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World Development Report 2019: The Changing Nature of Work (World Development Report)
by World BankWork is constantly reshaped by technological progress. New ways of production are adopted, markets expand, and societies evolve. But some changes provoke more attention than others, in part due to the vast uncertainty involved in making predictions about the future. The 2019 World Development Report will study how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology today. Technological progress disrupts existing systems. A new social contract is needed to smooth the transition and guard against rising inequality. Significant investments in human capital throughout a person’s lifecycle are vital to this effort. If workers are to stay competitive against machines they need to train or retool existing skills. A social protection system that includes a minimum basic level of protection for workers and citizens can complement new forms of employment. Improved private sector policies to encourage startup activity and competition can help countries compete in the digital age. Governments also need to ensure that firms pay their fair share of taxes, in part to fund this new social contract. The 2019 World Development Report presents an analysis of these issues based upon the available evidence.
In the Dark: How Much Do Power Sector Distortions Cost South Asia? (South Asia Development Forum)
by Fan ZhangElectricity shortages are among the biggest barriers to South Asia’s development. Some 255 million people—more than a quarter of the world’s off-grid population—live in South Asia, and millions of households and firms that are connected experience frequent and long hours of blackouts. Inefficiencies originating in every link of the electricity supply chain contribute significantly to the power deficit. Three types of distortions lead to most of the inefficiencies: institutional distortions caused by state ownership and weak governance; regulatory distortions resulting from price regulation, subsidies, and cross-subsidies; and social distortions (externalities) causing excessive environmental and health damages from energy use. Using a common analytical framework and covering all stages of power supply, In the Dark identifies and estimates how policy-induced distortions have affected South Asian economies. The book introduces two innovations. First, it goes beyond fiscal costs, evaluating the impact of distortions from a welfare perspective by measuring the impact on consumer wellbeing, producer surplus, and environmental costs. And second, the book adopts a broader definition of the sector that covers the entire power supply chain, including upstream fuel supply and downstream access and reliability. The book finds that the full cost of distortions in the power sector is far greater than previously estimated based on fiscal cost alone: The estimated total economic cost is 4†“7 percent of the gross domestic product in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Some of the largest costs are upstream and downstream. Few other reforms could quickly yield the huge economic gains that power sector reform would produce. By expanding access to electricity and improving the quality of supply, power sector reform would also directly benefit poor households. The highest payoffs are likely to come from institutional reforms, expansion of reliable access, and the appropriate pricing of carbon and local air pollution emissions.
The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution
by Asli Demirguc-Kunt Leora Klapper Dorothe Singer AnsarIn 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.
What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050 (Urban Development)
by Silpa Kaza Lisa Yao Perinaz Bhada-Tata Van WoerdenSolid waste management affects every person in the world. By 2050, the world is expected to increase waste generation by 70 percent, from 2.01 billion tonnes of waste in 2016 to 3.40 billion tonnes of waste annually. Individuals and governments make decisions about consumption and waste management that affect the daily health, productivity, and cleanliness of communities. Poorly managed waste is contaminating the world’s oceans, clogging drains and causing flooding, transmitting diseases, increasing respiratory problems, harming animals that consume waste unknowingly, and affecting economic development. Unmanaged and improperly managed waste from decades of economic growth requires urgent action at all levels of society. What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050 aggregates extensive solid aste data at the national and urban levels. It estimates and projects waste generation to 2030 and 2050. Beyond the core data metrics from waste generation to disposal, the report provides information on waste management costs, revenues, and tariffs; special wastes; regulations; public communication; administrative and operational models; and the informal sector. Solid waste management accounts for approximately 20 percent of municipal budgets in low-income countries and 10 percent of municipal budgets in middle-income countries, on average. Waste management is often under the jurisdiction of local authorities facing competing priorities and limited resources and capacities in planning, contract management, and operational monitoring. These factors make sustainable waste management a complicated proposition; most low- and middle-income countries, and their respective cities, are struggling to address these challenges. Waste management data are critical to creating policy and planning for local contexts. Understanding how much waste is generated—especially with rapid urbanization and population growth—as well as the types of waste generated helps local governments to select appropriate management methods and plan for future demand. It allows governments to design a system with a suitable number of vehicles, establish efficient routes, set targets for diversion of waste, track progress, and adapt as consumption patterns change. With accurate data, governments can realistically allocate resources, assess relevant technologies, and consider strategic partners for service provision, such as the private sector or nongovernmental organizations. What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050 provides the most up-to-date information available to empower citizens and governments around the world to effectively address the pressing global crisis of waste. Additional information is available at http://www.worldbank.org/what-a-waste.
