Costa Rica stands out for being one of
the most politically stable, progressive, and prosperous
nations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Political
stability and inclusive social policies have contributed to
solid growth rates and the modernization of the country. The
combination of political stability, the social compact and
steady growth, has resulted in one of the lowest poverty
rates in LAC. Costa Rica is also a global leader for its

After decades of turmoil and
instability, a period of calm and progress evolved in
Guinea-Bissau in 2009. A military coup in April 2012
interrupted it. A fresh start is needed to alter the
dynamics that kept Guinea-Bissau poor. In 2013, Gross
National Income per capita was US$590. Average economic
growth barely kept pace with population growth. In 2010,
poverty at the national poverty line of US$2 a day was 70

The use of the phrase, ‘political
economy’ originates in Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations and is
also found in the writings of David Ricardo and Karl Marx.
What is presently understood as ‘economics’ was, at that
time, termed ‘political economy’. This was understood to
mean ‘conditions of production organization in
nation-states’ (Acemoglu and Robinson, 2012, Beuran,
Raballand and Kapoor, 2011). Venerable scholars such as

The prime objective of the project/subproject is to improve the power sector in the State of
Mizoram and capacity building to achieve sustainable development in the long term. The Project is
expected to facilitate connection to remote/virgin area, to enhance the capacity & reliability of the system,
to improve voltage profile & to reduce losses and ultimately to enhance satisfaction for all categories of
consumers which in turn will spur growth & overall development in the whole State.

Recognizing the importance and
uniqueness of the Sundarbans, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
declared the Indian portion of the forest a World Heritage
Site in 1987, and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program
has included the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in the Global
Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves
Contributing to Action on Climate Change and Sustainable

The international development community
is increasingly demanding better evidence on the
effectiveness of policies and programs across different
sectors. The forest sector is no exception. Governments and
donor agencies explicitly seek to link investment to proven
impact. Yet the evidence base necessary to inform
interventions in the forest sector that can successfully
enhance the livelihoods of the forest-dependent poor, foster

This paper examines whether cooperative
behavior by respondents measured as contributions in a
one-shot public goods game correlates with reported
pro-forest collective action behaviors. All the outcomes
analyzed are costly in terms of time, land, or money. The
study finds significant evidence that more cooperative
individuals (or those who believe their group members will
cooperate) engage in collective action behaviors that

Environmental and social responsibility
is becoming more and more important in todayapos;s global
economy. There are thousands of environmental and social
codes and standards in the world today. The codes and
standards define the rules and the objectives. But the
challenge is in the implementation. An environmental and
social management system (ESMS) helps companies to integrate
the rules and objectives into core business operations,

From 2004 to 2012, Zambia experienced a
combination of good economic policies and high rates of
growth not seen since the early years after its
independence. While growth was mainly driven by rising
copper prices, other factors contributed to Zambia’s ability
to take advantage of this growth. The international debt
relief programs in 2004-2005 almost eliminated public debt
and provided the fiscal space for selective, high-priority

A significant portion of the world’s
forests that are eligible for Reducing Emission from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation, known as REDD ,
payments are community managed forests. However, there is
little knowledge about preferences of households living in
community managed forests for REDD contracts, or the
opportunity costs of accepting REDD contracts for these
communities. This paper uses a choice experiment survey of

This report focuses on how we achieve
water sustainability over long timescales - decades, even
centuries from now. These timescales are important and
relevant to our decisions about planning, infrastructure,
and institutions today. Many of the methods we use to manage
water, directly or indirectly, commit us to future decision
pathways and restrict us from making other, alternative
decisions. Across the first four chapters, this report

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, focuses on economic policy as the key to mobilizing a
coordinated global response to climate change. He talks
about the need to confront climate change, without which
there will be no hope of ending poverty or boosting shared
prosperity. He adds that the longer the delay in tackling
climate change, the higher the cost will be to do the right
thing for our planet and our children. He affirms that from the