Decision makers facing abatement targets
need to decide which abatement measures to implement, and in
which order. This paper investigates the ability of marginal
abatement cost (MAC) curves to inform this decision,
reanalysing a MAC curve developed by the World Bank on
Brazil. Misinterpreting MAC curves and focusing on
short-term targets (e.g., for 2020) would lead to
under-invest in expensive, long-to-implement and

Groundwater comprises 97 percent of the
worlds readily accessible freshwater and provides the rural,
urban, industrial and irrigation water supply needs of 2
billion people around the world. As the more easily accessed
surface water resources are already being used, pressure on
groundwater is growing. In the last few decades, this
pressure has been evident through rapidly increasing pumping
of groundwater, accelerated by the availability of cheap

The next several years are critical for
achieving lasting results in China's relatively new
energy efficiency program for public institutions. Public
institutions in China are defined as those government
agencies, public service units, and organizations that
either fully or partially receive government budget funds.
In the study team's opinion, key challenges for
China's public institution energy conservation program

This paper seeks to develop estimates of
the net cost of the urban expansion in Tanzania. The paper
focuses on developing estimates of the cost of planning and
servicing land for new residential urban settlement. It does
not attempt to develop detailed estimates of the cost of
addressing infrastructure backlogs which would include the
retrofitting of basic urban infrastructure to unplanned
areas. On the revenue side, estimates of current spending in

Six emerging economies, Brazil, China,
India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa, are proactively
seeking to identify opportunities and related financial,
technical, and policy requirements to move towards a low
carbon growth path. With the help of the Energy Sector
Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), the governments of
these countries have initiated country-specific studies to
assess their development goals and priorities, in

This study, the first to concentrate on
Bangladesh's energy systems and their effects on the
lives of rural people, drew on these background studies, as
well as other World Bank-financed research on IAP and rural
infrastructure, to present a rural energy strategy for the
country. The study's broad aim was to identify ways to
improve the living standard in rural Bangladesh through
better and more efficient use of energy, while creating an

Extractive industry companies,
particularly those operating in areas of high biodiversity
value, on indigenous lands, or in close proximity to
communities, face operational and reputational risks related
to their environmental and social performance, and can be
subject to intense scrutiny from stakeholders. PERU
Liquefied Natural Gas (PLNG), the first liquefied natural
gas plant in South America, is an example of a high-profile

A decade ago, the contribution of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) from reservoirs was estimated to be
up to 7 percent of global GHG emissions from all sources.
Much research on GHG emissions from reservoirs has
subsequently been conducted and recent studies have
indicated corresponding global estimate to be less than 1
percent. However, these studies still have a limited
coverage of ecosystems and geographic areas, and, more

La présente loi comporte trois cent vingt sept (327) articles, et est constituée sept (7) titres, notamment) De la délimitation, de la dénomination et des chefs-lieux des Collectivités territoriales décentralisées (Titre I); Des attributions des organes des Collectivités territoriales décentralisées (Titre II); De l’organisation et du fonctionnement des Collectivités territoriales décentralisées (Titre III); De la responsabilité civile des Collectivités territoriales décentralisées (Titre IV); Du budget et des ressources des Collectivités territoriales décentralisées (Titre V); Des élection

This paper analyzes real estate market dynamics over the past decade in the city of Ahmedabad, India, with a view to improving the living conditions of the large population living in slums. The paper combines census data, the National Sample Survey, and slum household surveys to review the demand side of the market. Satellite photography was used to estimate the production of both formal and informal housing over the past ten years. Analysis of the execution of the development plan for the Ahmedabad region and town planning schemes shows how the system of housing supply has evolved.

Urban areas tend to have much more productive labor and higher salaries than rural areas, and there are vast differences across urban areas. Areas with high salaries and high productivity tend to have employers that invest in much more research and development than areas with low salaries and low productivity. This paper addresses two questions. First, it discusses the causes of these vast geographical differences in wages, human capital, and innovation. The second part of the paper discusses regional economic development policies.