What is the utility from obtaining more
precise values of natural resource objects (rainforests),
through surveys or other similar information gathering? In
the value of information problems studied here, a principal
who wishes to preserve a resource sets a price to offer to a
seller without knowing precisely the protection value or
opportunity value, to the seller. The value of information
related to more precise information about the protection

The World Bank (WB) supports the global
reporting initiative (GRI) and is one of the GRI chapter
groups of founding members. The topics deemed relevant for
disclosure were identified by assessing annual corporate
priorities outlined by the institutions’ Boards and
President, considering stakeholder input, as well as
ascertaining sustainability impacts of carrying out the
mission and vision. To determine if a GRI aspect is material

Small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) account for a lion's share of the enterprises in
most economies and are also thought to be an engine of new
growth and innovation. The focus of this paper is to take
the insights on SME mix and segments to practical
implications for developing countries around the world. The
paper attempts to do this by providing a diagnostic approach
that client countries and regions can use to assess their

This report by the Independent
Evaluation Group (IEG) summarizes the experiences of and
draws lessons from the country program evaluations of four
natural resource-rich countries: the Plurinational State of
Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Zambia. It concludes that
although the challenges identified in these countries are
not unique, they manifest themselves with particular
intensity in three closely interrelated areas that need to

This paper takes stock of the current
state of banking systems across Sub-Saharan Africa and
discusses recent developments including innovations that
might help Africa leapfrog more traditional banking models.
Using an array of different data, the paper documents that
African banking systems are shallow but stable. African
banks are well capitalized and over-liquid, but lend less to
the private sector than banks in non-African developing

Ecosystem accounting is a coherent and integrated approach to the assessment of

India’s sustained and rapid economic
growth offers an opportunity to lift millions out of
poverty. But this may come at a steep cost to the nation’s
environment and natural resources. This insightful book
analyzes India’s growth from an economic perspective and
assesses whether India can grow in a “green” and sustainable
manner. Three key issues are addressed. The first is the

The purpose of this report on corporate
financial reporting in Austria is to describe the key
features of Austria’s corporate financial reporting
environment as well as its practical application in regard
to small and medium enterprises (SMEs’) financial reporting
practices in Austria. This report builds on the World Bank
accounting and auditing reports on standards and codes
(ROSC) methodology to give an overview of the Austrian

The post-2015 development agenda is being shaped as we speak. The role of identity and identification
and its importance to development outcomes places it within the new Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) agenda—specifically as one of the proposed SDG targets (#16.9), but also as a key enabler
of the efficacy of many other SDG targets. Although there is no one model for providing legal
identity, this SDG would urge states to ensure that all have free or low-cost access to widely accepted,

Since early 2012, the World Bank’s High Frequency South Sudan Survey has collected a panel data set to monitor the welfare and perceptions of citizens in a
selected number of state capitals in South Sudan. This note presents the findings of all six rounds of the survey on the topics of (1) Security, (2) Economic
Conditions, (3) Assets and Consumption, and (4) Access to Services. The results are based on 143 households in Juba, Wau and Rumbek revisited six times.

Recent economic and political
developments have highlighted a challenge shared across the
Arab region of generating employment, promoting inclusive
growth, and improving competitiveness. In the short run,
weakened macroeconomic fundamentals in the developing
economies of the Middle East and North Africa are a key
challenge. The region's main challenge is to achieve
sustainable growth that delivers the quantity and quality of

In past four years, the World Bank, in
close cooperation with the Government of Zimbabwe, and the
support of international partners - has carried out a number
of studies and technical assistance activities in key areas
of the socio-economic recovery. In line with Bank’s Africa
strategy of fostering Africa’s economic transformation and
poverty reduction, the overall goal of these studies has
been to support broad-based development of Zimbabwe by