This paper presents a survey of recent
research on the economics of infrastructure in developing
countries. Energy, transport, telecommunications, water and
sanitation are considered. The survey covers two main set of
issues: the linkages between infrastructure and economic
growth (at the economy-wide, regional and sectoral level)
and the composition, sequencing and efficiency of
alternative infrastructure investments, including the

This paper provides the results of an
international survey of practitioners with experience in
facilitating the participation of African smallholder
farmers in supply chains for higher-value and/or
differentiated agricultural products. It explores their
perceptions about the constraints inhibiting and the impacts
associated with this supply chain participation. It also
examines their perceptions about the factors affecting the

The study on the sources of rural growth
in Burundi results from a meticulous work carried out by
eminent experts of the World Bank in response to a request
of the Government of Burundi. It describes the global
environment, which explains poverty aggravation and builds
proposals to overcome most binding constraints to growth in
Burundi. This study is an important contribution in the
fight against poverty, as it identifies ways to resume

The surge in global commodity prices of
the past few years has presented a tremendous development
challenge for South Asian countries. The large loss of
income from the terms of trade shock has worsened
macroeconomic balances, fueled rapid inflation, and hurt
growth. Although commodity prices have come down recently,
the benefits are being clouded by the emergence of a severe
global financial crisis. The adverse consequences of the

The economy of the Philippines is open
to trade and capital inflows, and has grown rapidly since
2002. Over the last 10 years, however, domestic investment,
while stagnant in real terms, has shrunk as a share of GDP.
In an open and growing economy, why the decline? Three
reasons explain the puzzle. First, the public sector cannot
afford expanding its investment at GDP growth rates.
Second, the capital-intensive private sector does not find

This paper examines the distribution of
climate change impacts across the 16 agro-ecological zones
in Africa using data from the Food and Agriculture
Organization combined with economic survey data from a
Global Environment Facility/World Bank project. Net revenue
per hectare of cropland is regressed on a set of climate,
soil, and socio-economic variables using different
econometric specifications "with" and

Levels of economic development vary
widely within countries in the Americas. This paper argues
that part of this variation has its roots in the colonial
era. Colonizers engaged in different economic activities in
different regions of a country, depending on local
conditions. Some activities were "bad" in the
sense that they depended heavily on the exploitation of
labor and created extractive institutions, while

There is a general consensus that most
of the poor in developing countries are net food buyers and
food price increases are bad for the poor. This could be
expected of urban poor, but it is also often attributed to
the rural poor. Recent food price increases have increased
the importance of this issue, and the possible policy
responses to these price increases. This paper examines the
characteristics of net food sellers and buyers in nine

Climate change is a serious
environmental challenge that could undermine the drive for
sustainable development. Since the industrial revolution,
the mean surface temperature of earth has increased an
average of 1degree celsius per century due to the
accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Furthermore, most of this change has occurred in the past 30
to 40 years, and the rate of increase is accelerating, with

The success of development programs,
including water resource projects, depends on two key
factors: the role of underlying institutions and the impact
synergies from other closely related programs. Existing
methodologies have limitations in accounting for these
critical factors. This paper fills this gap by developing a
methodology, which quantifies both the roles that
institutions play in impact generation and the extent of

Trade policies can promote aggregate
efficiency, but the ensuing structural adjustments generally
create both winners and losers. From an incomes perspective,
trade liberalization can raise gross domestic product per
capita, but rates of emergence from poverty depend on
individual household characteristics of economic
participation and asset holding. To fully realize the growth
potential of trade, while limiting the risk of rising

This paper reviews the status of weather
and climate services in Europe and Central Asia
(ECA).Worldwide, the accuracy and value of weather and
climate services are rising, bringing great economic
benefits. However, many National Meteorological and
Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in Europe and Central Asia are
in decline. As a result, these potential gains are often
missed. Much more could be done to mitigate weather