Cities and the people who live in them
account for more than 80 percent of the world's total
greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, more than 80 percent
of the overall annual global costs of adaptation to climate
change are estimated to be borne by urban areas. This issues
brief looks at potential financing opportunities and costs
of mitigation and adaptation in the urban context.
Wide-ranging potential sources for finance for climate

This report evaluates the requirements
for an assessment of climate change impacts on agriculture
to guide policy makers on investment priorities and phasing.
Because agriculture is vital for national food security and
is a strong contributor to Brazil's GDP growth, there
is growing concern that Brazilian agriculture is
increasingly vulnerable to climate variability and change.
To meet national development, food security, climate

After 20 years of neglect by
international donors, agriculture is now again in the
headlines because higher food prices are increasing food
insecurity and poverty. In the coming years it will be
essential to increase food productivity and production in
developing countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and
with smallholders. This however requires finding viable
solutions to a number of complex technical, institutional

This case study is one of six
evaluations of the implementation of the World Bank's
1991 Forest Strategy. This and the other cases (Cameroon,
China, Costa Rica, India, and Indonesia) complement a review
of the entire set of lending and nonlending activities of
the World Bank Group and the Global Environment Facility.
The World Bank has clearly diminished its lending presence
in the Amazon in the past decade. It has moved from the

This report summarizes the results for
the transportation sector from a larger study, the low
carbon study for Brazil, developed by the World Bank as part
of its initiative to support the integrated efforts of
Brazil to reduce global and national greenhouse gases
emissions, while promoting long-term development. The study
covers four key areas with potential low carbon options: 1)
Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), including

The Dominican Republic-Central American
Free Trade Agreement with the United States aims to create a
free trade zone for economic development. The Agreement is
expected to intensify commerce and investment among the
participating countries. This paper analyzes the changes in
the production and trading patterns in 2-digit manufacturing
sectors with the goal of understanding the short-term
environmental implications of the Dominican Republic-Central

This report synthesis the findings for
the waste sector of a broader study, the Brazil low carbon
study, which was undertaken by the World Bank in its
initiative to support Brazil's integrated effort
towards reducing national and global emissions of Greenhouse
Gases (GHG) while promoting long term development. The
purpose of the present report is to assist in the
preparation of public policy proposals regarding GHG

Lessons from six case studies illustrate
the complex relationships between international trade,
vulnerable ecologies and the poor. The studies, taken from
Africa, Asia and Latin America and conducted by local
researchers, are set in places where the poor live in close
proximity to ecologies that are important to global
conservation efforts, and focus on the cascading
consequences of trade policy for local livelihoods and

The carbon market endured its most challenging year to date in 2009. The global economic crisis, which started in late 2008 and intensified early in 2009, negatively impacted both the demand and supply sides of the market. As industrial output plummeted the demand for carbon assets fell. Yet even as global GDP declined by 0.6 percent in 2009, and at a more perilous rate of 3.2 percent in industrialized economies, the carbon market demonstrated resilience.

The 1998 edition of world development
indicators initiated a series of annual reports on progress
toward the International development goals. In the foreword
then, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn recognized
that 'by reporting regularly and systematically on
progress toward the targets the international community has
set for itself, the author will focus attention on the task
ahead and make those responsible for advancing the

Environmental degradation is costly, to
individuals, to societies, and to the environment. This
book, edited by Lelia Croitoru and Maria Sarraf, makes these
costs clear by examining a number of studies carried out
over the past few years by the World Bank's Middle East
and North Africa region. Even more important than estimating
the monetary cost of environmental degradation (COED),
however, are the clear guidance and policy implications

The report discusses the link between
climate change and cities, why cities should be concerned
about climate change and adopt early preventative policies,
and how the World Bank and other organizations can provide
further support to cities on climate change issues. The
report is one in a series of activities that explore the
nexus of cities and climate change. This report, cities and
climate change: an urgent agenda focuses on three broad