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Energy Poverty in Rural and Urban India : Are the Energy Poor Also Income Poor?

March, 2012

Energy poverty is a frequently used term
among energy specialists, but unfortunately the concept is
rather loosely defined. Several existing approaches measure
energy poverty by defining an energy poverty line as the
minimum quantity of physical energy needed to perform such
basic tasks as cooking and lighting. This paper proposes an
alternative measure that is based on energy demand. The
energy poverty line is defined as the threshold point at

Lesotho Highlands Water Project :
Communication Practices for Governance and Sustainability Improvement

March, 2012

The past decade has witnessed major
shift thinking about water, including how water
infrastructure development strategies can help advance
sustainable development and the global fight against
poverty. This reflects, in part, greater attention now being
paid to governance reforms promoting integrated water
resource management (IWRM), the efficient and wise use of
water, and expanding access to water and energy services. In

Overlooked Links in the Results Chain

March, 2012

This paper focuses on evaluations with
findings that challenge important assumptions of the
development field. Its objective is to pinpoint the areas to
watch for in operations or policies that are decisive for
results. By drawing the attention of development
practitioners, policy makers, and evaluators to these
seemingly obvious but often neglected areas, it aims to
improve development effectiveness by better connecting

Delivering Services in Multicultural Societies

March, 2012

The last two decades have witnessed a
growing recognition of the importance of taking cultural and
ethnic diversity into consideration when designing and
implementing development programs. As societies around the
world have become more culturally diverse, and the role
culture plays in the formation of identity has become better
understood, governments are beginning to pay greater
attention to the management of cultural diversity and are

Adapting to Climate Change in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Peer-reviewed publication
March, 2012

The climate is changing, and the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region is vulnerable to the consequences. Many of the region's countries are facing warmer temperatures, a changing hydrology, and more extremes, droughts, floods, heat waves, windstorms, and forest fires. This book presents an overview of what adaptation to climate change might mean for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It starts with a discussion of emerging best-practice adaptation planning around the world and a review of the latest climate projections.

Winds of Change : East Asia's
Sustainable Energy Future

March, 2012

This report demonstrates that a
"climate-smart" energy strategy is possible for
countries in the East Asia region, with support from the
international community. In the past three decades, the East
Asia region has experienced the fastest economic growth in
the world, accompanied by rapid urbanization. As a
consequence, energy consumption has more than tripled and is
expected to further double over the next two decades. This

Water and Development : An
Evaluation of World Bank Support, 1997-2007, Volume 1

March, 2012

The amount of available water has been
constant for millennia, but over time the planet has added 6
billion people. Water is essential to human life and
enterprise, and the increasing strains on available water
resources threaten the mission of institutions dedicated to
economic development. The ultimate goal is to achieve a
sustainable balance between the resources available and the
societal requirement for water. In this evaluation the

Climate Change and the World Bank Group : Phase II - The Challenge of Low-Carbon Development

March, 2012

The first volume of Independent
Evaluation Group (IEG) series (IEG 2009) examined World Bank
experience with the promotion of the most important win-win
(no regrets) energy policies, policies that combine domestic
gains with global greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. These
included energy pricing reform and policies to promote
energy efficiency. This second phase covers the entire World
Bank Group (WBG), including the International Finance

Convenient Solutions to an
Inconvenient Truth : Ecosystem-based Approaches to Climate Change

March, 2012

Global warming and changes in climate
have already had observed impacts on natural ecosystems and
species. Natural systems such as wetlands, mangroves, coral
reefs, cloud forests, and Arctic and high-latitude
ecosystems are especially vulnerable to climate-induced
disturbances. However, enhanced protection and management of
biological resources and habitats can mitigate the impacts
and contribute to solutions as nations and communities

China's New Trade Issues in The Post-WTO Accession Era

March, 2012

The past eight years witnessed
China's phenomenal growth and integration into the
world economy, expedited by its accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in 2001. The accession greatly
accelerated China's domestic reforms. By the end of
2007, China was ranked the second largest exporter and third
largest trader in the world after its exports grew at over
20 percent per year for the sixth year in a row. The

Latin America and Caribbean - Southern Cone Inland Waterways Transportation Study The Paraguay-Paraná Hidrovía : Its Role in the Regional Economy and Impact on Climate Change

March, 2012

The Paraguay-Parana rivers waterway
system (referred to in the text as the Hidrovia, or HPP) is
potentially the greatest axis for freight movement in the
sub-region and a possible integration mechanism for the
Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) countries. However, 90
percent of freight in the sub-region is moved by road
transport, a significantly inefficient mode of transport in
terms of fuel consumption, space use and greenhouse gas

The Zambezi River Basin : A Multi-Sector Investment Opportunities Analysis - Summary Report

March, 2012

The Zambezi River Basin (ZRB) is one of
the most diverse and valuable natural resources in Africa.
Its waters are critical to sustainable economic growth and
poverty reduction in the region. The overall objective of
the Zambezi River Multi-Sector Investment
Opportunity Analysis (MSIOA) is to illustrate the benefits
of cooperation among the riparian countries in the ZRB
through a multi-sectoral economic evaluation of water