Thailand | World Bank

World’s remaining wild tiger range countries agree on police and customs enforcement measures for nearly-extinct species

2012-02-14T05:35:02.000Z

Bangkok (Thailand), 14 February 2012 – Police and customs heads from 13 Asian countries agreed today to tighten controls and improve cross-border cooperation to curb the illegal smuggling of tigers and other critically endangered species. The accord came at the conclusion of the two-day international “Heads of Police and Customs Seminar on Tiger Crime”, which brought together top Police and Customs Officers from countries that still have tigers living in the wild.

Hosted by the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), and organized by INTERPOL, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), and with the technical and financial support from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat and the World Bank, the Tiger Seminar objective was for participants to agree on a robust set of law enforcement-based solutions to protect tigers and other rare and highly threatened species.

“The tale of the Tiger is not simply about conservation, it is also about crime,” said Mr. Yury Fedotov, UNODC Executive Director. “It concerns transnational organized crime, high profits, widespread corruption, money laundering, fraud, counterfeiting, and violence”, added Mr. Fedotov.

The Tiger Seminar brought together 26 delegates from 13 tiger range countries as well as senior representatives from ICCWC members and key partner organizations operating in the field of tiger conservation and wildlife crime. A critical Tiger Seminar activity was to raise awareness among police and customs authorities of the impact wildlife trafficking has on wild tigers.

“We must take immediate and urgent action to save these magnificent animals from extinction,” said Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General. “The global Customs community is firmly committed to working closely with its partners to stop criminal trafficking in endangered species and other environment sensitive goods, by ensuring more vigilant and effective border enforcement among a range of measures”, he added.

Environmental crime is a serious international problem with a detrimental impact on the global economy and security. Criminals violate national and international laws through increasingly sophisticated techniques and highly organized networks. Their activities directly affect human health, and threaten the environment and global biodiversity.

"Our efforts to fight tiger crime must not just result in seizures - they must result in prosecutions, convictions and strong penalties to stop the flow of contraband,” said Mr. John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. “If we get the enforcement system right for the tiger, we will help save countless other species together with their ecosystems."

Tiger conservation experts presented an up-to-date situation analysis of wild tiger conservation threats, particularly worldwide and Asian trans-national organized crime links to wildlife crimes, including the trade in tigers and tiger parts.

"Wildlife and other environmental criminals too often operate in remote areas with impunity, evading detection, and circumventing full prosecution under the law,” said Mr. Keshav Varma, Program Director, World Bank Global Tiger Initiative. “The World Bank and Global Tiger Initiative fully support the resolve of the police and customs officials from tiger range countries to collaborate on intelligence. We applaud efforts to intensify pressure on the organizers of criminal networks and corrupt officials who shield them" added Mr. Varma.

Working with environmental crime experts, participating tiger-range country police and customs senior officials agreed on cross-border action points, opportunities and cooperation strategies, after discussing national priorities, challenges, and reviewing best practices.

“This important seminar has highlighted the environmental crime challenges facing senior law enforcement officers and the need for enhanced international cooperation,” said Mr. Jean-Michel Louboutin, INTERPOL Executive Director of Police Services. “Criminals cannot prosper from abusing our shared natural heritage.”

Tiger Seminar attendees discussed the need to develop a coordinated response to combat tiger crime.

“We need to work collectively through our respective environmental programmes,” said Mr. Louboutin. “In this context, the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore will from 2014 provide a key platform to fight environmental crimes in the 21st century.”

The Seminar also recognized INTERPOL’s Project Predator, which aims to develop the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies and form National Environmental Security Task Forces.

“If we lose an emblematic species like the tiger, mankind will be acknowledging that it is prepared to lose any animal on the planet. This must not be allowed to happen.” said Mr. Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC. “By our actions, we must show that we have the capacity, the ability and the commitment to protect other species living on this planet.”

TIGER SEMINAR BACKGROUND

Compelled by the need to urgently respond to the burgeoning threat of environmental crime, five inter-governmental organizations formed in 2010 the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime or ICCWC (read I-Quick). These organizations are: the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the World Customs Organisation (WCO). The consortium seeks to scale up wildlife law enforcement effectiveness, by intelligence-led interdiction and advanced investigative methods.

The “Heads of Police and Customs Seminar on Tiger Crime” is one of the Consortium’s first activities. It is a follow-up to the November 2010 St. Petersburg Summit on Tiger Conservation, during which Heads of Governments of 13 tiger range countries committed to increase their cooperation to eradicate poaching, smuggling, and the illegal trade in tigers and tiger parts. Addressing illegal trade is an essential part of the Global Tiger Recovery Program, a comprehensive 12-year strategy endorsed by all 13 countries to double the population of wild tigers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger.

The Seminar also addressed Decision 15.48 made at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in Doha in 2010, which states:

“The [CITES] Secretariat shall seek funds to convene, as soon as possible, a seminar involving senior-level Customs and police officers from tiger range countries to brief them on the threatened status of this species, particularly the impact wildlife crime has upon it. The officials shall also be briefed by the Secretariat regarding the Global Tiger Summit, planned under the Global Tiger Initiative, so that the law enforcement community throughout tiger range States is prepared to engage in efforts to safeguard this species and respond to measures adopted at the Summit. The Secretariat shall collaborate with ICPO-INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organization in preparing the seminar.”

Contact:

John Bleho, john.bleho@unodc.org, +662.288.2091, +6681.750.0539

Risks Rise from Urban Flooding in East Asia and Pacific

2012-02-13T02:00:00.000Z

World Bank offers practical Guide to reduce losses

Tokyo, February 13, 2012 - Urban flooding is a serious and growing development challenge for fast growing low and middle-income countries in East Asia, underscoring an urgent need to build flood risk management into regular planning of cities and towns, says a new World Bank guidebook released today.

Titled “Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century”, the book provides operational guidance on how to manage the risk of floods in the face of urbanization, growing populations and long-term climate change trends.

“Urban expansion often creates poorer neighborhoods which lack adequate infrastructure and services, making them more vulnerable to floods. The poor are hit hardest, especially women and children,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President, East Asia and Pacific Region. “But rapid urbanization also means we have the opportunity to do things right the first time, so cities and towns can support sustainable development, saving lives and money.”

Floods are the most frequent among all natural disasters, and the East Asia and Pacific region, along with South Asia, is particularly vulnerable. In the past 30 years, the number of floods in Asia amounted to about 40 percent of the total worldwide. More than 90 percent of the global population exposed to floods lives in Asia.

As developing countries in the region transition to largely urban societies, the concentration of people and assets has made urban flooding increasingly costly and difficult to manage. In addition to direct economic damage, floods also have long-term consequences such as loss of education opportunities, disease and reduced nutrition which may erode development goals.

According to the guidebook, the most effective way to manage flood risk is to take an integrated approach which combines both structural and non-structural measures.

This includes:

· Building drainage channels and floodways;

· Incorporating “urban greening” such as wetlands and environmental buffers;

· Creating flood warning systems; and

· Land use planning for flood avoidance.

The key is getting the balance right, says the guidebook. While hard-engineered structures are effective when used appropriately, they can be overcome by natural disasters beyond their design capacity. They may transfer flood risk, reducing risk in one location only to increase it in another.

Implementing an integrated strategy effectively requires cooperation between different levels of government, public sector agencies, civil society, educational organizations and private sectors, as well as strong decisive leadership from national and local governments.

Many tools are available to help us better understand flood risk and its hazards. Web-based flood forecasting systems are an effective way to disseminate hydrological and hydro-meteorological data to a range of users. Mapping risk and vulnerability can be invaluable in directing resources appropriately to protect people.

For example, the World Bank is working with partners to support meteorological services in the Lower Mekong Basin. This will assist cities in Vietnam and Indonesia develop a medium term resilience plan that takes into account the uncertainties and risks from natural hazards.

Communications also plays a significant role in raising awareness and reinforcing preparedness. The guidebook warns that less severe disasters can be forgotten in less than three years.

As flood risk cannot be eliminated entirely, planning for a speedy recovery is also necessary, using reconstruction as an opportunity to build safer and stronger communities which have the capacity to withstand flooding better in the future.

"Recent large-scale disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the floods in Thailand and Australia emphasize the need for a new approach to disaster risk management and resilience,” said lead author of the guidebook Abhas Jha, Lead Urban Specialist and Program Leader, Disaster Risk Management, World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region. “We need to design systems that recognize the complex and uncertain nature of flood risk management and its impacts. Design should be comprehensive, flexible and iterative, being careful to avoid an over-reliance on any one given solution which may not be enough to counter the dynamic nature of risk.”

The guidebook was produced with the financial support of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Partners include the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Contacts:

In Tokyo: Carl Hanlon, (202) 460-8526, chanlon@worldbank.org

Tomoko Hirai, +81-3(3597)6650, thirai@worldbank.org

In Washington: Chisako Fukuda, (202) 473-9424, cfukuda@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik,(202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

For more information, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/eapdisasters

To download the report, please visit: http://www.gfdrr.org/urbanfloods

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The World Bank and Fotopedia Launch New App; “Women Of The World” Now Available on your Iphone or Ipad

2012-02-08T14:00:00.000Z

Washington DC, February 8, 2012 – The World Bank and Fotopedia, the publisher of popular iOS apps and winner of the Best Tablet App of the Year Crunchies Award, today announced their collaboration on a new free app titled “Women of the World” for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. “Women of the World” takes users on an eye-opening tour and educational look into the lives of women all across the world.

Through the app, users will encounter women from every corner of the globe and witness their fighting spirit in the face of human, political, and religious events. The app explores the stunning images of a bride at her wedding in Singapore, a woman whose daughter had just been saved from malaria, women minesweeping the fields of Cambodia, nuns in the convents in France, girl-soldiers in Mozambique, which are just a few of the hundreds of moving scenes composing this magnificent sociological study.

