Informal settlements are a permanent
feature of South Africa's cities. Estimates from the
General Household Survey by Statistics South Africa show
that more than 26 percent of all households in the
country's six metropolitan areas live in informal
dwellings. The government's policy efforts have focused
on provision of subsidized housing, first introduced as part
of the Reconstruction and Development Program. Through the

This paper describes the economic
importance of the service sector in Central European Free
Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries and current barriers to
trade in services between CEFTA countries. It looks at four
sectors: construction, land transport, legal services, and
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services. The
intent is to stimulate dialogue on trade in services between
decision-makers in CEFTA countries. In CEFTA economies,

Today, 370 million people live in cities
in earthquake prone areas and 310 million in cities with
high probability of tropical cyclones. By 2050, these
numbers are likely to more than double. Mortality risk
therefore is highly concentrated in many of the world s
cities and economic risk even more so. This paper discusses
what sets hazard risk in urban areas apart, provides
estimates of valuation of hazard risk, and discusses

This paper reviews dynamic general
equilibrium models in order to collect insights on the
interaction between economic growth and environmental
issues. The authors discuss the Ramsey model and extend it
for natural resource inputs and pollution, as well as for
endogenous technical change. Green growth becomes within
reach if there is good substitution, a clean backstop
technology, a small share of natural resources in gross

This is a Regional Program Review (RPR)
of the World Bank's support for the MBC. The review is
framed around an assessment of five Global Environment
Facility (GEF)-financed World Bank implemented projects in
Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama that had
the common objective of consolidating the Mesoamerican
Biological Corridor (MBC). It also reports on the
achievements of trust fund activities, financed by the Bank

Many countries in Africa suffer high
rates of underemployment or low rates of productive
employment; many also anticipate large numbers of people to
enter the workforce in the near future. This paper asks the
question: Are African firms creating fewer jobs than those
located elsewhere? And, if so, why? One reason may be that
weak business environments slow the growth of firms and
distort the allocation of resources away from

This paper reviews the challenges and
opportunities raised by international trade for developing
countries considering a green growth strategy. A key concern
is the effect of environmental policies on international
competitiveness. For production-generated pollution, there
is evidence that stringent environmental policy reduces some
indicators of competitiveness, but the effect is small in
most sectors. However, tightening up environmental standards

This report looks beyond the current
global financial crisis to the restoration of dynamic
long-run growth in Serbia. The answer in this report is that
Serbia will need to fundamentally alter its growth model to
compete effectively in world markets. The past model relying
on excessive inflows of capital and credit that, in part,
fuelled a consumption boom has run its course in all
European countries. Serbia must shift to a greater export

This note on making livelihoods and
social protection approaches gender- sensitive is the
seventh in a series of guidance notes on gender issues in
disaster risk management (DRM) in the East Asia and the
Pacific region. Targeting World Bank staff, clients and
development partners, this note gives an overview of the
main reasons for including gender sensitive social
protection and livelihoods approaches in DRM; it identifies

In Bangladesh, growth needs to
accelerate to absorb the burgeoning labor force and continue
making dents in poverty. Such acceleration will require
sustained growth in exports and remittances. It will also
need an increase in investment both public and private.
However, growth acceleration alone will not be enough to
absorb the labor force. This will need an improvement in
employment intensity of growth, and a further improvement in

This economy profile presents the Doing
Business indicators for Solomon Islands. In a series of
annual reports, Doing Business assesses regulations
affecting domestic firms in 189 economies and ranks the
economies in 10 areas of business regulation, such as
starting a business, resolving insolvency and trading across
borders. This year's report data cover regulations
measured from June 2012 through May 2013. The report is the

This economy profile presents the Doing
Business indicators for Kyrgyz Republic. In a series of
annual reports, Doing Business assesses regulations
affecting domestic firms in 189 economies and ranks the
economies in 10 areas of business regulation, such as
starting a business, resolving insolvency and trading across
borders. This year's report data cover regulations
measured from June 2012 through May 2013. The report is the