This study responds to the need for
information and analysis on the urban sector in Sudan, to
inform the Bank's policy dialogue with the Government
of Sudan (GoS) on urban and local government issues, and to
inform the design of future Bank assistance. The first phase
of this analytical exercise, which is the focus of this
report, develops an overview of the urban landscape. The
report is structured as follows: section two describes the

This study responds to the need for
information and analysis on the urban sector in South Sudan,
to inform the Bank's policy dialogue with the
Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GoSS) on urban
and local government issues, and to inform the design of
future Bank assistance. The first phase of this analytical
exercise, which is the focus of this report, develops an
overview of the urban landscape. A second phase of this

The financial sector comprises all
institutions and agencies that are involved in financing the
economy, mobilizing savings, managing risks and providing
means of payment. In view of the importance of the services
rendered, the financial sector constitutes the footing of
development of the national economy. Economic growth,
private sector development, job creation and poverty
reduction depend on a sound, efficient and vigorous

This report presents the key message,
lessons, and insights from agrifin's first knowledge
exchange event, held in Hyderabad, India, March 7-12, 2011.
Agrifin is a special initiative aimed at building capacity
in agriculture finance for commercially-oriented
smallholders and small and medium enterprise (SME)
agribusiness market segments. The initiative, managed by the
World Bank, through generous support from the bill and

The objective of conducting this case
study on Mozambique is to uncover the pattern of municipal
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) impact that
may exist in other low-capacity countries with analogous
political economy structures in relation to leveraging ICT
in public sectors. The study concludes by suggesting
measures to link the continent's ICT boom in
citizen-based mobile telephony and internet usage with the

This policy paper explores the relative
importance of the software regulatory barriers to growth in
Pakistan. Such software barriers have been identified as
part of the major constraint in the Framework for Economic
Growth of the Government of Pakistan. Indeed, adequate
software is needed to provide an environment in which the
hardware of growth (physical infrastructure) could be
expanded and made more productive. Among possible software

Economic growth in West Bank and Gaza
(WB&G) slowed in the first quarter (Q1) of 2012. The
real growth rate is estimated to have reached 5.6 percent,
more than three percentage points lower than the Q1 2011
growth figure and almost one percent lower than the growth
forecast contained in the Palestinian Authority's
(PA's) budget. This decline is attributed to a major
slowdown in Gaza, where real growth decreased from 21.3

This overview summarizes the key
findings of the eight chapters and one policy note. It is
organized as follows. The first section provides a
background of Guangdong, while the second describes the
current situation of inequality in the province. Next is a
discussion of the potential impacts of the transfer of
industrial activities ('industrial transfer') in
mitigating regional disparity, followed by the

East Sudan has received a continuous
influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees
over the last forty years. Mass influxes were witnessed
during years when the region experienced natural
catastrophes as droughts and floods, or an escalation of
tensions and conflict in neighboring countries, mainly
Eritrea and Ethiopia. Presently there is still a steady but
smaller in numbers influx of refugees, mostly from Eritrea,

Agriculture sector growth has made a
powerful contribution to post-war economic recovery in
Tajikistan, accounting for approximately one third of
overall economic growth from 1998 to 2004. Sector output
increased by 65 percent in real terms during this period,
and has now returned to the level extant at independence in
1990. Total Factor Productivity (TFP) has also increased, by
3 percent per year. Despite this progress, there is

Ownership and control over assets such
as land and housing provide direct and indirect benefits to
individuals and households, including a secure place to
live, the means of a livelihood, protection during
emergencies, and collateral for credit that can be used for
investment or consumption. Unfortunately, few studies -
either at the micro or macro levels- examine the gender
dimensions of asset ownership. This paper sets out a

Women's contributions to poverty
reduction, economic growth, and private sector development
are increasingly recognized globally. A growing amount of
research demonstrates the link between women's
empowerment and societal well-being. Yet research also
indicates that woman's economic contributions continue
to lag behind their achievements in health and education,
and a variety of barriers still prevent women in many parts