The app showcases the work of professional photographer Olivier Martel, who traveled to more than 75 countries to assemble these images. “Women of the World” is updated weekly with Visual Stories to provide insight into the lives of women from cultures spanning the globe.

Olivier Martel said: “These topics require a persistent but discrete approach, determination, and a lot of patience. This work is about giving women the opportunity to share their hopes or daily struggles, and give them their dignity in a photographic homage that takes the form of a search for beauty.”

This collaboration also highlights the World Bank’s #thinkEQUAL campaign that aims to increase awareness of progress and obstacles in gender equality around the globe. Today, more girls go to school and more women receive maternal healthcare than ever, yet only 15 percent of landowners and only one in five lawmakers are women..

“We hope these images inspire people to act,” said Jeni Klugman, the World Bank’s Director of Gender and Development. “Much has improved, but in many parts of the world, women's rights and opportunities remain very constrained. This inequality is very unfair and it is bad economics. It hampers poverty reduction and limits development. The World Bank has major programs to support girls and women to become more educated, gain better access to health care, water, start businesses and access credit. These are becoming an increasingly important aspect of our work around the world.”

About “Women of the World”

Women of the World is packed with hundreds of professional, moving photos, social media sharing tools, powerful slideshows and wallpapers.

Additional features of the app include:

A collection of hundreds of photos
Visual stories, updated every week
Complete navigation with smart tags, search and interactive maps
Instant Slideshows
Free Wallpapers for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Favorites to create your own personalized photo albums
Photo sharing via email, Facebook and Twitter
This app requires an Internet connection, WiFi recommended.

Pricing & Availability

“Women of the World” is available for free for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, in the App Store. You can find it here.

About Fotopedia

With more than 7 million downloads to date, Fotopedia is the publisher of the Fotopedia Magazine and a suite of iOS apps, including “Fotopedia Heritage”, one of Apple’s Hall of Fame best 50 apps of all times. Fotopedia is also the recent recipient of the 2011 Best Tablet App of the Year Crunchies Award. Fotopedia provides new ways to discover, explore and share the beauty of the world. The company was founded by Jean-Marie Hullot, who was previously CTO at NeXT and CTO of Apple’s Applications Division and a team of Apple veterans. Fotopedia has offices in San Francisco and Paris.

About The World Bank

The World Bank Group’s goal is to fight poverty. It provides loans and grants to developing countries.

The World Bank is helping eliminate persistent gender barriers to accessing quality social services, entering the job market, and building resilience the to shocks and volatility. Our work includes expanding access to family planning and reproductive health services, promoting gender parity in education, providing social safety nets and insurance, and helping people acquire the resources and skills to secure decent jobs and provide for their families.

Getting to equal is a smart investment. By closing gender gaps in human development, the Bank is helping developing countries reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), enhance productivity and growth, and promote the well-being of all their people. You can get involved at http://thinkequal.worldbank.org/ Also, to learn more about our work on gender, please visit www.worldbank.org/gender

Contacts:

Fotopedia: Lisa Gonzales, (415) 848-7169, lisa@sutherlandgold.com

World Bank: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

Thailand economic monitor : April 2008

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000Z

Real Gross Domestic product (GDP) in Thailand is projected to grow at 5.0 percent in 2008, driven by recovery in domestic demand. The key reason for the strengthened growth this year is the higher confidence of both consumers and investors with the return of democracy and the election of a new government late in 2007. Last year's better than-expected growth of 4.8 percent was due to buoyant export performance throughout the year even as domestic consumption and investment declined amidst the uncertain political environment and sudden shifts in policy. But this year, the opposite is likely. The external current account may weaken slightly in 2008, as the global downturn slows exports and robust domestic demand stimulates imports. Private investment should recover after its slump last year. Recovery in private consumption and investment could be fragile as there remain large down side risks to their growth, but could be mitigated by additional fiscal stimulus. In addition to the short-term measures have been introduced by the government to mitigate risks this year and next, longer term measures are needed to sustain Thailand's growth and poverty alleviation.

Quarterly Food Prices Decline, but Remain Volatile

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000Z

Price Index 24 percent higher on average than 2010

WASHINGTON, January 31, 2012—Global food prices declined 8 percent between September and December of 2011 due to increasing supplies and uncertainty about the global economy, but still remain volatile and high with the 2011 annual index 24 percent higher than its average in 2010, according to the World Bank Group’s latest Food Price Watch.

While the first quarter of 2011 witnessed sharp increases, five consecutive months of decreases at the end of the year drove the World Bank Food Price Index 7 percent below the December 2010 levels, and 14 percent lower than its February peak. Nevertheless, global prices remain high with the 2011 annual index averaging at 210 points against 169 points average in 2010.

According to the quarterly Food Price Watch report, despite the downward trend over the last few months, global prices of key staples continued experiencing volatility, and the average annual prices of wheat, maize and rice well exceeded averages for 2010.

Domestic food prices also experienced sharp increases in many countries from December 2010 to December 2011. Wheat prices were up 88 percent in Belarus and 23 percent in Ethiopia; rice prices increased 81 percent in Uganda and 56 percent in Malawi; maize was up 117 percent in Kenya and 106 percent in Mexico; and sorghum increased 57 percent in Burkina Faso and 28 percent in Ethiopia.

“The worst food price increases may be over but we must remain vigilant,” said Otaviano Canuto, the World Bank Group’s Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM). “Prices of certain foods remain dangerously high in many countries, leaving millions of people at risk of malnutrition and hunger. Governments must step up to the plate and implement policies to help people cope.”

Unseasonal increases in cereal prices threaten to deteriorate food insecurity conditions, especially in conflict-affected areas in Africa and across southern Somalia. In addition, the adoption of some coping mechanisms in poor homes—from eating cheaper meals to taking children out of school—could have negative, long-lasting effects on the health and well-being of millions of families in already difficult situations. Therefore, more and well-targeted support to help people cope is needed, such as school food programs, conditional cash transfers, and food-for-work programs.

Looking ahead

Prospects for decline in 2012 food prices remain favorable, due to weaker consumer demand as a result of a sluggish global economy, expected declines in the price of energy and crude oil, and strong forecasts for 2012 food supplies.

Nevertheless some upward price pressures still remain. These include a possible increase in demand for biofuels if oil prices pick up again, very low stock-to-use levels for maize, volatility in oil prices as a result of unrest in producer countries, and weather changes. La Niña, for instance, has already made its presence felt in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to affect the growing season of maize and soybeans in Argentina and Brazil.

How the World Bank Group (WBG) is helping to put food first

In response to drought in the Horn of Africa, the WBG is providing $1.88 billion to save lives, improve social protection, and foster economic recovery and drought resilience.

A first-of-its-kind risk management product, provided by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will enable up to $4 billion in protection from volatile food prices for farmers, food producers, and consumers in developing countries.

The Global Food Crisis Response Program is helping 40 million people in 44 countries through $1.5 billion in support.

The WBG is boosting spending on agriculture to some $6 to $8 billion a year from $4.1 billion in 2008.

Supporting the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), set up by the WBG in April 2010 at G20’s request. Seven countries and the Gates Foundation have pledged about $1.1 billion over 3 years, with $612 million received.

The WBG is coordinating with UN agencies through the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis and with NGOs.

The WBG is supporting the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), which in 2008 – with the support of the World Bank and other donors – launched a reform process that culminated in the adoption of a strategic framework that sets out common goals, objectives, and results for the CGIAR’s new research programs, and the establishment of a multi-donor trust fund, which is administered by the World Bank. The new funding model enables the CGIAR to absorb and attract vastly more program funding, with a target annual budget of $1 billion by 2013, to which the World Bank contributes some $50 million per year. With agriculture production needing to rise by at least 70 percent to meet global food demand by 2050, and with significant time lags between the development of new agricultural technologies and their adoption by farmers, increased funding from the international community for global research is critically and urgently needed.

Contacts:

In Washington: Alejandra Viveros, (202) 473-4306, aviveros@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Mehreen Sheikh, (202) 458-7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

To access Food Price Watch, please click here.

Food Price Watch author, Jose Cuesta will take part in World Bank Live online discussion about global food prices on Thursday, February 2 at 10:00 am EST (15:00 GMT) in English and at 2:00 pm EST (19:00 GMT) in Spanish. Participate and submit questions in advance here:

ENGLISH SPANISH

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World Bank Approves Program-for-Results - New Financing Instrument Ties Lending Directly To Verified Development Results

2012-01-24T19:50:40.000Z

WASHINGTON, January 24, 2012 - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved Program-for-Results (PforR), an innovative new financing instrument for the World Bank’s client countries that links the disbursement of funds directly to the delivery of defined results. Money will flow once the results have been delivered and verified.

PforR would support government programs in a diverse range of countries and sectors. In some countries, PforR would help deliver and improve the coverage of antenatal care for mothers and newborns or increase immunization coverage for children. In others, PforR would help provide sustainable water supply and sanitation services; strengthen the coverage and quality of early childhood and primary education; or contribute to a government program to reduce the number of rural households living below the poverty line.

“Enhancing development effectiveness by helping developing countries achieve results is central to the mission of World Bank,” said Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group. “Program-for-Results financing demands greater accountability from partner countries and in turn will help these countries continue to deliver sustainable results long after the Bank’s involvement has ended. The time is right for this innovative development approach.”

PforR will also help improve the transparency and accountability of developing country programs, and strengthen systems to fight fraud and corruption. Under the new instrument, the Bank will provide part of the overall funding for a larger, developing country-financed program but will be able to provide its technical expertise to the larger government program. For example, the Bank’s commitment to openness and transparency will be applied to the entire program supported – including through the application of the Bank’s Access to Information policy to PforR operations.

