Third Overall Performance Study (OPS3), commissioned by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, is "to assess the extent to which GEF has achieved, or is on its way towards achieving its main objectives, as laid down in the GEF Instrument and subsequent decisions by the GEF Council and the Assembly, including key documents such as the Operational Strategy and the Policy Recommendations agreed as part of the Third Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund." (GEF/C.23/4) The OPS3 team recognizes that this study is taking place at a critical time and will provide input that