The Safe Food Imperative: Accelerating Progress in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Agriculture and Food Series)
by Grace Steven Jaffee Spencer Henson Laurian UnnevehrFood safety hazards are increasingly being recognized as a major public health problem worldwide, yet among developing countries, there is limited understanding of the wider-ranging socio-economic costs of unsafe food and the benefits of remedial or preventative measures. This limited evidence base has led many countries to underinvest in food safety, or invest inefficiently in reaction to serious outbreaks of foodborne illness, other food scares, or trade interruptions. For many countries experiencing rapid urbanization and dietary changes, the growing complexity of food safety hazards is outpacing if not overwhelming prevailing food safety management capacity-both in government and in supply chains. This report strengthens the economic case for increased public investment and other policy attention on food safety in developing countries. It is directed primarily at policy-makers, although researchers, development practitioners and food safety specialists will also find its content of value. By synthesizing and interpreting the available evidence on the economic costs of unsafe food in relation to both domestic markets and trade, the report positions food safety as an integral part of economic development and food system modernization. It goes on to provide guidance on ways in which public policy and investment can improve food safety awareness and behavior from farm to fork.
Realizing the Full Potential of Social Safety Nets in Africa (Africa Development Forum)
by Kathleen Beegle Aline Coudouel Emma MonsalvePoverty remains a pervasive and complex phenomenon in Sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the agenda in recent years to tackle poverty in Africa has been the launching of social safety nets programs. All countries have now deployed safety net interventions as part of their core development programs. The number of programs has skyrocketed since the mid-2000s though many programs remain limited in size. This shift in social policy reflects the progressive evolution in the understanding of the role that social safety nets can play in the fight against poverty and vulnerability, and more generally in the human capital and growth agenda. Evidence on their impacts on equity, resilience, and opportunity is growing, and makes a foundational case for investments in safety nets as a major component of national development plans. For this potential to be realized, however, safety net programs need to be significantly scaled-up. Such scaling up will involve a series of technical considerations to identify the parameters, tools, and processes that can deliver maximum benefits to the poor and vulnerable. However, in addition to technical considerations, and at least as importantly, this report argues that a series of decisive shifts need to occur in three other critical spheres: political, institutional, and fiscal. First, the political processes that shape the extent and nature of social policy need to be recognized, by stimulating political appetite for safety nets, choosing politically smart parameters, and harnessing the political impacts of safety nets to promote their sustainability. Second, the anchoring of safety net programs in institutional arrangements †“ related to the overarching policy framework for safety nets, the functions of policy and coordination, as well as program management and implementation †“ is particularly important as programs expand and are increasingly implemented through national channels. And third, in most countries, the level and predictability of resources devoted to the sector needs to increase for safety nets to reach the desired scale, through increased efficiency, increased volumes and new sources of financing, and greater ability to effectively respond to shocks. This report highlights the implications which political, institutional, and fiscal aspects have for the choice and design of programs. Fundamentally, it argues that these considerations are critical to ensure the successful scaling-up of social safety nets in Africa, and that ignoring them could lead to technically-sound, but practically impossible, choices and designs.
Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict
by United Nations;World BankViolent conflicts today are complex and increasingly protracted, involving more nonstate groups and regional and international actors. It is estimated that by 2030—the horizon set by the international community for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals—more than half of the world’s poor will be living in countries affected by high levels of violence. Information and communication technology, population movements, and climate change are also creating shared risks that must be managed at both national and international levels. Pathways for Peace is a joint United Nations†“World Bank Group study that originates from the conviction that the international community’s attention must urgently be refocused on prevention. A scaled-up system for preventive action would save between US$5 billion and US$70 billion per year, which could be reinvested in reducing poverty and improving the well-being of populations. The study aims to improve the way in which domestic development processes interact with security, diplomacy, mediation, and other efforts to prevent conflicts from becoming violent. It stresses the importance of grievances related to exclusion—from access to power, natural resources, security and justice, for example—that are at the root of many violent conflicts today. Based on a review of cases in which prevention has been successful, the study makes recommendations for countries facing emerging risks of violent conflict as well as for the international community. Development policies and programs must be a core part of preventive efforts; when risks are high or building up, inclusive solutions through dialogue, adapted macroeconomic policies, institutional reform, and redistributive policies are required. Inclusion is key, and preventive action needs to adopt a more people-centered approach that includes mainstreaming citizen engagement. Enhancing the participation of women and youth in decision making is fundamental to sustaining peace, as well as long-term policies to address the aspirations of women and young people.
A Resurgent East Asia: Navigating a Changing World (World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Report)
by Andrew D. Mason Sudhir ShettyEast Asia has been a paragon of global development success. The dramatic transformation of the region over the past half century—with a succession of countries having progressed from low-income to middle-income and even to high-income status—has been built on what has come to be known as the “East Asian development model.†? A combination of policies that fostered outward-oriented, labor-intensive growth while strengthening basic human capital and providing sound economic governance has been instrumental in moving hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into economic security. Yet East Asia’s economic resurgence remains incomplete. More than 90 percent of its people now live in 10 middle-income countries, many of which can realistically aspire to high-income status in the next generation or two. But these countries are still much less affluent and productive than their high-income counterparts. Even as the region’s middle-income countries attempt to move up to high-income status, they confront a rapidly changing global and regional economic environment. Slowing growth in global trade and shifts in its patterns, rapid technological change, and evolving country circumstances all present challenges to sustaining productivity growth, fostering inclusion, and enhancing state effectiveness. A Resurgent East Asia: Navigating a Changing World is about how policy makers across developing East Asia will need to adapt their development model to effectively address these challenges in the coming decade and sustain the region’s remarkable development performance. “The world is changing. How do East Asia’s developing economies navigate this change? This is a commendable book on this topic—a must-read for policy makers, academia, and students who are interested in East Asia.†? — Chatib Basri, Former Minister of Finance, Government of Indonesia “A Resurgent East Asia is a vital publication for the most successful region as it looks to the future and the expectations of its citizens. This study helps to identify the new areas of risk and to suggest ways to ameliorate them. In so doing, it is an invaluable resource for governments. Based on first-rate analysis, it is a must-read for policy makers and everyone interested in East Asia’s development prospects!†? — Danny Leipziger, Managing Director, The Growth Dialogue, and Professor of International Business, George Washington University “This report delivers a careful and rigorous analysis of the strengths of East Asia’s ‘growth with equity’ development strategy. While noting the model’s success in lifting millions out of poverty, the report also warns of the looming challenge of maintaining growth with inclusion, and it highlights the need for countries to improve their social protection systems and ensure that opportunities are fair and available to all. A must-read for policy makers and development practitioners alike.†? — Ana Revenga, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
A Glass Half Full: The Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia (South Asia Development Forum)
by Sanjay KathuriaTrade has played a critical role in global poverty reduction. In harnessing the potential of trade, some of the most successful countries have developed strong trade relationships with their neighbors. However, many South Asian countries have trade regimes that often offset the positive impact of geography and proximity. This report documents systematically the gaps between current and potential trade in South Asia and addresses important specific barriers that have held trade back. These barriers include tariffs and paratariffs, real and perceived nontariff barriers, connectivity costs, and the broader trust deficit. This policy-focused report unpacks these critical barriers to effective trade integration in South Asia through four in-depth studies that produce new, detailed, on-the-ground knowledge. Three of the studies are based on extensive stakeholder consultations. Two studies also rely on tailored surveys. The fourth study, on tariffs, benefits from new data on paratariffs. The report also marshals new evidence showing how trading regimes in South Asia discriminate against each other. Given the South Asian context, incremental, yet concrete steps aimed at tapping the potential of deeper integration are appropriate. The report has been drafted in this spirit. It offers precise, actionable policy recommendations that could help achieve measurable progress in key areas of trade and integration that would be to the advantage of all countries in the region.