Key assessments – fiduciary, environmental & social - of program systems are an important feature of this new instrument and will help provide assurance that Bank financing is used appropriately and that the environmental and social impacts of the program are adequately addressed. These assessments will all be publically disclosed.

PforR financing will also help partner countries improve the design and implementation of their development programs, strengthen institutions, and build capacity.

Says Joachim von Amsberg, World Bank Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services, "Building effective and accountable institutions in partner countries is key to achieving better development outcomes and results. We believe that with this new instrument, the World Bank jointly with others – government, development partners, civil society, the private sector and others - will be a better partner focused on results, focused on institution building and focused on better partnerships."

Feedback from an extensive global consultations process, held in two phases over the last twelve months, in 34 client countries and seven donor countries with a broad range of stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academics has informed the design of PforR.

Contacts:

In Washington: Geetanjali S. Chopra, (202) 473-0243, Gchopra@worldbank.org;

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

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Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

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Thailand - Highways Management Project : P075173 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 11

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000Z

World Bank Projects Global Slowdown, with Developing Countries Impacted

2012-01-18T02:00:00.000Z

Beijing, January 18, 2012 – Developing countries should prepare for further downside risks, as Euro Area debt problems and weakening growth in several big emerging economies are dimming global growth prospects, says the World Bank in the newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2012.

The Bank has lowered its growth forecast for 2012 to 5.4 percent for developing countries and 1.4 percent for high-income countries (-0.3 percent for the Euro Area), down from its June estimates of 6.2 and 2.7 percent (1.8 percent for the Euro Area), respectively. Global growth is now projected at 2.5 and 3.1[1] percent for 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Slower growth is already visible in weakening global trade and commodity prices. Global exports of goods and services expanded an estimated 6.6 percent in 2011 (down from 12.4 percent in 2010), and are projected to rise by only 4.7 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, global prices of energy, metals and minerals, and agricultural products are down 10, 25 and 19 percent respectively since peaks in early 2011. Declining commodity prices have contributed to an easing of headline inflation in most developing countries. Although international food prices eased in recent months, down 14 percent from their peak in February 2011, food security for the poorest, including in the Horn of Africa, remains a central concern.

“Developing countries need to evaluate their vulnerabilities and prepare for further shocks, while there is still time,” said Justin Yifu Lin, the World Bank’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics.

Developing countries have less fiscal and monetary space for remedial measures than they did in 2008/09. As a result, their ability to respond may be constrained if international finance dries up and global conditions deteriorate sharply.

To prepare for that possibility, Hans Timmer, Director of Development Prospects at the World Bank, said: “Developing countries should pre-finance budget deficits, prioritize spending on social safety nets and infrastructure, and stress-test domestic banks.”

While prospects in most low-and middle-income countries remain favorable, the ripple effects of the crisis in high-income countries are being felt worldwide. Already, developing country sovereign spreads have increased 45 basis points on average and gross capital flows to developing countries plunged to $170 billion in the second half of 2011, compared with $309 billion received during the same period in 2010.

“An escalation of the crisis would spare no-one. Developed- and developing-country growth rates could fall by as much or more than in 2008/09” said Andrew Burns, Manager of Global Macroeconomics and lead author of the report. “The importance of contingency planning cannot be stressed enough.”

The full report and accompanying datasets are available at www.worldbank.org/globaloutlook

Contacts

In Washington: Merrell Tuck-Primdahl +1 (202) 473-9516, +1 (202) 476-9897, mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org;

Indira Chand +1 (202) 458-0434, ichand@worldbank.org

In Beijing: Li Li +86 (10) 5861 7850, lli2@worldbank.org

For TV/Broadcast: Mehreen A. Sheikh +1 (202) 458-7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

While the East Asia and Pacific region recovered quickly from the March 2011 Tohoku disaster in Japan, flooding in Thailand and the turmoil in Europe, have started to affect regional growth. After expanding by 9.7 percent in 2010, regional GDP grew an estimated 8.2 percent in 2011, but growth is projected to ease to 7.8 percent for both 2012 and 2013. In China, which accounts for about 80 percent of regional GDP, growth eased from 10.4 percent in 2010 to an estimated 9.1 percent in 2011 and is expected to dip to 8.4 percent in 2012 as authorities continue to dampen “overly-fast” growth in particular segments of the economy.

GDP growth in Europe and Central Asia increased marginally from 2010 outturns to 5.3 percent in 2011, despite the global financial turmoil since August 2011 and weakening external demand, especially from the Euro Area. However, the expected slowdown in high-income Europe, still troublesome inflationary pressures in the region, and reduced capital flows due to the Euro Area crisis may slow regional growth to 3.2 percent in 2012, before firming to 4.0 percent by 2013. Close trade and financial ties to high-income Europe will make regional outturns particularly sensitive to developments in the Euro Area.

Latin America and Caribbean grew by an estimated 4.2 percent in 2011, but this is expected to ease to 3.6 percent growth in 2012, before picking up to 4.2 percent in 2013. Weaker global growth, uncertainty arising from the Euro Area debt crisis, slower growth in China, and a policy-induced deceleration in domestic demand are weighing on growth prospects. Brazil’s economic growth came to a halt in the third quarter and growth is forecast to be 3.4 percent in 2012, up slightly on 2011 but well below the 2010 growth of 7.5 percent. Several countries in the region could be hard hit, if international commodity prices were to weaken sharply.

Dramatic political changes in the Middle East and North Africa have disrupted economic activity substantially, but selectively, across the region, while a deteriorating external environment is beginning to amplify adverse effects on trade, commodity prices, tourism and other revenues. Developing oil exporters and the high-income GCC economies benefitted substantially from the rise in oil prices but they remain vulnerable to a sudden fall in these prices. GDP for the developing countries of the region grew by an estimated 1.7 percent in 2011 and is expected to remain subdued in 2012 (2.3 percent), rising to an expected 3.2 percent gain by 2013.

GDP in South Asia slowed to an estimated 6.6 percent in calendar year 2011, from 9.1 percent in 2010, reflecting a sharp slowdown in the second half of the year in India as well as external headwinds. Exports are negatively affected by weaker foreign demand and remittances have grown only modestly. Domestic demand is down sharply due to rising borrowing costs, high input prices, worries over the global slump, and delay in reforms. The region’s GDP growth is projected to ease further to 5.8 percent in 2012, before strengthening to 7.1 percent in 2013. High inflation and fiscal deficits remain concerns going forward.

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa remained robust in 2011 at 4.9 percent. Excluding South Africa, which accounts for over a third of the region’s GDP, growth in the rest of the region was even stronger at 5.9 percent in 2011, making it one of the fastest growing developing regions. Increased investment flows, rising consumer spending, and the coming on stream of new mineral exports in a number of countries should accelerate Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth to 5.3 percent in 2012 and 5.6 percent in 2013. Nonetheless, merchandise exports, tourism receipts, commodity prices, foreign direct investment and remittances are all susceptible to a Euro Area recession.

[1] Using purchasing power parity weights, global growth would be 3.4 and 4.0 percent for 2012 and 2013, respectively.

World Bank and Google Announce Map Maker Collaboration

2012-01-16T15:22:51.000Z

Mapping social infrastructure for development results and disaster preparedness

Washington, January 16, 2012 – Today, the World Bank and Google announced an agreement aimed at improving the ability of developing countries to access a web-based community mapping tool and data to help better monitor public services, and improve disaster and humanitarian response efforts. Most developing countries do not have basic local data about where schools, hospitals, or water points are located, and the data they do have is often out of date or incorrect. One way to collect this information is to ask citizens directly, and crowdsource the locations of public infrastructure.

Under this agreement, Google will provide the World Bank and its partner organizations - including governments and UN agencies - with access to Google Map Maker underlying geospatial data that includes detailed maps of more than 150 countries. Through this tool, citizens are able to directly participate in the creation of maps by contributing their local knowledge, and those additions are then reflected on Google Maps and Google Earth. These maps include locations like schools, hospitals, roads and water points that are critical for relief workers to know about in times of crisis, and will help NGOs, researchers, and individual citizens to more effectively identify areas that might be in need of assistance.

Crowdsourced mapping platforms have the potential to move beyond mapping individual projects, as in the World Bank Mapping for Results Initiative, which has mapped 2,500 projects in more than 30,000 geographic locations in all 143 partner countries. By combining the locations of all social infrastructure and citizens’ feedback, all development partners could better track the contribution they are making towards improving local public services and disaster preparedness in developing countries.

“A global community of Google users have been volunteering their time to improve maps, making them more comprehensive and ensuring that they remain accurate as the world around them changes. This is particularly important in vulnerable locations and for disaster preparedness and recovery as it helps citizens and governments to better prepare emergency response plans and act effectively when a crisis hits," said Shona Brown, Senior Vice President, Google.org.

This agreement also builds on previous joint mapping efforts. In April 2011, more than 60 members of the Southern Sudanese Diaspora joined a World Bank and Google event to help map schools, hospitals and other social infrastructure in this new country.

“The remarkable success of the South Sudan ‘Mapathon,’ and our new collaboration with Google Map Maker represents an unprecedented opportunity to harness one of the most sophisticated mapping technologies. Being able to crowdsource data of schools and hospitals will create both transparency and accountability for citizens,” said Sanjay Pradhan, Vice-President of the World Bank Institute.

Initial World Bank country offices that plan to pilot the Map Maker agreement include Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria, DRC, Moldova, Mozambique, Nepal, and Haiti. These countries are where governments have a strong interest in supporting the use of technology and data for decision-making and community monitoring, and in encouraging projects that support government and citizen engagement in geospatial mapping.

