This paper applies an econometric
analysis to estimate the average and distribution benefits
of rural electrification using rich household survey data
from India. The results support that rural electrification
helps to reduce time allocated to fuelwood collection by
household members and increases time allocated to studying
by boys and girls. Rural electrification also increases the
labor supply of men and women, schooling of boys and girls,

Clean, safe energy for rural areas is an
important component of green growth and sustainable
development. Biogas could be an important contributor, if
its record in reality lives up to its expected potential.
This paper provides a preliminary assessment of biogas use
by smallholder farmers in rural China, using data collected
from 2,700 households in five provinces. The authors find
that user satisfaction is high, and environmental and

This paper reviews empirical findings
from economic analyses of the role of gender equality and
women's empowerment in reducing poverty and stimulating
growth. Going beyond the large literature documenting the
impact of female education on a range of development
outcomes, the paper presents evidence on the impact of
women's access to markets (labor, land, and credit) and
women's decision-making power within households on

Despite their increasing prominence in policy debates, little is known about gender inequities in non-agricultural labor market outcomes in rural areas. Using matched household-enterprise-community data sets from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, this paper documents and analyzes gender differences in the individual portfolio choice and productivity of non-farm entrepreneurship. Except for Ethiopia, women are less likely than men to become nonfarm entrepreneurs.

This paper analyzes the impact of large-scale expansion of biofuels on the global income distribution and poverty. A global computable general equilibrium model is used to simulate the effects of the expansion of biofuels on resource allocation, commodity prices, factor prices and household income. A second model based on world-wide household surveys uses these results to calculate the impacts on poverty and global income inequality. The study finds that the large-scale expansion of biofuels leads to an increase in production and prices of agricultural commodities.

The main objective of the Senegal
Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) is to reinforce the
ongoing dialogue on environmental issues between the World
Bank and the Government of Senegal. The CEA also aims to
support the ongoing Government implementation of a strategic
results-based planning process at the Environment Ministry
(MEPNBRLA). The main goal is to enable Senegal to have the
necessary tools to attain the Millennium Development Goals

In the 1990s, Zimbabwe's economic
growth began to slow following a balance of payments crisis
and repeated droughts. By the late 1990s Zimbabwe's
economy was in serious trouble driven by economic
mismanagement, political violence, and the wider impact of
the land reform program on food production. During 2007
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contract by more than 6
percent, making the cumulative output decline over 35

This paper provides evidence from one of
the poorest countries of the world that the property rights
matter for efficiency, investment, and growth. With all land
state-owned, the threat of land redistribution never appears
far off the agenda. Land rental and leasing have been made
legal, but transfer rights remain restricted and the
perception of continuing tenure insecurity remains quite
strong. Using a unique panel data set, this study

This report is about how to
progressively reduce over time Afghanistan's dependence
on opium - currently the country's leading economic
activity - by development initiatives and shifting economic
incentives toward sustainable legal livelihoods.
Specifically, the report identifies additional investments
and policy and institutional measures to support development
responses that can counterbalance the economic advantages of

Balochistan offers some of the best
assets for development. Balochistan is generously bestowed
with natural and locational resources. It possesses the
largest land area of any province of Pakistan, proving vast
rangeland for goats, sheep, buffaloes, cattle, camels and
other livestock. Its southern border makes up about two
thirds of the national coastline, giving access to a large
pool of fishery resources. As a frontier province, it is

This study on Bangladesh Dhaka-improving
living conditions for the urban poor reflects a
comprehensive look at poverty in Dhaka with an aim to
provide the basis for an urban poverty reduction strategy
for the Government of Bangladesh, local authorities, donors,
and NGOs. While the needs in Dhaka are enormous, this study
focuses on analyzing those critical for the poor -
understanding the characteristics and dynamics of poverty,

The Ghana Country Environment Analysis
(CEA) has thus been formulated to assist the Government of
Ghana and its development partners to: (a) assess the
country's environmental priorities in key sectors, the
environmental implications of key economic and sector
policies, and the country's institutional capacity to
address them; and (b) find practical management,
institutional, and policy solutions to handle issues of