Raising the Bar for Productive Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean (Latin America and Caribbean Studies)
by Mark Roberts María Marta FerreyraWith more than 70 percent of its population living in cities, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is among the most urbanized regions in the world. Yet, although its cities are, on average, more productive than those elsewhere in the world, their productivity lags that of North American and Western European cities. Closing this gap provides LAC with the opportunity to raise living standards and join the ranks of the world’s richest countries. Raising the Bar: Cities and Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean is about the productivity of cities in LAC and the factors that help to explain its determination. Based on original empirical research, the report documents the high levels of population density and other features of LAC cities that mark them out from those in the rest of the world. The report also studies the role of three key factors †“ urban form, skills, and access to markets †“ in determining the productivity of LAC cities. It shows that while excessive congestion forces and inadequate metropolitan coordination seem to be stifling the benefits of agglomeration, LAC cities benefit from strong human capital externalities. It also finds that, within individual LAC countries, cities are poorly integrated with one another, which contributes to large differences in performance across cities and undermines their aggregate contribution to productivity at the national level.
A Measured Approach to Ending Poverty and Boosting Shared Prosperity: Concepts, Data, and the Twin Goals (Policy Research Reports)
by World BankIn 2013, the World Bank Group adopted two new goals to guide its work: ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. More specifically, the goals are to reduce extreme poverty in the world to less than 3 percent by 2030, and to foster income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population in each country. While poverty reduction has been a mainstay of the World Bank’s mission for decades, the Bank has now set a specific goal and timetable, and for the first time, the Bank has explicitly included a goal linked to ensuring that growth is shared by all. The discussion until now has centered primarily on articulating the new goals. This report, the latest in World Bank’s Policy Research Report series, goes beyond that and lays out their conceptual underpinnings, discusses their relative strengths and weaknesses by contrasting them with alternative indicators, and proposes empirical approaches and requirements to track progress towards the goals. The report makes clear that the challenges posed by the World Bank Group’s new stance extend not just to the pursuit of these goals but, indeed, to their very definition and empirical content. The report also argues that an improved data infrastructure, consisting of many elements including the collection of more and better survey data, is critical to ensure that progress towards these goals can be measured, and policies to help achieve them can be identified and prioritized.
Working with Smallholders: A Handbook for Firms Building Sustainable Supply Chains
by International Finance CorporationThe world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050. Meanwhile, concurrent rises in incomes and urbanization are driving increased consumption of meat, dairy, and biofuels. Meeting the demand for food, feed, and biofuel will require a global production increase of almost 50 percent relative to 2012. Production in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa—where 95 percent of farms are smaller than five hectares—must double at a minimum. A key element of policies to increase food production will be promoting improved food quality, as the health costs of too much, too little, and the wrong types of food become increasingly evident. Additional initiatives must address how to reduce food losses; globally, one-third of food production is lost or wasted at different stages in the food chain each year. Climate change is bringing further stressors. These challenges also present opportunities. Around the world, 450 million smallholder farmers are plagued by low productivity and poor access to inputs, technology, knowledge, financing, and markets. Agribusinesses are increasingly working directly with smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries to help secure a sustainable supply of key agricultural commodities while boosting rural incomes and economic growth. Sourcing directly from smallholders can expand a firm’s supply base, reduce margins paid to collectors and middlemen, facilitate improvements in quality and yield, and deliver premium prices for a certified fair-trade or sustainably produced product. Smallholders also represent a growing market for farm inputs, information, and financial services. Agribusiness firms can help smallholders to increase productivity and improve crop quality; access know-how to mitigate social and environmental impacts; develop farm management skills and combine their production with other farmers to achieve sufficient scale to be effective market players; and meet the growing demand for safe, sustainable food by improving practices and introducing traceability and certification systems. Working with Smallholders: A Handbook for Firms Building Sustainable Supply Chains shows how agribusinesses can develop more sustainable, resilient, and productive supply chains and illustrates the substantial impact of doing so on development. The book compiles innovative solutions and cutting-edge ideas to meet the challenges, and it incorporates a diverse collection of hands-on case studies from across the world that cover a variety of agribusiness sectors. This second edition builds on the lessons learned and provides updates in leading trends and technologies from those provided in the first edition published in 2014.