The World Bank-Google collaboration is complementary to the Open Aid Partnership (OAP) which is being facilitated by the World Bank Institute and has been endorsed by the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland. The OAP’s goals are to develop a joint Open Aid map to visualize all donor-funding programs at the local level to enhance aid transparency; pilot its use in certain countries to better monitor the impact of development programs on citizens; and empower citizens to provide direct feedback on project results.

For more information, please click here:

- World Bank and Google Join Hands to Support Development in South Sudan with “Mapathon”

- Map Maker

- List of countries where the World Bank will have access to Map Maker data

- Open Aid Partnership

Contacts:

In Washington: José-Manuel Bassat, (202) 458-8486, Jbassat@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank

Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

OPED: Empowering Citizen Cartographers

2012-01-13T19:32:29.000Z

*As first appeared in The International Herald Tribune on Friday, January 13, 2012

The International Herald Tribune

Empowering Citizen Cartographers

January 13, 2012

By CAROLINE ANSTEY

From cave drawings to navigational charts to GPS, people have created and used maps to help them define, order and navigate their worlds. Four hundred years ago, in the Age of Exploration, it was cartographers, often working alone, who used the stars, mathematics and early attempts to represent longitude to map the New World. Today, in the Age of Participation, it’s crowds, not scholars, who are charting their own New World.

A combination of the old art of mapping with the relatively new art of crowdsourcing — the open calls for action via the Web — offers the potential to open up a new path for the developing world: helping citizens map their own country’s facilities and thereby have a greater say in charting the future.

Citizen cartographers can be a powerful force. In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, rescue workers used real-time data uploads on Open Street Map, via text and cellphone messages, to help create up-to-date maps of Haiti and find the injured. Engineers from around the globe gathered “virtually” to assess the damage.

Last October, the World Bank and its partners staged the first ever global “water hackathon,” with volunteer tech experts in London devising a system to allow Tanzanians to report water problems through SMS messages, and tech experts in Lagos devising new applications for reporting broken pipes.

Or take Dar es Salaam, where the local authorities engaged students to map roads, drains and streetlights in anticipation of an urban upgrading project, not only generating transparent planning data but also providing a platform for community consultation and a space for dialogue on development between citizens and leaders.

It’s a simple but harsh reality that most developing countries don’t have basic local data about where schools or hospitals are located. A recent mapping study of 100 health facilities and schools in Kenya found that only 25 percent of the clinics and 20 percent of the schools matched official data. Nearly 75 percent of locations needed to be updated.

Lack of knowledge of social infrastructure like schools and hospitals makes it more costly when natural disasters strike, setting back recovery efforts, sometimes by months. And lack of data, in general, makes it harder — both in government and in the community — to argue for improved services or increased funding.

The answer? A good start would be scaling up the use of modern mapping technology with crowdsourcing. It’s just this potential that’s been the driving force behind a new partnership between the World Bank and Google. Under the agreement, the bank and its development partners — developing country governments and U.N. agencies — will be able to access Google Map Maker’s global mapping platform, allowing the collection, viewing, search and free access to data of geoinformation in over 150 countries and 60 languages.

Simply put, it means that up-to-date maps of social infrastructure used by nearly a billion people around the globe can be created using crowdsourcing tools, partnering with volunteer mappers using GPS enabled phones and other devices.

Success will hinge on using local expertise to break new ground — finding an active community of passionate citizen cartographers from civil society organizations, local governments, public service providers and universities who can plug in the data that makes its way to publicly available online maps.

Where once charts were vital to guide mariners to safe harbors, today's interactive maps can guide development to the places it is needed most. Crowdsourced mapping platforms can serve as a foundation allowing citizens not just to map but to give feedback on the reach and quality of the services in their community. And that information can be used to improve service delivery, fight corruption and track resources. Citizen cartographers, yes, but also citizen monitors, citizen evaluators, citizen-driven development.

Development agencies can also benefit. At the World Bank, we’ve mapped 2,500 projects in more than 30,000 locations in our partner countries. Building on this success, the World Bank, Britain, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland have endorsed an Open Aid Partnership that will map development projects of all partners for better local development coordination. Adding citizen feedback can be a valuable addition to the bank’s quest to ensure development dollars are well spent.

In the 17th century, imperial cartographers had an advantage over local communities. They could see the big picture. In the 21st century, the tables have turned: Local communities can make the biggest on the ground difference. Crowdsourced citizen cartographers can help make it happen.

Caroline Anstey is a managing director of the World Bank.

Measuring output and productivity in Thailand's service-producing industries

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000Z

The services sector is a substantial and growing component of the Thai economy, accounting for nearly half of aggregate production and forty percent of national employment. Although government policies in emerging economies tend to focus on the growth of manufacturing, the service-producing industries in Thailand have been the dominant source of new job creation in recent years, expanding by 2.6 million jobs between 2000 and 2005 compared to just 1.6 million in the industrial sector. This report has three primary purposes. First, review the methodology for computing productivity and apply that methodology to various levels of the Thai economy. Second, construct measures of productivity performance in greater detail for four services industries that can be then be used for benchmarking purposes against other countries. Finally, examine the procedures for measuring output and productivity in the services sector and suggest areas that are in need of improvement.

Thailand economic monitor (November 2009)

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000Z

Thailand's economy is expected to contract by 2.7 percent in 2009 before expanding by 3.5 percent in 2010, adjusting to a lower level of external demand in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. In response to reduced export demand and perceived risks of a deep and protracted slump in global consumption, the export-oriented manufacturing sector cut production drastically in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. The sharp acceleration in the second half of 2009 is due to the fact that the impact of the crisis has been concentrated on the manufacturing-for-exports sector, which has been able to restore production almost as quickly as it cut output in late 2008 and early 2009. Although most of the contraction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was concentrated in the relatively capital-intensive manufacturing sector, the crisis also hit the agricultural and tourism sectors, with potentially negative implications for household consumption and poverty. Long-term growth will require improving productivity and greater focus on distributional issues.

The project Thailand: Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) is now in the pipeline.

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand: Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Global Tiger Initiative Partners Launch Training to Support Rangers’ Efforts Against Poachers

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000Z

BANGKOK, January 6, 2012 – Global Tiger Initiative partners launched a hands-on training for wildlife conservation professionals from national parks and protected areas in the South East Asia region today at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand.

The Global Tiger Initiative is an international alliance of governments, global NGOs, international organizations, the conservation community, and the private sector. The course is part of a scaled-up training initiative in high-priority tiger conservation areas under the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP), adopted by the governments of 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) in St. Petersburg, Russia in November 2010. The Global Tiger Recovery Program is the first strategic plan adopted by the thirteen tiger range countries to protect and recover wild tiger populations by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022. Only about 3,200 tigers remain in the wild today, occupying increasingly fragmented patches of forest across Asia.

“Survival of tigers in the wild depends on the ability of tiger range countries to deploy well-equipped professionals on the front lines of national parks and protected areas with technology that can put pressure on poachers and organized wildlife crime syndicates. Smart technology and training that brings the expertise of the Smithsonian Institution, World Bank Institute, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand and Wildlife Conservation Society to Huai Kha Khaeng will help level the playing field for TRCs against wildlife crime,” noted Keshav Varma, Program Director of the Global Tiger Initiative.

Damrong Phidet, Director General at the Royal Government of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, welcomed U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney, officials from the World Bank, Smithsonian Institution, Wildlife Conservation Society, representatives from other partner organizations and more than 30 wildlife practitioners who will participate in the two-week training program January 6-21, 2012.

Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, a priority tiger conservation landscape and UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Thailand, is the venue for the two-week training program organized and facilitated by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Tiger Conservation Partnership, the World Bank Institute, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The training will focus on sharing best conservation practices to be applied in the tiger range countries, enhanced by Global Tiger Initiative partners’ scientific, technical, and management expertise.

Modern patrolling technologies and management will be introduced, utilizing global positioning satellite equipment, known as smart and MIST systems. Protected area management teams will also be introduced to new tools and strategies to help jumpstart implementation of the latest and most effective systems in their own countries.

Capacity-building and training of protected area management teams, from senior management to park ranger on the front lines, are essential building blocks in carrying out the larger strategy to support tiger conservation, which is supported by the Global Tiger Recovery Program. By taking the offensive against poachers and other wildlife crime networks, tiger range country wildlife and national parks departments are working together to create a firewall around priority protected areas and wildlife landscape corridors between them. Along with other coordinated actions stipulated in the GTRP, the use of smart technology on the front lines of tiger conservation can help hold the lines and set the stage for longer-term conservation activities to protect and recover wild tigers, as well as the rich biodiversity living in the landscapes where tigers live.

In 2009, the World Bank and Smithsonian Institution agreed to collaborate to upgrade capacity in tiger range countries, aiming to train hundreds of rangers, foresters, and other wildlife managers on cutting-edge practices in biodiversity management. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute brings unmatched experience and commitment to the study, management, protection, and restoration of threatened species and ecosystems.

Participants in this leg of the smart patrol training are from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Later in January, a group of protected area management teams will attend a similar program at Chitwan National Park in Nepal with park directors, staffers and NGOs from Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, China and Russia.

Contacts
In Washington:
Andrew Oplas: (202) 458-1013
roplas@worldbank.org
In Bangkok:
Sofia Busch: +66(0)26868324
sbusch@worldbank.org
Alison Wescott
awescott@worldbank.org

For more information:
Global Tiger Initiative   www.globaltigerinitiative.org
Biodiversity at the World Bank  www.worldbank.org/biodiversity
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute    www.nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/WildTigers/default.cfm

Thailand - Clean energy for green low-carbon growth

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000Z

Thailand needs to avoid the high-carbon growth path of many developed countries and, instead, take a low-carbon growth path. A green low-carbon growth path is in Thailand's own interest as it can simultaneously tackle local environmental degradation, global climate change, and energy security challenges. It can also position Thailand as a regional leader in green, sustainable growth. Green low-carbon growth in Thailand could focus on the following four pillars: 1) maintaining rapid economic growth while adjusting the country's economic structure toward a less energy, and carbon-intensive economy; 2) achieving greater urbanization while shifting toward green livable low-carbon cities; 3) meeting the huge thirst for energy while transforming the energy sector toward one of high energy efficiency and widespread diffusion of low-carbon technologies; and 4) improving quality of life while shifting toward a resource-efficient and sustainable lifestyle.

