This paper summarizes the methods and
findings of the hydrological assessment component of the
project studying likely impacts of climate change on water
resources and agriculture in Africa. The first phase of the
study used a version of a conceptual rainfall-runoff model
called WatBal (Water Balance) applied to gridded data to
simulate changes in soil moisture and runoff across the
whole continent of Africa rather than to any particular

Pakistan has faced a seismic shift in
its global and domestic economic landscape which until
recently limited policy options to address investment
climate concerns. External shocks, internal policy inaction
and political turmoil placed the country in a precarious
economic condition, calling on the authorities to take a
hard look at the policy choices ahead. Macroeconomic
instability resulting in inflation, exchange rate

The success of development programs,
including water resource projects, depends on two key
factors: the role of underlying institutions and the impact
synergies from other closely related programs. Existing
methodologies have limitations in accounting for these
critical factors. This paper fills this gap by developing a
methodology, which quantifies both the roles that
institutions play in impact generation and the extent of

Rwanda established targets for Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) growth and poverty reduction, to be
achieved by the year 2020; these were to (i) raise real per
capita income from $230 to $900; and (ii) reduce the poverty
incidence by half. To reach these targets, the Government
projected in its 2002 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
(PRSP) that GDP growth will to be in the range of 6 to 7
percent over the medium term. The PRSP focused on six

Lao PDR economic performance has
continued to improve during 2006. Real GDP grew at 7.0
percent in 2005 and is now expected to be slightly higher at
7.3 percent in 2006. This growth is in large part due to
foreign investment inflows in mining and hydro-power and
growing mineral exports, but the share of non-mining
contributions has increased this year, reaching 4.9 out of
7.3 percent. Agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors

This paper uses a growth diagnostics
approach à la Hausmann, Rodrik, and Velasco (HRV) to
identify the most 'binding' constraints to private
sector growth in Mongolia - a small, low-income,
mineral-rich, transition economy. The approach of applying
the HRV methodology is useful in those cases where a lack of
data prevents us from estimating shadow prices to identify
the most 'binding' constraint to growth. We find

This development policy review finds
ample evidence that Egypt has prospered as a consequence of
giving the economy a greater market orientation. While
favorable global conditions have helped, the structural
changes over the last two decades have been an essential
ingredient for Egypt's success. Productivity has risen
more in segments of the economy where the private sector s
share in investment and output grew most. Empirical

Trade policies can promote aggregate
efficiency, but the ensuing structural adjustments generally
create both winners and losers. From an incomes perspective,
trade liberalization can raise gross domestic product per
capita, but rates of emergence from poverty depend on
individual household characteristics of economic
participation and asset holding. To fully realize the growth
potential of trade, while limiting the risk of rising

The objective of the Diagnostic Trade
Integration Study (DTIS) is to build the foundation for
accelerated growth by enhancing the integration of its
economy into regional and global markets. Burkina Faso is
one of the best economic performers in West Africa, yet its
integration into the world economy, as measured by its trade
and foreign investment performance, is among the lowest.
Economic growth has been strong, higher than all other

Real GDP per capita and capital stock in
Cote d'Ivoire grew strongly from 1960 to 1979, but have
declined ever since, for twenty-five years. As a result, the
country has traveled a full circle from economic success to
failure in little more than a generation. What are the
long-term factors behind this dismal growth story? Are the
Ivorian development problems mostly of recent origin? Or
there are more fundamental, economic factors that explain

Forest in Kenya is an important source
of livelihood, environmental services, and economic growth.
In November of 2005 the Government of Kenya (GOK) ratified a
new Forests Act. The act contains many innovative provisions
to correct previous shortcomings, including a strong
emphasis on partnerships, the engagement of local
communities, and promotion of private investment. The
purpose of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is

In this paper the authors use a
computable general equilibrium model of the Kazakhstan
economy to assess the impact of accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO), which encompasses (1) improved market
access; (2) Kazakhstan tariff reduction; (3) reduction of
barriers against entry by multinational service providers;
and (4) reform of local content and value-added tax policies
confronting multinational firms in the oil sector. They