Annual Review of Development
Effectiveness 2009 : Achieving Sustainable Development

This year's annual review of
development effectiveness (ARDE) is being written against
the backdrop of a global financial crisis, declining growth,
and massive fiscal stimulus efforts to revitalize markets.
Demand for greater development support from the World Bank
has grown, along with concerns that resources be used
effectively and efficiently to achieve their development
objectives. This ARDE focuses on the Bank's performance
record in getting results from its projects and country
programs and, as is customary, examines in depth one topic
relating to development effectiveness. The focus of this
ARDE is on the Bank's support for environmental
sustainability, in response to a Board request for a
synthesis of findings from recent Independent Evaluation
Group (IEG) reports on the environment. This year's
special focus getting results for sustainable development
reflects the vital role of sound environmental stewardship
for development and the grave threat that inaction poses of
reversing gains in growth and poverty reduction. The
Bank's record in implementing the 2001 environment
strategy and advancing the results agenda is quite mixed.
New sources of financing, including resources for global
efforts, have helped lending and support for the environment
to recover from the lows of the early 2000s; analytic work
has fostered innovative approaches and enhanced
environmental awareness; and direct support for
environmental projects is showing improved performance, with
tangible results. But implementation of the strategy in
mainstream environmental work across sectors has been weak
and must be strengthened. Project performance shows a clear
improving trend.