Pamela Cox Appointed as New World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific

2012-01-03T14:53:29.000Z

Washington, D.C. January 3, 2012 – Pamela Cox, a development professional with more than 30 years experience, has been appointed the World Bank’s Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, effective this week.

The appointment, by World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick, will see Ms. Cox lead the Bank’s advisory and lending operations in the region and oversee strategic engagement with middle income country partners.

Ms. Cox previously worked as Vice President for the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the Bank, playing a leading role in supporting inclusive growth in emerging economies and providing innovative and practical financial and knowledge services to meet developing country needs. In the past, she has also worked as Chief of Country Operations in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea.

“I am very excited to be back working in the East Asia region,” said Pamela Cox. “After making the fastest progress in growth and poverty reduction of any region around the world in the last fifteen years, the global economic weight and influence of East Asia and the Pacific has increased significantly. We are focused on supporting countries in the region as they work to achieve higher income status and promote growth and opportunity for those in need.”

Ms. Cox brings with her considerable expertise in disaster risk management, in which Latin America and the Caribbean has been particularly successful, and which is extremely relevant for East Asia, a region that faces very high risks from natural disasters.

“Rapid growth and urbanization in vulnerable areas are creating a need for countries in East Asia to build innovative and disaster-resilient cities and to ensure environmental sustainability, and adaptation to the effects of climate change. Primarily investments in disaster risk management can save lives, but they also make good economic sense,” said Ms. Cox.

In her new role, Ms. Cox will continue to deliver Bank support to Pacific Island countries, which face some of the most serious challenges related to disaster risk and climate change.

As Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, Pamela Cox will manage staff working across 22 countries and a US$ 29.7 billion lending portfolio. Projected IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction) and IDA (International Development Association) lending for the region in the 2012 financial year is US$ 6.7 billion. Ms. Cox is replacing former East Asia Pacific Vice President, James W. Adams, who is retiring from the Bank after more than 3 decades of distinguished service.

Contacts:

In Washington: Mohamad Al-Arief, (202) 458-5964, malarief@worldbank.org;

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

Implementing results based management in Thailand

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000Z

Thailand has been pursuing the implementation of results based management techniques in the public sector for over a decade. Leading this task is the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) which has been supporting various agencies and departments in undertaking a wide variety of results based management reforms, including key performance indicators, balanced scorecards, and individual performance bonuses, among others. This report summarizes the results of a two week fact finding mission and a one day workshop conducted by the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) of the Prime Minister's office in collaboration with the World Bank's Public Sector Performance Global Expert Team (PSP-GET) held on September 24, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. This report covers the main areas to consider in implementing a results based management system. The report provides an overview of Thailand's Results Based Management (RBM) system, with an emphasis on lessons from international experience in leveraging performance information to deliver results. Chapters on how to link performance with planning and budgeting, as well as an overview of incentives to improve performance are included. Each chapter is loosely structured in the following way: issues identified during discussions; relevant lessons from international experiences; and overall recommendations and findings of the PSP-GET.

Thailand - Second loan administration report on the three loans

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000Z

This report follows the first loan administration report, on the bank's three loan to Thailand, and covers the period from April 1953 through March 1955. Details of the loans, and of their administration prior to this period, are given in the earlier report. The project also provides for equipping the central workshops of the royal irrigation department.

World Bank Launches “Apps for Climate” Competition

2011-12-02T15:43:03.000Z

New Bank climate change data book also released in margins of Durban conference

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, December 2, 2011 – Software developers and development practitioners are being brought together by an “Apps for Climate” competition launched today by the World Bank.

The competition, launched at the Durban climate conference, is asking entrants to use open data to create innovative software applications that can help solve some of the development problems that climate change poses.

“The competition aims to discover new and extraordinary ways to use open climate data,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change. “We hope to unleash the creative energy out there which will make “apps” that help create solutions to weather-related disasters, risks for agriculture, food and water supplies, rising sea levels and other climate related challenges.”

“This latest challenge builds on our earlier “Apps for Development” competition which also drew some very creative ideas related to adaptation,” Steer continued. “One called “save the rain”,” calculates how much rainwater you could save based on your geographic location and the surface area of your roof! We’re hoping for similar ‘out of the box’ ideas this time around, too.”

The “apps” for this latest competition can be created for the web, for mobile devices, for sms, for a desktop, or a tablet. The competition includes cash prizes to the winning entries. Apps must be submitted by March 16, 2012 (go to: http://www.worldbank.org/appsforclimate)

At the launch of the competition today, Steer also released the latest edition to the World Bank’s Little Data Book series, The Little Data Book on Climate Change (http://data.worldbank.org/products/data-books/little-data-book-on-climate-change).

This pocket size book provides summary national, international and regional data that cover the gamut of climate-relevant topics, including current and projected climate conditions, exposure to climate impacts, resilience, greenhouse gas emissions, climate finance, and current national and international efforts to take action.

The book is available in print or online via PDF. A free companion “app” allows users to browse the climate data collection on iPhones and iPads.

The data book and Apps competition are the latest offerings from the Bank’s new Open Data Initiative on Climate Change. (http://data.worldbank.org/climate-change)

The initiative will provide easy access to a first batch of high-quality data sets and analysis. In the coming months, as the Initiative develops, more data and other critical climate information will be rolled out.

The materials will be open, free, and accessible to all via a Climate Change Knowledge Portal (http://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/). The Portal is a core component of the Bank’s new climate initiative and will also provide access to rainfall and temperature information.

For those confronted with the challenge of adapting to climate change, the portal aims to be a powerful tool to visualize in the medium and long term how changing patterns of rainfall and temperature can affect vulnerable countries and communities.

“Governments need access to climate data to make the best use of their water resources and also to plan for the extreme floods, cyclones and droughts that afflict our country on a regular basis,” said Ana Chichava, Mozambique’s deputy environment minister who joined Steer at the launch of the competition and data book in Durban today.

“Local people also need access to this data - and in forms that they can use, so they can make the right choices over when to plant, when to harvest and when it is safe to go to sea to fish,” she said. We strongly support efforts to make climate data open and accessible for public use.”

Also present at the launch today, Stephen Zebiak, Director-General of International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Earth Institute, Columbia University, recognized the Bank as a critical facilitator on the issue of access to climate data, use and delivery.

Zebiak, who is leading the Climate Services Partnership, noted “These recent steps by the World Bank on the data initiative are absolutely in the right direction and will unleash the tremendous power of climate and other data and information towards realization of innovative climate solutions.”

Contacts:

In Durban: Robert Bisset, + 27 76 392 8202, rbisset@worldbank.org

In Washington: Karolina Ordon, +1 202 458 5971, kordon@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Mehreen Sheikh, +1 202 458 7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

More about the work of the World Bank on climate change: http://climatechange.worldbank.org/

Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank

Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Developing Countries to Receive Over $350 Billion in Remittances in 2011, Says World Bank Report

2011-12-01T01:00:00.000Z

Geneva, December 1, 2011 (Washington DC, November 30, 2011 8pm) – Remittance flows to developing countries are expected to total $351 billion this year, and worldwide remittances, including those to high-income countries, will reach $483 billion [corrected from $406 billion on December 5] for the current calendar year, according to a newly updated World Bank brief on global migration and remittances.

The top recipients of officially recorded remittances, estimated for 2011, are India ($58 billion), China ($57 billion), Mexico ($24 billion), and the Philippines ($23 billion). Other large recipients include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Vietnam, Egypt and Lebanon.

While the economic slowdown is dampening employment prospects for migrant workers in some high-income countries, global remittances, nevertheless, are expected to stay on a growth path and, by 2014, are forecast to reach $593 billion [corrected from $515 billion on December 5]. Of that, $441 billion will flow to developing countries, according to the latest issue of the Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, released today at the fifth meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Geneva.

“Despite the global economic crisis that has impacted private capital flows, remittance flows to developing countries have remained resilient, posting an estimated growth of 8 percent in 2011,” said Hans Timmer, Director of the Bank’s Development Prospects Group. “Remittance flows to all developing regions have grown this year, for the first time since the financial crisis.”

High oil prices have helped provide a cushion for remittances to Central Asia from Russia and to South and East Asia from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Also, a depreciation of currencies of some large migrant-exporting countries (including Mexico, India and Bangladesh) created additional incentives for remittances as goods and services in these countries became cheaper in U.S. dollar terms.

Remittance flows to four of the six World Bank-designated developing regions grew faster than expected --- by 11 percent to Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 10.1 percent to South Asia, 7.6 percent to East Asia and Pacific and 7.4 percent to Sub-Saharan Africa, despite the difficult economic conditions in Europe and other destinations of African migrants.

In contrast, growth in remittance flows to Latin America and the Caribbean, at 7 percent, was lower than expected due to continuing weakness in the U.S. economy, while the Middle East and North Africa, affected by civil conflict and unrest related to the “Arab Spring”, registered the slowest growth (2.6 percent) among developing regions.

The Bank expects continued growth in remittance flows going forward, by 7.3 percent in 2012, 7.9 percent in 2013 and 8.4 percent in 2014.