Growing Smarter: Learning and Equitable Development in East Asia and Pacific (World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Report)
by World BankOne-quarter of the world’s school-age children live in East Asia and Pacific. During the past 50 years, some economies in the region have successfully transformed themselves by investing in the continuous upgrading of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of their workforce. Through policy foresight, they have produced graduates with new levels of knowledge and skills almost as fast as industries have increased their demand for skilled workers. Yet the success of these high-performing systems has not been replicated throughout the region. Tens of millions of students are in school but not learning, and as many as 60 percent of students remain in school systems that are struggling to escape from the global learning crisis or in systems where performance is likely poor. Many students in these systems fail to reach basic levels of proficiency in key subjects and are greatly disadvantaged because of it. Growing Smarter: Learning and Equitable Development in East Asia and Pacific focuses on the experiences of economies in the region that have been able to expand schooling and learning and showcases those that have managed to pursue successful education reforms at scale. By examining these experiences, the report provides both diagnoses and detailed recommendations for improvement not only for education systems within East Asia and Pacific but also for countries across the globe. In East Asia and Pacific, the impressive record of success in education in some low- and middle-income countries is proof of concept that schooling in resource-constrained contexts can lead to learning for all. This report identifies the policies and practices necessary to ensure that students learn and suggests how countries can improve learning outcomes.
Women, Business and the Law 2018 (Women, Business and the Law)
by World Bank GroupHow can governments ensure that women have the same employment and entrepreneurship opportunities as men? One important step is to level the legal playing field so that the rules for operating in the worlds of work and business apply equally regardless of gender. Women, Business and the Law 2018, the fifth edition in a series, examines laws affecting women’s economic inclusion in 189 economies worldwide. It tracks progress that has been made over the past two years while identifying opportunities for reform to ensure economic empowerment for all. The report updates all indicators as of June 1, 2017 and explores new areas of research, including financial inclusion.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Social Protection: Concepts and Applications (Streamlined Analysis with ADePT Software)
by Sajaia Ruslan Yemtsov Maddalena Honorati Brooks Evans'Measuring the Effectiveness of Social Protection: Concepts and Applications' provides the conceptual and analytical framework for assessing social protection (SP) programs, as well as provides a practical guide for users seeking to conduct analysis, particularly using the World Bank's Software Platform for Automated Economic Analysis (ADePT). The manual provides a comprehensive unique resource to tie together social policy theory, concepts and practical analytical techniques. The book content is targeted at policymakers and practitioners worldwide seeking to improve the outcomes of their social protection policies. It suggests advanced methods and a new rapid analysis instrumental for technical experts working on quantitative SP analysis for their ministry, national statistics offices, think tanks, universities, or development organizations. The book aims to equip users with different statistical background and SP knowledge to independently conduct SP analysis and prepare a standardized set of tables and graphs to conduct different types of SP performance analysis, ranging from benchmarking SP performance within and across countries, simulating the performance of alternative reform options, and assessing the viability of proposed programs.
Information and Communications for Development 2018: Data-Driven Development (Information and Communications for Development)
by World BankThe Information and Communications for Development series looks in depth at how information and communications technologies are affecting economic growth in developing countries. This new report, the fourth in the series, examines the topic of data-driven development, or how better information makes for better policies. The objective is to assist developing-country firms and governments in unlocking the value of the data they hold for better service delivery and decision making and to empower individuals to take more control of their personal data. We are undoubtedly experiencing a data revolution in which our ability to generate, process, and utilize information has been magnified many times over by the machines that we increasingly rely upon. This report is about how the data revolution is changing the behavior of governments, individuals, and firms and how these changes affect the nature of development: economic, social, and cultural. How can governments extract value from data to improve service delivery in the same way that private companies have learned to do for profit? Is it feasible for individuals to take ownership of their own data and to use it to improve their livelihoods and quality of life? Can developing-country firms compete with the internet majors on their own turf and be even more innovative in their use of data to serve local customers better? Though the report is aimed primarily at government policy makers, it also has great relevance for individuals concerned about how their personal data is used and how the data revolution might affect their future job prospects. For private sector firms, particularly those in developing countries, the report suggests how they might expand their markets and improve their competitive edge. For development professionals, the report provides guidance on how they might use data more creatively to tackle long-standing global challenges, such as eliminating extreme poverty, promoting shared prosperity, or mitigating the effects of climate change. The report’s chapters explore different themes associated with the supply of data, the technology underlying it, and the demand for it. An overview chapter focuses on government use of data and presentation of definitions. Part I of the report then looks at the “supply side†? of the data sector, with chapters on data connectivity and capacity (where data comes from, how it is stored, and where it goes) and data technology (specifically big data analytics and artificial intelligence) and how this is contributing to development. Part II looks at the sector’s “demand side,†? with a chapter on people’s use of data and another that examines how firms use digital platforms in the data economy and how that contributes to competitiveness. Part III brings together the policy implications for developing-country stakeholders, with a chapter considering government policies for data, including data protection and privacy. A closing Data Notes appendix looks at statistical indicators associated with the use of data and presents the 2018 update of the Digital Adoption Index (DAI), a composite indicator introduced in the 2016 World Development Report: Digital Dividends.
