An Integrated Fiduciary Assessment (IFA)
was conducted for the proposed Transformation of Agriculture
Sector Program Phase-3 (PSTA 3) Program-for-Results (PforR)
operation. The assessment used the DRAFT Guidance Notes on
Program-for-Results Operations and Requirements of OP/BP
9.00, Program for Results, (PforR). The OECD-DAC four
pillars approach was also used to define the inherent risks
in the procurement environment. The assessment covered the

Panama's economic growth has been at the
top of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region in
recent years. The country s rapid growth has been largely
pro-poor and translated into significant poverty reduction.
The new Administration is well placed to tackle these
challenges, with its commitment to maintaining an open and
diversified economy and redressing social imbalances.
Looking ahead, the country s main challenges are to maintain

The Multi-Donor Trust Fund for
Sustainable Logistics (MDTF-SL) aims at promoting innovative
assistance projects that can break new grounds, test new
ideas, and generate new knowledge for sustainable logistics
that can be replicated in other countries and project. In
November 2013 we were asked to write a position paper that
analyses the state of affairs in Agro-Logistics. It aims to:
(1) review and suggest a conceptual grounding for the

This study seeks to understand how
materials scarcity and competition from alternative uses
affects the potential for widespread deployment of solar
electricity in the long run, in light of related technology
and policy uncertainties. Simulation results of a computable
partial equilibrium model predict a considerable expansion
of solar electricity generation worldwide in the near
decades, as generation technologies improve and production

As Vietnam enters a crucial period of
urbanization corresponding to its present stage of economic
development, the Government of Vietnam has placed strong
emphasis on developing its system of cities. In accordance
with this objective this Urbanization Review is dedicated to
understanding the key dimensions and aspects of
Vietnam's urbanization process and to identifying
trends, opportunities, challenges and core policy priorities

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
(MEA), The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity study
(TEEB) and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provide a comprehensive and
useful framework to understand human dependence on ecosystem
services and how best to protect these services in
perpetuity. In these three authoritative studies, payment
for ecosystem services (PES) is listed as one of the

Bolivia’s distinct characteristics and
aspirations are a key for understanding its development
trajectory. Bolivia is one of the countries with the highest
share of indigenous population, representing a tapestry of
different groups with different historical, cultural and
economic features, with a significant influence in policy
decision making. The country is landlocked and one of the
most sparsely populated in the world. As a result, long

This report analyses the experiences and
lessons from three World Bank-Supported watershed
development projects in the Indian states of Karnataka,
Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.5 The primary reason for
the analysis was to guide the development and execution of
new watershed programs in India, including new
Bank-supported state-level operations in Uttarakhand and
Karnataka, and a proposed national project now under

Georgia: Seizing the Opportunity to
Prosper suggests a path towards sustainable and shared
growth. Georgia s story is associated with three stylized
facts: high growth with persistent unemployment currently at
nearly 15 percent after 10 years of annual growth that
averaged above 5.5 percent; a doing business rank of 8 out
of 189 countries achieved without recovery to 1990 levels of
per capita income suggesting a relatively difficult

In declaring 2012 the international year
of sustainable energy for all, the United Nations (UN)
general assembly (2011) established at the personal
initiative of the UN secretary general- three global
objectives to be accomplished by 2030. Those goals are to
ensure universal access to modern energy services (including
electricity and clean, modern cooking solutions), to double
the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and to

This economy profile for Doing Business
2015 presents the 11 Doing Business indicators for Lao PDR.
To allow for useful comparison, the profile also provides
data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for
each indicator. Doing Business 2015 is the 12th edition in a
series of annual reports measuring the regulations that
enhance business activity and those that constrain it.
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business; for

As the result of past investments in gas
and mining sectors and high world commodity prices, the
Bolivian economy grew considerably during the last seven
years. Prudent macroeconomic policies and high taxes on
hydrocarbon revenues led to a significant accumulation of
fiscal surplus and external reserves. Under a state-led
development model, the government led by President Morales
pursued redistributive policies and invested heavily in road