There are, however, some serious downside risks to the Bank’s outlook for international remittance and migration flows. Persistent unemployment in Europe and the U.S. is affecting employment prospects of existing migrants and hardening political attitudes toward new immigration. Volatile exchange rates and uncertainty about the direction of oil prices also present further risks to the outlook for remittances.

More recently, some of the GCC countries, which are critically dependent on migrant workers, are considering tighter quotas for migrant workers to protect jobs for their own citizens.

“Such policies may impact remittance flows to developing countries in the longer term,” said Dilip Ratha, Manager of the Bank’s Migration and Remittances Unit and a co-author of the Migration and Development Brief. “But in the medium-term the risk of disruption to these flows is relatively low.”

Remittance flows would receive a further boost if the global development community achieves the agreed objective of reducing global average remittance costs by 5 percentage points in 5 years (the ’5 by 5’ objective of the G8 and the G20).

Remittance costs have fallen steadily from 8.8 percent in 2008 to 7.3 percent in the third quarter of 2011 due to increasing competition in large volume remittance corridors such as UK-Nigeria and UAE-India. However, remittance costs continue to remain high, especially in Africa and in small nations where remittances provide a life line to the poor.

“In addition to streamlining regulations governing remittance service providers, there is a pressing need to improve data on remittance market size at the national and bilateral corridor level,” said Ratha. “That will stimulate market competition and also help in more accurate monitoring of progress towards the ‘5 by 5’ objective.”

The World Bank has made considerable strides in developing financing instruments for leveraging migration and remittances for national development purposes. Diaspora bonds can be a powerful financial instrument for mobilizing diaspora savings to finance specific public and private sector projects, as well as to help improve the debt profile of the destination country. The Bank has established a Task Force on the Implementation of Diaspora Bonds to facilitate the provision of technical assistance to developing country governments.

“The Bank now houses considerable expertise in this area and we look forward to working with client governments in developing alternative sources of financing for development projects,” said Ratha.

The full report and the latest migration and remittances data are available at www.worldbank.org/migration

Interact with migration experts at http://blogs.worldbank.org/peoplemove/

Contacts

In Washington:

Merrell Tuck-Primdahl +1 (202) 473-9516, mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org
Indira Chand +1 (202) 458-0434, ichand@worldbank.org

For TV/Broadcast: Mehreen A. Sheikh +1 (202) 458-7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

Empower Women and Be Better Prepared for Climate Change, Says World Bank Study

2011-11-28T14:51:10.000Z

WASHINGTON, November 28, 2011—As the United Nations conference on climate change opens in South Africa, a new World Bank study demonstrates that women, when fully empowered, can be an important force for change as countries and citizens grapple with the impacts of climate change and prepare to adapt to them.

World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Rachel Kyte said a growing body of evidence shows that women tend to be disproportionately more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change compared to men. Because of their vulnerability – to more frequent and more extreme natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and droughts – it’s vital that women play a more central role in building their communities’ climate resilience.

“We are seeing time and time again that when women are empowered to play leadership roles within their communities, the whole community benefits from better preparedness for extreme weather events,” Kyte said. “It's smart economics, smart business, smart planning, and smart design to look at challenges with women’s realities in mind."

One example of this comes from Bangladesh. In 1991, Cyclone Gorky killed 140,000 people in that country. Deaths of women outnumbered deaths of men by a ratio of 14 to 1. Through the government’s intensive efforts to increase women’s involvement in preparedness – including providing women-only spaces in storm shelters and getting women more involved as community mobilizers – the number of deaths in a similar cyclone event in 2007, saw the gender gap in mortality rates shrink to 5:1.

“Now women are acting as powerful agents of change in Bangladesh,” Kyte said. “Women are getting the message out ahead of cyclones through early warning messages to other women in the community, encouraging them to use cyclone shelters. It’s not only had a dramatic effect in reducing the gender differential in those who are dying in cyclones, but it has also improved cyclone preparedness overall.”

In the paper, entitled “Gender and Climate Change: Three Things You Should Know”, the World Bank underscores the importance of gender equality for effective and equitable action on climate change.

The study refers to examples in India where poor women in drought-prone states like Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have improved their social and economic opportunities through self-help groups that have linked together to increase their bargaining power. Over time, these institutional platforms that have grown up around improved livelihoods can be used to build climate resilience, including accessing advice for dealing with drought and building better watershed management structures.

The paper’s author, Lead Social Development Specialist Robin Mearns, says the key to ensuring gender equality is ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities for everyone.

“Women very often don’t enjoy the same rights or the same socio-economic status as men and that structural disadvantage means that they are often more vulnerable than men to the impacts of the same climate or hazard events,” he said.

In developing countries, projects aimed at addressing climate change or improving energy access can have important benefits for women if gender considerations are factored into early planning.

For example, a new Bus Rapid Transit project in Lagos, Nigeria has helped cut carbon emissions in that city by 20 percent. A gender analysis undertaken ahead of the project highlighted the need for providing well-lit bus shelters and other safety measures for women to improve their likely use of the system. Now, women are significant users of public transport, improving their participation in the local economy.

The paper also highlights the important decisions that billions of women make every day that influence the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere. Women’s choices around cooking fuels, cooking technology and the foods to cook all have an important bearing on carbon emissions.

“Low-emissions development pathways can be more effective and more equitable where they are designed using a gender-informed approach,” said Mearns.

Contacts:

In Durban: Robert Bisset, +1 202 415 9646, rbisset@worldbank.org

In Washington: Elisabeth Mealey, +1 202 458 4475, emealey@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Mehreen Sheikh, +1 202 458 7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

More about the work of the World Bank on climate change: http://climatechange.worldbank.org/

More about the work of the World Bank on women and social development: http://www.worldbank.org/socialdevelopment

Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank

Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Climate Change Portal Helps Visualize World Climate, Expand Access to Data

2011-11-23T15:30:00.000Z

New climate portal depicts future scenarios for temperature and rainfall and expands access to climate data.
Apps for Climate competition hopes to jumpstart ideas for assessing and dealing with risk.
As many as 31 climate open data websites could be launched in developing countries in the next year.

Washington, Nov. 23, 2011 - How much will temperatures rise in 30, 40, or 50 years? How could changing weather affect rain-fed crops in the Horn of Africa, or winter flooding and summer droughts in Uzbekistan? And what should countries do to prepare for more intense droughts and storms?

These are the kinds of questions the World Bank hopes to answer with a new initiative to expand access to climate data and spark innovation in the fight against climate change around the world.

A new Climate Change Knowledge Portal, launched today, includes visualization tools depicting temperature and rainfall scenarios to the year 2100. It links users to more than 250 climate indicators, and includes risk profiles for 31 countries where climate open data websites may launch in the next year.

In addition, a three-month competition – Apps for Climate – will kick off in December at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Modeled after the Bank’s 2010 Apps for Development challenge, the competition will encourage scientists, software developers, and others to create applications that use the wealth of climate data being made available to help solve the development problems that climate change poses.

The portal, competition, and data are the latest additions to the World Bank’s Open Data Initiative. They’re part of a new effort to make climate data more accessible and useful, and also complement a push for the practical application of climate change research driven by the Green Growth Knowledge Platform, a global network of researchers and development experts.

Making data available is one of the crucial steps toward building resilience to climate change.

—Saroj Jha, GFDRR Manager

"Development solutions have their foundation in access to data, analysis and knowledge," said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. "This new initiative will put critical climate facts at the fingertips of policy makers, researchers, and development practitioners so the public and governments can debate and determine policies with better information about climate effects."

Adds World Bank Climate Change Envoy Andrew Steer: "This Climate Change Knowledge Portal enables ministers, development institutions, and non-governmental organizations in developing countries to see within minutes what’s going to happen 30 or 40 years from now, based on the best scientific modeling that exists in the world. It’s a great tool for opening up discussion on the issues."

Opening Climate Data ‘Increasingly Critical’

In the past, a wealth of raw data on climate has been under-used, often ending up as static PDFs or on specialists’ hard drives. The new Climate Portal aims to make it easier to access and use climate information from various sources, including the Bank’s open data catalogue.

"Opening climate data will encourage experts and innovators, wherever they may be, to come up with new tools for analyzing and managing the effects of climate change,” says Shaida Badiee, director of the Bank’s Development Data Group. “The combination of open data and innovative tools will be an excellent resource for countries as they develop plans for adapting to climate change."

The portal allows users to query, map, compare, chart and summarize climate and climate-related information, as well as to visualize the effects of changing patterns of rainfall and temperature. It aids government ministries and World Bank teams in 130 countries where adapting to climate change is a development priority.

Modeling Risk in Mozambique

The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), a partner of the Climate Portal, is supporting this effort through its Open Data for Resilience Initiative in 31 countries. GFDRR and government ministries are conducting disaster risk analyses, creating climate data websites, and developing applications to model risk.

"Making data available is one of the crucial steps toward building resilience to climate change," says GFDRR Manager Saroj Jha. "Open data enables countries to develop the kinds of counter measures needed to deal with extreme events and which must be at the core of every country’s policy and planning."

GFDRR expects 15 countries will have climate open data websites by May, and possibly 31 will have them by the end of 2012. Mozambique is likely to be first. The country already suffers from droughts, cyclones and coastal flooding, and is worried about projections that rainfall will decrease during the primary growing season.

Mozambique is one of many countries in the world facing such challenges. Mozambique’s disaster management agency and GFDRR are in the midst of building “climate decision” tools targeted to Mozambique’s needs, but which could be made freely available to other countries once they are developed, says Robert Soden of GFDRR’s technical Labs group.

One beneficiary could be the Horn of Africa, where the World Bank has committed $1.88 billion to help the region cope with severe drought and build drought resilience. The Bank, with GFDRR and other partners in the effort, including Google, the World Food Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), met earlier this month to discuss sharing data. A new Horn of Africa data website will be accessible through the Climate Change Knowledge Portal and the Open Data site.