Fair Progress?: Economic Mobility across Generations around the World (Equity and development)
by Ambar Narayan Alexandru Cojocaru Rakesh Gupta Ramasubbaiah Stefan Thewissen Roy Van der Weide Lakner Daniel Gerszon MahlerFair Progress? Economic Mobility across Generations around the World focuses on an issue that has gotten much attention in the developed world, but will present new data and analysis covering most of the world including developing economies. The analysis considers whether those born in poverty or in prosperity are destined to remain in the same economic circumstances into which they were born, and looks back over a half a century at whether children's lives are better or worse than their parents' in different parts of the world. It suggests local, national, and global actions and policies that can help break the cycle of poverty, paving the way for the next generation to realize their potential and improve their lives.
Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle (Poverty and Shared Prosperity)
by World BankThe World Bank Group has two overarching goals: End extreme poverty by 2030 and promote shared prosperity by boosting the incomes of the bottom 40 percent of the population in each economy. As this year’s Poverty and Shared Prosperity report documents, the world continues to make progress toward these goals. In 2015, approximately one-tenth of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty, and the incomes of the bottom 40 percent rose in 77 percent of economies studied. But success cannot be taken for granted. Poverty remains high in Sub- Saharan Africa, as well as in fragile and conflict-affected states. At the same time, most of the world’s poor now live in middle-income countries, which tend to have higher national poverty lines. This year’s report tracks poverty comparisons at two higher poverty thresholds—$3.20 and $5.50 per day—which are typical of standards in lower- and upper-middle-income countries. In addition, the report introduces a societal poverty line based on each economy’s median income or consumption. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle also recognizes that poverty is not only about income and consumption—and it introduces a multidimensional poverty measure that adds other factors, such as access to education, electricity, drinking water, and sanitation. It also explores how inequality within households could affect the global profile of the poor. All these additional pieces enrich our understanding of the poverty puzzle, bringing us closer to solving it. For more information, please visit worldbank.org/PSP
Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa (Africa Development Forum)
by Sajitha Bashir Tan Marlaine Lockheed Elizabeth NinanFacing Forward lays out a range of policy and implementation actions that are needed for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet the challenge of improving learning while expanding access and completion of basic education for all. The book underscores the importance of aligning the education system to be relentlessly focused on learning outcomes and to ensuring that all children have access to good schools, good learning materials, and good teachers. It is unique in characterizing countries according to the challenges they faced in the 1990s and the educational progress they have made over the past 25 years, allowing countries in the region to learn from each other. The authors review the global literature and add to it by their extensive new analyses of multiple datasets from more than three dozen countries in the region; they integrate findings about what affects children’s learning, their access to schooling, and progress through basic education. The book draws lessons from the region and for the region about what works and what is needed to better implement what is known to have worked. The book examines four areas to help countries better align their systems to improve learning: (1) completing the unfinished agenda of reaching universal basic education with quality, (2) ensuring effective management and support of teachers, (3) targeting spending priorities and budget processes on improving quality, and (4) closing the institutional capacity gap. It concludes with an assessment of how future educational progress may be affected by projected fertility rates and economic growth.
