China's progress in poverty
reduction over the last 25 years is enviable. One cannot
fail to be impressed by what this vast nation of 1.3 billion
people has achieved in so little time. In terms of a wide
range of indicators, the progress has been remarkable.
Poverty in terms of income and consumption has been
dramatically reduced. Progress has also been substantial in
terms of human development indicators. Most of the

This working paper concerns the growth
of investment climate in the Philippines. There are several
resounding ideas in areas both positive and negative. The
growth potential in the Philippines is considerable. The
country has significant natural resources; a large pool of
managerial and entrepreneurial talent; and widespread
proficiency in English. The Government's Medium Term
Development Plan (MTDP), 2005-2010 sets ambitious growth and

This paper provides empirical estimates
of the impacts of natural disasters on different forms of
capital (with a focus on human and intangible capital and
natural capital), and on real gross domestic product per
capita. The types of disaster considered are droughts,
earthquakes, floods, and storms and their impacts are
measured in terms of the number of people affected or people
affected per capita. The authors find statistically

In 2000 the World Bank made a corporate
commitment to organize a small states Forum each year in the
context of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World
Bank annual meetings. The forum is intended to raise the
profile of small states issues and provide an opportunity
for small state officials to bring their views and ideas to
the attention of the international community. Forty-eight
World Bank members comprise the small states forum, all but

Ethiopia in the decade up to 2005 has
been characterized by robust growth rates of the urban
economy, where a still limited share of the population
lives. The urban economy has been estimated to contribute at
least half of gross domestic product (GDP) (53 percent in
2002/03) and to explain a significant part of its growth.
Only an estimated 12.6 percent of the poor live in urban
areas and the overwhelming concentration of poverty in rural

The livelihoods of communities in rural
areas of Peru are predominantly dependent on
climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture. Given their
close connection with the environment, the understanding of
how these communities perceive risks and how they adapt to
and cope with climate hazards is important for identifying
entry points for efforts aimed at building resilience. In
this context, it is assumed that the successful use of

This series "New Frontiers of
Social Policy" aims to promote social development
through systematic attention to the underlying social
context and the social outcomes of development interventions
and public policy. This book series has been conceived and
produced for the broader development community, rather than
for social policy specialists alone. This book is
particularly, although not exclusively, relevant to those

Proper stewardship of revenue from the
oil, gas, and mining industries has tremendous potential to
lift people out of poverty and contribute to sustainable
development. These industries create jobs directly and
indirectly, transfer technologies and knowledge, and
generate significant income. These benefits provide
governments with a financial base for infrastructure
development and social service delivery. The extractive

All countries fund safety net programs
for the protection of their people. Though an increasing
number of safety net programs are extremely well thought
out, adroitly implemented, and demonstrably effective, many
others are not. This book aims to assist those concerned
with social policy to understand why countries need social
assistance, what kind of safety programs will serve those
best and how to develop such programs for maximum

This study builds a profile of the
status of poverty and vulnerability in Malawi. Malawi is a
small land-locked country, with one of the highest
population densities in Sub-Saharan Africa, and one of the
lowest per capita income levels in the world. Almost 90
percent of the population lives in rural areas, and is
mostly engaged in smallholder, rain-fed agriculture. Most
people are therefore highly vulnerable to annual rainfall

This report explains why agricultural
insurance is expensive to deliver to small farm households,
details risk assessment in four provinces, and recommends
China put more resources in developing products that are
more suited to an agricultural economy that is dominated by
small farm households. The report discusses the important
role of government in supporting the legal and regulatory
environment, access to data for new product development,

This learning note prepares policymakers
to engage with their technical experts and staff in
designing and implementing an evidence-informed response to
the challenges of existing and future slum settlements. To
that end, the note discusses a set of indicators and data
analysis techniques needed in the identification and
characterization of slums as well as relevant lessons and
examples. In addition, the noted discusses the data