This book synthesizes, and elaborates on
the results of a series of country studies, completed under
the Poverty Dynamics in Africa Initiative, organized by the
Africa Region of the Bank. These studies made use of vastly
improved household survey data, which have enhanced
understanding of African poverty dynamics during the past
decade. The book examines the main factors behind observed
poverty changes in eight countries - Ethiopia, Ghana,

This report finalized in March 2001
constitutes a step toward the objective of designing an
integrated strategy for rural poverty reduction in Brazil,
The report contains an updated and more detailed profile of
the rural poor in the northeast (NE) and southeast (SE) of
Brazil; identifies key determinants of rural poverty in
these regions; and proposes a five-pronged strategic
framework in which to couch a set of integrated policies

The present study describes, and
quantifies the provision of basic urban services to the
poor, in three Central American cities in El Salvador,
Honduras, and, Panama. It also identifies priority areas for
government intervention, using specialized household surveys
to quantify current deficits, and to rank households from
poor to rich, using aggregate consumption as the measure of
welfare. The urban poverty profile is examined in each city,

This Poverty Assessment report reviews
the evolution, and nature of poverty in Sri Lanka, by
examining why its significant, recent economic downturn
contrasts sharply with its considerable, economic advances
during the 1960s; why poverty fell rapidly, and to a
relatively, low level in some areas, though it remained high
in other parts of the country; and, whether the large
resources given to re-distributive programs, really helped

This study reviews the available
quantitative and qualitative information on urban poverty
issues and trends in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Region,
with particular focus on Indonesia, the Philippines, and
Vietnam. The review is a desk study-which is limited to
material accessible to the Bank in Washington and draws
mainly on existing field work and other published and
unpublished papers. The empirical analysis focuses on the

The acute water shortage, and pollution
problems in North China have been exacerbated by the
continued population growth, and the accelerated industrial
expansion over the past half-century, conducive to
increasingly severe freshwater shortages, and catastrophic
consequences for the future. Significant commitments need to
be made to rapidly implement strategies to bring water
resource utilization back into a sustainable balance. The

The study outlines the socioeconomic
development strategy for Vietnam, during the first decade of
the twenty first century, envisaging sustainable economic
development, to rapidly adjust to social stability, while
maintaining cultural, and traditional ties. The aim is to
become a socialist market economy, fully integrated into the
global economy, internationally competitive, with
characteristics of an industrialized, and knowledge-based

the authors examine how economic activity and market participation are distributed across space. Applying a nonparametric von Thunen model to Nepalese data, the authors uncover a strong spatial division of labor. Nonfarm employment is concentrated in and around cities, while agricultural wage employment dominates villages located further away. Vegetables are produced near urban centers. Paddy and commercial crops are more important at intermediate distances. Isolated villages revert to self-subsistence.

The objective of this book is to provide
detailed advice on how to design multi-topic household
surveys based on the experience of past household surveys.
The book will help identify define objectives, identify data
needed to analyze objectives, and draft questionnaires to
collect such data. Much of the book is based on the
experience of the World Bank's Living Standard's
Measurement Study (LSMS) program, established in 1980 to

This report addresses the role public
expenditure can play in the alleviation of poverty in the
Brazilian northeast, involving both regional growth, and
social services. Notwithstanding relatively high growth in
the past two years, the northeast lags behind the rest of
the country, with a per capita GDP just under sixty percent
of the country's GDP, with no significant variations
since 1965. Based on national statistical data, the study

This report focuses on understanding key
issues related to poverty, vulnerability and social policy
in the context of a changing Uruguayan economy. Because the
country is highly urbanized (90 percent), and data on rural
areas are scant, most of the analysis in this study focuses
on urban areas. Chapter 1 presents a profile of poverty and
its trends in the nineties using household survey data.
Chapter 2 looks at changes in the structure of the economy

This is the sixth issue of the
"Thailand Social Monitor." It is written for Thai
policymakers, to provide them with the best evidence
currently available on poverty and public policy, and to
strengthen the foundation for anti-poverty strategies in
Thailand. This report approaches Poverty in Thailand from
four perspectives: 1) the changing profile of the poor, who
they are, where they live, their defining characteristics,