A Step Ahead: Competition Policy for Shared Prosperity and Inclusive Growth (Trade and Development)
by World Bank GroupSustainable economic development has played a major role in the decline of global poverty in the past two decades. There is no doubt that competitive markets are key drivers of economic growth and productivity. They are also valuable channels for consumer welfare. Competition policy is a powerful tool for complementing efforts to alleviate poverty and bring about shared prosperity. An effective competition policy involves measures that enable contestability and firm entry and rivalry, while ensuring the enforcement of antitrust laws and state aid control. Governments from emerging and developing economies are increasingly requesting pragmatic solutions for effective competition policy implementation, as well as recommendations for pro-competitive sectoral policies. A Step Ahead: Competition Policy for Shared Prosperity and Inclusive Growth puts forward a research agenda that advocates the importance of market competition, effective market regulation, and competition policies for achieving inclusive growth and shared prosperity in emerging and developing economies. It is the result of a global partnership and shared commitment between the World Bank Group and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Part I of the book brings together existing empirical evidence on the benefits of competition for household welfare. It covers the elimination of anticompetitive practices and regulations that restrict competition in key markets and highlights the effects of competition on small producers and employment. Part II of the book focuses on the distributional effects of competition policies and how enforcement can be better aligned with shared prosperity goals.
New Dimensions in Women's Health, Ninth Edition
by Linda Lewis Alexander Helaine Bader Susan Garfield Judith H. LaRosaRevised and update to keep pace with changing issues that affect all women, the new Ninth Edition of the best-selling New Dimensions in Women's Health continues to provide a modern look at the health of women of all cultures, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. Written for undergraduate students within health education, nursing, and women's studies programs, the text provides readers with the critical information needed to optimize their well-being, avoid illness and injury, and support their overall health. The authors took great care to provide in-depth coverage of important aspects of women's health and to examine the contributing epidemiological, historical, psychosocial, cultural, ethical, legal, political, and economic influences. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on many aspects of women's health, from the workplace to violence, substance abuse and more.Updates related to the Affordable Care Act and post-Medicaid expansion.New information on diet and nutrition trendsThe Dobbs decision and its impact on women's healthUpdated information on mental illness disorder classification and mental illness resources.New content on substance abuse trends along with cannabis and other legalization efforts. Updated violence data to reflect intimate partner violence in domestic partnerships and LGBTQ relationships, among others. Women's Health courses in Healthcare, Education, Nursing, Public Health, Gender Studies and more. © 2025 | 700 pages
Legacy of Menace: Life in the Shadow of the Krays
by Bobby Teale David Teale Alfie TealeSurvivors from London's ganglandThe third and final chapter in Bobby and David Teale's powerful true story focuses on the shattering consequences of Bobby's secret decision to inform on the Krays, putting himself and his brothers David and Alfie in mortal danger.Sure enough, someone, somehow had told the murderous twins they had a spy in their midst. Suspicion fell on Bobby, and Reggie held him at gunpoint in a terrifying mock execution in Epping Forest, as a warning for what happens to 'informers.'Three days after that, Bobby, David and Alfie were arrested. Bobby had believed it was the Yard's way of making him and his family 'safe'. His brothers didn't have a clue what was going on. Bobby expected six months inside, maybe. They each got three years for 'demanding money with menaces,' a catch-all crime that required minimal evidence to convict.In Legacy of Menace, Bobby opens up on what he went through at the hands of the Krays and the police, how his economy with the truth was his attempt to protect his brothers, and why he vanished, fearful of gangland retribution, when he was released from prison.While David recalls the appalling confusion of brutal life in prison, not knowing why he was there, his brother refusing to speak to him, rumours swirling about the Krays coming for them.David, now aged 81, has remained profoundly angry with Bobby, 82, for abandoning him and Alfie to their fate. But the brothers, once close, are reconciling again, as Bobby provides full disclosure with new and dramatic details of his time in prison and his cross-border escape, helping David to understand the experience from Bobby's perspective for the first time.This extraordinary three-way narrative memoir provides fresh insights on a classic true crime story, wrapped in a compelling family saga of bitter estrangement and ultimate redemption.
