Recent global initiatives on debt relief
and development assistance call for increasing aid for trade
to the poorest countries. The paper applies a multi-country
computable general equilibrium model to measure the
effectiveness of alternative aid for trade categories. The
findings show that aid for trade policies expand trade and
alleviate international income inequalities in the recipient
countries, that will benefit mainly from aid for trade

Around the world, countries are becoming
urbanized at an astonishing pace. As countries develop
economically, their economies shift from mainly rural and
agrarian to increasingly urban and nonagricultural. This
rural-urban transformation presents both opportunities and
challenges for development. When managed effectively, the
transformation spurs growth and reduces poverty. When
managed poorly, however, the process can result in stark

Despite several attempts at reform,
immovable property rights in Albania are not adequately
secure and represent an important governance challenge.
Problems have resulted from incomplete first title
registration, the lack of accurate cadastral records, and,
in many cases, the absence of reliable evidence of
ownership. Although Albania has adopted legislation calling
for restitution or compensation for owners whose property

Informal settlements are a permanent
feature of South Africa's cities. Estimates from the
General Household Survey by Statistics South Africa show
that more than 26 percent of all households in the
country's six metropolitan areas live in informal
dwellings. The government's policy efforts have focused
on provision of subsidized housing, first introduced as part
of the Reconstruction and Development Program. Through the

This paper describes the economic
importance of the service sector in Central European Free
Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries and current barriers to
trade in services between CEFTA countries. It looks at four
sectors: construction, land transport, legal services, and
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services. The
intent is to stimulate dialogue on trade in services between
decision-makers in CEFTA countries. In CEFTA economies,

Today, 370 million people live in cities
in earthquake prone areas and 310 million in cities with
high probability of tropical cyclones. By 2050, these
numbers are likely to more than double. Mortality risk
therefore is highly concentrated in many of the world s
cities and economic risk even more so. This paper discusses
what sets hazard risk in urban areas apart, provides
estimates of valuation of hazard risk, and discusses

This paper reviews dynamic general
equilibrium models in order to collect insights on the
interaction between economic growth and environmental
issues. The authors discuss the Ramsey model and extend it
for natural resource inputs and pollution, as well as for
endogenous technical change. Green growth becomes within
reach if there is good substitution, a clean backstop
technology, a small share of natural resources in gross

This is a Regional Program Review (RPR)
of the World Bank's support for the MBC. The review is
framed around an assessment of five Global Environment
Facility (GEF)-financed World Bank implemented projects in
Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama that had
the common objective of consolidating the Mesoamerican
Biological Corridor (MBC). It also reports on the
achievements of trust fund activities, financed by the Bank

Many countries in Africa suffer high
rates of underemployment or low rates of productive
employment; many also anticipate large numbers of people to
enter the workforce in the near future. This paper asks the
question: Are African firms creating fewer jobs than those
located elsewhere? And, if so, why? One reason may be that
weak business environments slow the growth of firms and
distort the allocation of resources away from

This paper reviews the challenges and
opportunities raised by international trade for developing
countries considering a green growth strategy. A key concern
is the effect of environmental policies on international
competitiveness. For production-generated pollution, there
is evidence that stringent environmental policy reduces some
indicators of competitiveness, but the effect is small in
most sectors. However, tightening up environmental standards

This overview paper positions the
question of benefit sharing in the context of REDD plus. It
shares findings from a cursory review of a sample of
Readiness Preparation Proposals (RPP) for REDD plus
submitted to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF).
It deconstructs the concept of benefit sharing. It also
provides a summary of the main findings from three recent
studies on benefit sharing that were financed by the Program

This economy profile presents the Doing
Business indicators for Romania. In a series of annual
reports, Doing Business assesses regulations affecting
domestic firms in 189 economies and ranks the economies in
10 areas of business regulation, such as starting a
business, resolving insolvency and trading across borders.
This year's report data cover regulations measured from
June 2012 through May 2013. The report is the 11th edition