"Because there is so much unknown and there is so much data out there, it’s going to be really important that the data is accessible," said Jason Kessler of NASA. "To be able to really meaningfully study and understand what’s going on, it’s going to require as much information as people can get their hands on."

"The Climate Change Knowledge Portal is a one-stop shop and will be an invaluable tool both for the Bank team and developing countries alike," says Marianne Fay, chief economist in the Bank’s Sustainable Development Network. "The portal provides an ideal web-based platform to assist in knowledge development, planning and knowledge sharing for green development and resilience to climate change."

Strong growth in developing East Asia faces risks from global uncertainty and natural disasters

2011-11-22T02:00:00.000Z

Singapore, November 22, 2011 — Growth is still strong in developing East Asia, but continues to moderate mainly due to weakening external demand, underscoring the need for governments to refocus on reforms to increase domestic demand and productivity, says the World Bank in its latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released today.

The report, issued biannually, projects that amid uncertainties in Europe and a global growth slowdown, real GDP in developing East Asia will increase by 8.2 percent in 2011 (4.7 percent excluding China) and by 7.8 percent in 2012. Domestic demand in middle-income countries was the largest contributor to growth in the region, although it is easing driven by the normalization of fiscal and monetary policy.

"Lower growth in Europe in the course of fiscal austerity and the banks' needs to increase capital coverage would affect East Asia. Less credit from European banks can also affect capital flows to East Asia, but high reserves and current account surpluses protect most countries in the region against the impact of possible renewed financial stress," said Bert Hofman, World Bank Chief Economist for the East Asia and Pacific Region.

According to the report, the region's growth slow-down was more pronounced in industrial production. Exports of major regional industrial supply chains, especially electronics, have started to decline. Demand for commodities and raw materials remained strong, helping resource-rich economies maintain high levels of export and GDP growth.

As demand weakens in developed countries, China's share in world imports has grown, making it an increasingly important source of global demand. A shift to more consumer goods imports in China is also benefiting the region's manufacturing exporters.

Looking ahead, East Asia's growth prospects are constrained by global uncertainties and by the impacts of natural disasters. The slow progress towards resolution of debt problems in the Eurozone intensified investors' concerns over global growth and stability. As capital flowed out of emerging markets into relatively safer havens, portfolio investments reversed and stock markets lost value in East Asia.

"Based on current growth forecasts, 38 million people in developing East Asia are expected to move out of poverty by the end of 2011. We are concerned about the possible effects of the global economic situation on the vulnerable in the region, as poverty reduction efforts may be hampered by events such as a sudden increase in food prices, in combination with sluggish income growth" said Hofman.

The effects of flooding in several countries are also likely to take a toll on growth this year. While damage estimates are not complete, Thailand's GDP growth in 2011 was revised downwards to 2.4 percent due to widespread flooding. Losses in production are felt in the entire region, as the impacts of the disaster are spreading through industrial supply chains. While reconstruction after the flood in 2012 is likely to contribute to growth, recovery of production to pre-disaster levels in the region will depend in part on the strength of global demand for electronics and cars.

In response to the global economic slowdown, policymakers in East Asia are rethinking their policy options. In the short-term, striking a balance between stimulating growth and fighting the effects of global uncertainty is the primary challenge, says the report. Policymakers are likely to hold off further policy tightening and stand ready to act should negative shocks to growth occur, or in the unlikely event of a disorderly resolution of the Eurozone debt problem. Fiscal positions, while not as strong as before the 2008 crisis, leave sufficient space for fiscal stimulus in most middle income countries should this become necessary. However, stimulus alone will not be enough given the outlook for protracted low global growth.

"Governments can take this opportunity to refocus on reforms that will enhance growth in the medium- and long- term. Higher investments in infrastructure, education and social security systems can help countries increase productivity and move toward higher value added production," said World Bank Senior Economist Ekaterina Vostroknutova, lead author. "Any possible stimulus programs should be fiscally sustainable, well-targeted and directed at promoting the structural transformation needed for stronger, domestically driven growth."

Where levels of investments are already high, increasing the quality and efficiency of these investments should take priority alongside rebalancing growth towards domestic consumption, says the report. Further investment in disaster management and prevention is also becoming more important for the region.

Contacts:

In Singapore: Rebecca Ong (65) 9231-3742, rebeccaOng7@gmail.com
In Washington DC:Mohamad al-Arief, (202) 458-5964, malarief@worldbank.org
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

The East Asia and Pacific Update is the World Bank's comprehensive review of the region's economies. It is published twice yearly and is available for free on our website at: www.worldbank.org/eapupdate

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Harm reduction policies and interventions for injection drug users in Thailand

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000Z

The World Bank initiated a review of HIV prevention among injection drug users in Thailand, with the objective of providing technical assistance to strengthen national capacity to develop state-of-the-art injecting drug use harm reduction interventions. Thailand has received international recognition for its successful interventions to reduce the transmission of HIV among female sex workers and military recruits. It is looked upon as a role model for HIV education and awareness campaigns that include the extensive promotion and wide acceptance of condoms as an HIV prevention strategy. Thailand has the most progressive and comprehensive antiretroviral program in the region with a reported coverage of over 80 percent of eligible individuals. In 2001, it embarked on a progressive universal health care program that provides free access to a wide array of health care diagnostics and therapeutics for the people of Thailand. With these impressive achievements, it is remarkable how poorly Thailand has responded to the HIV epidemic among injection drug users (IDUs). From available data, it appears that the HIV prevalence rates among IDUs have remained high and stagnant over the last decade. Failure to provide effective interventions to reduce HIV transmission among drug users has resulted in unnecessary suffering, and for many, HIV-related death. Continued inaction threatens to undermine successful HIV prevention efforts in the country through ongoing HIV transmission among injection drug users and their sexual partners. The current focus on enforcement and punishment, along with the reliance on compulsory drug treatment centers, has done little to control drug use in Thailand. The unintended consequence of this approach has been to push drug users into precarious and dangerous environments that have directly led to risky drug using patterns and persistently high rates of HIV transmission. Adopting a harm reduction approach to deal with injection drug use could have a major impact on reducing HIV transmission as well as engaging drug users into better health care and effective drug treatment. This will require strong leadership in key government Ministries and related agencies so that the central stakeholders can roll out harm reduction programs. Thailand has the potential to greatly reduce the transmission of HIV among injection drug users and become a regional leader in harm reduction.

Transcript of the Audio Teleconference with World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick

2011-11-01T17:23:30.000Z

Transcript

Audio Tele-Conference

Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President

November 1, 2011

MR. FERGUSON: Hi, good morning. Alex Ferguson from the World Bank. Thanks for joining us today. World Bank President Robert Zoellick is going to brief you on this week's G20 meetings.

Just for background, you should all have been sent his Washington Post piece that was published on Sunday.

After his statement, Mr. Zoellick will take a few questions. When we do get to the questions, please identify yourself and your organization before asking a question. All of Mr. Zoellick's remarks will be on the record.

Mr. Zoellick, please, go ahead.

MR. ZOELLICK: Okay. Thank you, Alex.

Well, thanks, all, for joining us. We're looking towards the G20 Summit this weekend, and the package developed by the Eurozone leaders last week was a positive step, but there's much still to do. What's most important now is not to waste the moment.

Markets are responding now to readings of confidence as much as pure finance, and the confidence challenge is now focused on governments and institutions, not only in the European Union. Market confidence remains very fragile, and we saw it evaporate in August after the EU agreement in July.

The global economy is still very much at risk from faltering economies in developing countries, and the Eurozone deal has bought some time, and the challenge is how to use the time.

I believe it would be very useful if the G20 leaders can send a strong signal on follow-through after the Eurozone announcement so as to sustain and build confidence, and I urge G20 leaders not to permit these primary messages to fray into tactical political positioning on secondary issues.

The world economy is still wobbling on the edge right now, and it could tip very quickly if momentum isn't maintained and built upon.

The one ray of economic light in this downturn has been emerging markets. Developing countries have accounted for two-thirds of global growth over the past five years. But as we saw in August and September, they also can be hit when developed countries trip up. We saw equity markets drop over 20 percent, bond spreads increase, currencies were tumbling, started to affect trade, and the real risk was if the slowdown in confidence in the European Union and United States spread to developing countries, consumer and business confidence and then would affect domestic demand.

Now, this has been stemmed somewhat with the Eurozone deal, but people will be looking to this G20 meeting.

The World Bank will be seeking to highlight three points: Some fallout from the Eurozone that we need to address; second, a broader growth and jobs agenda; and third, how we can try to stretch resources to assist.

So, first, we have to anticipate and help counter some of the second-order effects of the Eurozone arrangement. In particular, European banks are already selling assets and they'll be shrinking lending. Trade finance is a short-term type of loan and it can be run down quickly, but trade finance operations are also labor and operationally intensive. They're not easy to develop substitutes for, and we're already seeing some signs of a shrinking trade finance in West Africa and elsewhere.

Now, in 2008 and 2009, the World Bank Group's private sector arm, IFC, launched special trade finance facilities, and we're already activating those to provide support; though, in the area of liquidity, we leveraged it through private sector partnerships, and some of those institutions may be less able to provide liquidity themselves this time.

In addition, southeastern Europe, the Balkans, Eastern Europe are at particular risk of credit crunch in the European Union banks, and I've been working already with Thomas Mirow of the EBRD on trying to replicate the Vienna Initiative that we offered last time to make sure that there was credit support for those countries.

The Middle East and North African countries rely heavily on exports to the European Union. So, the slowdown in the EU comes at a very sensitive time given political developments. We can help here, too, but we'll need good cooperation with the European Union.

