The effects of policy interventions on
women are of increasing concern to policy makers in all
fields, and trade is no exception. This note reviews recent
World Bank projects and studies that 'gender
inform' trade-related interventions, and it uses the
Bank's experience to promote gender-equal opportunities
by highlighting entry points at which trade projects,
studies, and policies can effectively address gender issues.

This country note briefly summarizes
information relevant to both climate change and agriculture
in Nicaragua, with focus on policy developments (including
action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Like
most countries in Latin America, Nicaragua has submitted one
national communication to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a second one
under preparation. Land use change and forestry are by far

In the decade leading to the recent
commodity boom, which peaked in 2007-08, several
resource-rich, low-income countries displayed high rates of
gross domestic product (GDP) growth while social indicators
did not improve significantly. It is well known that, in
itself, the widely tracked GDP may not be the most relevant
summary of aggregate economic performance in all places at
all times. This note suggests that for countries with

More forest area is being designated for
use by local communities and indigenous peoples. In a
growing number of countries legislation is being introduced
to ensure that local partners share in the benefits of
forest operations and participate as active stakeholders in
the sustainable use of forest resources. Private sector
investment in the forest sector is increasing as well. For
businesses in an expanding range of investment settings,

This note presents relevant
interventions that have aimed to stimulate rural economies a
natural disaster based on case studies from the Philippines,
Turkey, and Pakistan. Introducing new, untested
infrastructure methods or designs involves careful analysis
and may delay reconstruction. If this level of analysis is
not completed, the reconstructed infrastructure may not meet
expectations. For example, in Turkey, the Erzincan

Contrary to popular perception, Europe
and Central Asia (ECA) countries are significantly
threatened by climate change, with serious risks already in
evidence. The vulnerability and adaptive capacity of ECA
countries to climate change over the next two decades will
be dominated by socio-economic factors and legacy issues.
The next decade offers a window of opportunity for ECA to
make its development more resilient to climate change while

Domestic consumption in most countries
is taxed through general sales taxes, excise taxes on
specific commodities, and a variety of miscellaneous taxes
on such services as hotels and transfers of property. This
note considers only the first two of these categories, with
particular attention to general sales taxes. Consumption
taxes are obviously related both to customs duties and other
taxes on imports and also to production taxes like those

Stimulating agricultural growth is
critical to reducing poverty in Africa. Commercial
agriculture, potentially a powerful driver of agricultural
growth, can develop along a number of pathways. Yet many
developing regions have failed to progress very far along
any of these pathways. Particularly in Africa, agriculture
continues to lag. During the past 30 years the
competitiveness of many African export crops has declined,

The demand for verifiable evidence of
results and impacts of development agricultural programs and
projects is growing. However, most of the indicators that
development practitioners have traditionally used in
tracking progress toward achieving projects' objectives
focus on the workings of the development operation itself.
These performance indicators relate mainly to lower-level
inputs and outputs and are used to populate management

Despite the large potential of the
agricultural sector in Eastern Europe and Central Asia,
production is still limited by a lack of technical knowledge
and, in many cases, an unwillingness to change agricultural
practices inherited from Soviet times. The problem has more
than one cause: poor technology, management skills, and
quality of produce prevent farms from joining agribusiness
supply chains. Limited access to financing further prevents

The recent surge in food and fuel prices
has prompted countries with high dependence on food imports
to try and lock in future food supplies through direct
investment in agricultural production in other countries.
The price surges also led to a wave of proposals to invest
in biofuels investments in agricultural land. While such
investment can provide large benefits, it also carries
considerable risks both to investors and citizens in the

This quick note is to provide the reader
with a perspective on how the World Bank Group has been
challenged by and has responded to recent global crises.
However, at this historical moment, one cannot begin to
write of global or regional issues without noting the
momentous events that are now sweeping across the Arab
World. Every country is different, but common themes are
emerging. The youth's messages are loud and clear: they