Against the backdrop of rapidly rising
urbanization in the developing world and the growing demand
for basic services such as water and power, there is an
increasing need to improve service delivery, particularly in
low-income urban settlements. Output-based aid (OBA)
approaches, with their pro-poor targeting, have been piloted
in cities around the world. This note discusses the benefits
and challenges of using an OBA approach in urban projects

In conformity with its objective of
functioning as a local Government, Kathmandu Metropolitan
City (KMC) sought the assistance of the World Bank for the
preparation of a City Development Strategy (CDS) for
Kathmandu. The various sectoral as well as integrated
strategies presented in this document seem to be an
overwhelming demand on KMC with its limited manpower and
money. However, a CDS is essential if KMC is to focus its

In conformity with its objective of
functioning as a local Government, Kathmandu Metropolitan
City (KMC) sought the assistance of the World Bank for the
preparation of a City Development Strategy (CDS) for
Kathmandu. The various sectoral as well as integrated
strategies presented in this document seem to be an
overwhelming demand on KMC with its limited manpower and
money. However, a CDS is essential if KMC is to focus its

This review of the active portfolio of
World Bank projects aimed at improving urban environmental
quality was carried out during 2002-03 in order to assess
the level of commitment of the institution to urban
sustainability. The review focuses on the contributions of
key sectors to urban environmental improvements, in
particular on those belonging to the Infrastructure
Vice-Presidency, and on how projects are contributing to

This book talks about participation,
from the first to the last page. And that is its strength,
for participation is a road leading to democracy. The true
participation it talks about does not rely on hours of
compulsory labor or imposed levies; there is nothing forced
about it. Rather, it is a process in which men and women
engage their will, their sense of responsibility, their
abilities, their dignity. It is a vital participation,

This report discusses the study of slums
in the city of Surat and it is divided into eight sections.
Section one introduces the study and discusses general
background, overall methodology, methods and techniques of
data collection, and methods of analysis; section two
profiles the city of Surat and slums therein; section three
discusses definition and recognition of slums and situation
of tenure of land along with the physical and social

This report aims to analyze key aspects
of the low-income housing sector in Brazil, and to provide
an analytical framework for reviewing alternatives to
addressing the lack of adequate formal housing and urban
services for the poor. It addresses four fundamental
questions for policymakers in the housing sector in Brazil:
First, should the government be involved in policy
interventions in the low-income segment of the housing

The report's objectives are i) to
better understand the nature and magnitude of urban
transport problems, particularly in respect of the poor, and
ii) to articulate a strategy by which the World Bank and
other agencies can assist national and city governments to
address these problems. The first part of the report
considers how urban transport can be used as an instrument
of urban development and poverty reduction. Chapter 2

The study aims to contribute towards a
national urban strategy, in an effort to maximize
Mexico's cities competitiveness, and livelihoods, in
the urban economists' terms - to maximize agglomeration
economies, while minimizing congestions costs. The country
is in a good position for this challenge: it has relatively
a mature urban system, implying an overall urban population
growth, and, a reasonably balanced system of cities.

A recent story from NPR described how slum mapping can be a powerful negotiating tool when used as a public record of problems such as dark street corners, limited toilets, or illegal dumping. In one of the largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya – home to an estimated 200,000 people – maps of slum areas enabled community members and authorities to identify available space to lay municipal water pipes. Around the world, slums lack street names, addresses, and, due to their informal nature, property rights.

Twenty-two of India's 31 states are
regarded as particularly prone to natural disasters: 55% of
its land is vulnerable to earthquake, 8% is vulnerable to
cyclone, and 5% is vulnerable to flood. In light of
India's vulnerability to growing losses due to natural
disasters and escalating fiscal pressures at the central and
state levels, the World Bank undertook a detailed review of
India's catastrophe exposures. The goal of this project

This report reviews the status of the 28
countries of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) with respect to
the environmental Millennium Development Goal (MDG). The aim
of this goal is to 'ensure environmental
sustainability,' which is elaborated by a set of three
targets and eight indicators. The indicators for the
environment MDG are important not only as measures of
environmental sustainability, but also as contributors to