Myself and Other Animals: A posthumous work from the beloved conservationist to celebrate the centenary of his birth
by Gerald DurrellA posthumous work from the beloved conservationist and naturalist Gerald Durrell, to celebrate the centenary of his birth, with a new foreword by HRH Princess Anne.‘Gerald Durrell was magic’ SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH ‘A wise, genial and world-encompassing book’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘Fills important gaps in the biographical narrative . . . Truly, there is magic here’ GUARDIAN Myself and Other Animals is a new book mosaicked from unpublished autobiographies, uncollected pieces and previously published extracts from Durrell’s work and archives. The result is an extraordinary journey through Durrell’s life in his own words, edited and introduced by his widow Lee Durrell.Drawing on a memoir that Durrell started writing before he became too ill to continue it, and an unfinished book from a trip to Australia in 1969 to the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory and Queensland, here is the unvarnished story of Durrell’s life, from touching family tributes to golden bats and pink pigeons.Moving from India to England and then to the always sun-lit Corfu, told with dry wit and insight into our fellow animals, here is the vivid finale of one of Britain’s most beloved conservationists and prose stylists.'Funny and readable and hugely charming' i ‘One of the finest and most lyrical nature writers in English’ OBSERVER'A moving tribute to Gerald's endeavours and achievements as a conservationist' SPECTATOR
The 5 Minute Clean Routine: Tips and Tricks for a Happy Home
by Anna Louisa'A cleaning guru' - Daily Mail'A cleaning bible of ingenious advice and practical guidance' - MirrorTake the stress out of your home cleaning routine with the easy-to-use guide and planner, featuring over 100 cleaning techniques, plus tried and tested hacks and list pages to tick off as you go! In The Five Minute Clean Routine, Anna Louisa (also known as @anna_louisa_at_home) shares her secrets to a fresh, shining home. Breaking down household cleaning tasks into 5-minute chunks, Anna Louisa shows how you can create a satisfying routine that works for you for every room - from kitchen to bathroom and everywhere in between. Written in Anna’s trademark warm style, this book is bursting with ideas to make both everyday and deep clean tasks totally hassle free, whether it's getting rid of grease from your air fryer, vanishing limescale in an instant or using store cupboard ingredients to keep your home smelling fresh. Including: Over 100 cleaning techniques for the homeTried and tested cleaning product combinationsPlanner pages and lists to tick off as you goThe Five Minute Clean Routine promises to show how your household and cleaning routines can become easy and efficient. __________________________________________________________________________Reader reviews'Highly recommend for anyone looking for quick and effective cleaning tips!''Lots of practical tips to keep on top of the housework and make it more manageable. It also looks beautiful on my coffee table!''Perfect to help with organizing your own cleaning routine''Makes cleaning a lot more enjoyable'
Make & Freeze: The instant Irish and Sunday Times bestseller - The ultimate guide to family-friendly meal prep - easy, quick, and nutritious
by Lou RobbieTHE ULTIMATE FAMILY COOKBOOK FROM LITTLE LOU COOKS — TRANSFORM YOUR MEAL TIMES!Discover 100 delicious, nutritious and convenient recipes for the whole family that are only ever a freezer away. Meal prep can seem daunting, but professional chef and busy mum of two, Lou Robbie of @LittleLouCooks makes it easy and manageable for everyone. She understands that life is hectic and has come up with delicious, homemade recipes that can be prepared in advance and frozen, ensuring that wholesome, tasty meals and snacks that the whole family will love are always in steady supply. Meal prep will save you time and money; let this cookbook show you how.From tempting, tasty breakfasts and easy sweet and savoury lunchbox fillers to delicious family dinners and better-than-shop-bought-treats, including recipes for your air fryer and slow cooker, Make & Freeze provides you with easy, quick and tasty batch-cooking solutions for every meal of the day. Featuring a selection of Lou's most popular tried-and-tested recipes, as well as brand new and exclusive content, recipes include:Blueberry breakfast barsPesto & cheese pastry scrollsCreamy garlic and lemon chicken with buttery mashBeef stroganoff cottage pieRed pepper and black bean enchiladasBeetroot & chocolate traybakeSchool morning pancakesWith expert tips on freezing, storing and reheating, you'll master the art of meal prep and transform your kitchen routine.Nourish your family whilst saying goodbye to last-minute scrambles and hello to stress-free, delicious food.