This report addresses the role public
expenditure can play in the alleviation of poverty in the
Brazilian northeast, involving both regional growth, and
social services. Notwithstanding relatively high growth in
the past two years, the northeast lags behind the rest of
the country, with a per capita GDP just under sixty percent
of the country's GDP, with no significant variations
since 1965. Based on national statistical data, the study

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.

Vietnam's ethnic minorities, who tend to
live mostly in remote rural areas, typically have lower
living standards than the ethnic majority. How much is this
because of differences in economic characteristics (such as
education levels and land) rather than low returns to
characteristics? Is there a self-reinforcing culture of
poverty in the minority groups, reflecting patterns of past
discrimination? The authors find that differences in levels

Nigeria possesses a wealth of natural
resources including major oil and gas deposits, a variety of
solid minerals, good agricultural land, a well developed
industrial base, an extensive banking system, a large labor
force, and a vibrant private sector. However, the
country's tremendous potential for growth and
development has yet to be fulfilled. Real income and
consumption per capita today are scarcely higher than they

Albania provides a small amount of
social assistance to nearly 20 percent of its population
through a system that allows some community discretion in
determining distribution. This study investigates how well
this social assistance program is targeted to the poor.
Relative to other safety net programs in low-income
countries, social assistance in Albania is fairly well
targeted. Nevertheless, the system is hampered by the

Poverty is the central development issue
in Tajikistan. The country is now one of the poorest in the
world. It was made worse by the civil conflict in the early
1990s. This report suggests that there should be four key
pillars to a poverty reduction program strategy: a) the
stimulation of high labor productivity and economic growth;
b) the provision of basic social services; c) the targeting
of assistance to the poorest; and d) the development of a

The first central message of this report
is that Brazil has over the last years achieved great
progress in its social policies and indicators. The second
central message is that poverty remains unacceptably high
for a country with Brazil's average income levels. The
worst remaining income poverty is mostly concentrated in the
Northeast region, and in the smaller urban and rural areas.
The third central message is that, with decisive action,

Many fear China's accession to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) will impoverish its rural
people by way of greater import competition in its
agricultural markets. Anderson, Huang, and Ianchovichina
explore that possibility bearing in mind that, even if
producer prices of some (land-intensive) farm products fall,
prices of other (labor-intensive) farm products could rise.
Also, the removal of restrictions on exports of textiles and

The study reviews Niger's water
resources, and planning process, through its short- and
medium-term water investment program, and priorities in the
water supply, and sanitation sector. Critical challenges are
examined for improving its complex water resources
management to support economic growth, given its landlocked
situation, with diffuse, and mostly rural population, and
immense, untapped fossil aquifer supplies. Despite multiple

The first central message of this report
is that Brazil has over the last years achieved great
progress in its social policies and indicators. The second
central message is that poverty remains unacceptably high
for a country with Brazil's average income levels. The
worst remaining income poverty is mostly concentrated in the
Northeast region, and in the smaller urban and rural areas.
The third central message is that, with decisive action,

The authors present evidence that in
Burkina Faso, certain high-performing local institutions
contribute to equitable economic development. They link
reduced levels of poverty, and inequality to a high degree
of internal village organization. The structure of these
high-performing local organizations means they can exist in
a number of African countries, because they depend more on
internal participation, rather than on nay one

Although the State of Ceara, in Brazil,
is a model of good economic, and fiscal performance given
its poverty status, recent analysis show poverty remains
severe, in spite of significant reductions over the last
decade. The combination of good governance, and sound fiscal
management, industrial promotion, and public investments
have been successful, but the report questions whether
different policies, could have led to higher growth, and