And there will be a greater temptation for protectionism in various guises from all countries. The best defense is a market-opening offense, but unfortunately trade liberalization has been stalled.

Second, developed and developing countries alike need to keep their eye on the fundamentals of future growth in jobs. Macroeconomic space for all countries is limited and so, what I'm referring to are structural reforms of tax policy, entitlements, labor, competition, investment, innovation, infrastructure.

In developing countries, the growth agenda shows the interconnection with food security, infrastructure, inclusive policies. These are not peripheral issues and especially in a fragile and crisis-prone world where--needs of human safety nets as well as financial safety nets.

In the area of food security, this involves both increasing production and productivity as well as dealing with price volatility.

Now, we've released a Food Price Watch today which shows that the index is up 19 percent over a year ago, even though it dropped somewhat in September, and it had revealed that we're in a period of continued serious volatility, which is especially high in low-income countries.

Now, you may recall that in June IFC, our private sector arm, launched a new agricultural price risk facility to help producers and consumers in developing countries cope with volatility. We had the first facility with JP Morgan to assist countries in Latin America, and today we're bringing to our Board a $100 million facility with SocGen of France to help producers and buyers in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. And with that amount of

financing, we should be able to leverage hedges many times that amount. So, pending Board action, there should be a separate release later today.

We also, at the G20, have been discussing the push for infrastructure development, cutting costs of remittances and linking them to savings in credit vehicles, developing local currency bond markets, and we're going to keep pushing for the spread of effective focused social safety nets for all countries. The poorest and most vulnerable are in particular need of a cushion in times like these.

Last week, I was in the Philippines where I saw one of the more recent of the over 40 Conditional Cash Transfer programs that the World Bank has helped support around the world, building on the initial programs in Mexico and Brazil, and these are impressive because they often deal with 10 to 15 percent of the population at the bottom for about a half of one percent of GDP.

And third, we'll be talking about how we can try to stretch resources. The World Bank has worked with the regional evaluation banks to assess what we could provide over fiscal years '12 and '13. We're almost halfway through Fiscal Year '12 because that starts on July 1. So, this is over a two-year period.

We've estimated with the regional development banks we could provide somewhat over $200 billion in financing, drawing on a full set of tools. This includes the ultra-concessionary financing such as IDA, our regular borrowing, private sector, the World Bank Group amount of that is about 115 billion of the over 200 billion.

And we also discussed with the G20 that, if we could get some more flexibility with maturity and pricing of loans, I believe we can even provide more support if needed.

So, at Cannes, the countries need to follow through on the Eurozone plan, they need to have attention to growth and job strategies, and they need to recognize that developing countries are now a key source of solutions to the world and then opportunity with the right investments and policies. We need to make the world safer for people, not just systems.

Pleased to take your questions.

MR. FERGUSON: Thanks. And we'll take your questions. As I said earlier, can you please identify yourself and your organization before asking your question. Can we now have the first question.

OPERATOR: If you'd like to ask a question from the phone, press star one, please unmute your phone and record your name. To withdraw your question, press star two. Once again, it's star one to ask a question, and you do need to record your name. Please standby for the first question.

MR. FERGUSON: Can we have the first question, please.

OPERATOR: The first question is from Sudeep Reddy from The Wall Street Journal.

QUESTION: Hi, Mr. Zoellick. How would you assess the latest European debt plan from a growth perspective, in particular what should some of the European countries that are under severe fiscal constraints such as Greece and Italy be doing to boost growth?

And secondly, what do you think about how Europe is going about raising money for the Fund, particularly how they continue to pursue emerging market governments to provide money?

MR. ZOELLICK: Well, on the first part, I think the Eurozone plan is really primarily focused on short-term liquidity stabilization. So, I actually distinguish it from a structural growth plan.

What that plan is designed to try to do is strengthen the banking system, give Greece a chance to recovery by cutting the debt, and multiply the resources of the EFSF so as to help make sure that Spain and Italy can roll over debt while also dealing with Ireland and Portugal and Greece. And so, that, to me, is sort of a classic example of buying time while one still has to work on the overall fundamentals.

And that's one reason why--so, my core point is I know how difficult this was to reach. I think they made some very important steps, but my read of the situation is that we're now dealing principally with assessments of market confidence, and market confidence is going to be based on assessments of whether the governments and the institutions follow through. So, to me, the key point is how they're using the time and being able to respond with the overall follow-through of activities.

So, I understood this morning that, in the case of Italy, there's going to be a budget process over the course of November to try to package the overall proposal in an up-or-down vote, and that will obviously be watched very closely in terms of trying to see whether Italy can take the appropriate follow-up actions.

The types of things that I've been referring to on the growth side have been discussed in national parliaments, but they haven't been so much at the heart of the Eurozone's rescue package, and those go to some of the issues that I mentioned about tax and investment policy and creating a competitive environment, a lot of the things that Germany had done quite successfully over the past years.

As for your second question about outreach to others, at least as I've been able to ascertain it, the picture is pretty clear: Europeans are going to have to be the principal agents in solving Europe's problems. Others will be willing to try to be of support. They are going to be principally doing it through the international institutional mechanisms such as the IMF.

I think as for the particular use of the EFSF that there are two vehicles that they have discussed: One is a form of an insurance model which is trying to multiply with a, for example, first-loss provision.

The second element which would allow others to invest, I think, needs further clarification to have a sense of what risk people would be taking in terms of investing in it. And frankly, Sudeep, from what I've seen is I think some--at least, I'm not referring particularly to your paper, but I think some of the earlier reporting got a little bit ahead of itself in assuming that some of the developing countries would rush in, because I didn't think they would and so far I don't think they have.

MR. FERGUSON: Thank you. Can we have the next question, please?

OPERATOR: The next question is from Alan Beattie from the Financial Times.

QUESTION: Hi, good morning, Mr. Zoellick. You were mentioning the possible impact of the Eurozone crisis on the rest of the world and specifically the developing world. How much independent growth momentum do you think the emerging markets have, I mean, particularly given that, for lots of talk about rebalancing, there still seems to be a lot of dependence in the emerging market world on exports to the U.S. and to Europe?

MR. ZOELLICK: Well, I think the interconnections are strong. I think prior to August we did see a multispeed recovery where the emerging markets had recovered quite well, had come back beyond the initial point of the crisis and, if anything, the risk was of overheating. I think the events in August in the Eurozone and, to a degree, the U.S., showed that the effects on financial markets flowed quite quickly to the developing world. So, as I mentioned, equity markets came down to over 20 percent. There has been some recovery with the deal. Bond spreads had gone up about 100 to 180 basis points. They've come back down, again, with the deal.

You've seen what's happened in some currency markets.

And as I suggested, we already started to see the effect of the slowdown in the trade area. So, and the next category that we were most watchful of was the one that I referred to of, if the confidence that has affected consumers and businesses in the developed world also infected the developing world--and there, it was a little hard to tell. You could see through some of the PMIs that they were starting to show some deterioration, I think, with the Eurozone deal, you've seen some pop-back but, frankly, high degrees of uncertainty.

And so, it's the core message that I think coming out of this G20 meeting, people are going to look through to see the follow-through on the principle areas that the Eurozone has outlined, but they're also going to look to see whether there's a tension to the ongoing growth agenda that I mentioned.

MR. FERGUSON: Thanks. Can we have the next question, please.

OPERATOR: The next question is from Howard Schneider from The Washington Post.

QUESTION: Hi, Bob, and thanks for doing this. My question is a little--I want to just sort of step back on the last couple of days, here, you know, the whole ethic of the G20, the whole idea was, you know, coordinated policy across the major economies, and yet you see this intervention by the Bank of Japan now just a couple days before the Summit, you know, without really discussing or coordinating it. And now, you see this call for a referendum in Greece really catching all of the European leaders off guard, a clear example, it seems to me, that they in a sense really don't have control of their own agenda.

So, [technical difficulties] two years ago in London, is this group really living up to [technical difficulties].

MR. FERGUSON: Sorry, we lost you the last bit. Can you repeat the last--

QUESTION: I'm saying, just, I mean, isn't it pretty clear that this Group is not living up to its potential--that this forum is not living up to its potential as a place to coordinate these important policy decisions?

MR. ZOELLICK: I think we have to see what comes out of this weekend's meeting.

I think that the Eurozone arrangement--I know, because I was with the Finance Ministers a week before--was not easily achieved. And I think, as I mentioned, it's an important step, but it's only a step.

In the case of Japan, obviously, part of the G20 but not part of the Eurozone discussions, Japan has been intervening modestly over this time period.

My own view is that, particularly for the G7, that interventions in a flexible exchange rate system would be better off being coordinated. So, I think that if they haven't been--and I just don't know for sure with all the Finance Ministers, but from the reporting I haven't seen evidence of it--that would be disappointing.

In terms of the Greece referendum, that's less of a G20 issue and more of a EU issue and to me it looks like a roll of a dice, and you know, I just--I don't know how the question will be phrased. We don't have the exact timing of the referendum. For certain, it's going to add uncertainty to markets at a time when, I think, people had hoped that the Eurozone deal and the actions to be taken would help to alleviate some of that uncertainty.

So, this is an evidence of some of the fundamental problems that have been plaguing Greece throughout the whole process. And so, in that sense, it certainly makes the hill steeper for the G20.

MR. FERGUSON: Thank you. Can we have the next question, please.

OPERATOR: The next question is from Alessandro Merli from Il Sole.

QUESTION: Yes, good morning. I wonder if you can tell us what do you think is missing from the European plan. You talked about rebuilding confidence and stabilizing the situation. This seems to have lasted a little more than 24 hours. Do you think anything in particular was missing there as a tool of reestablish [unclear]--

MR. ZOELLICK: I think it's more a question of the follow-through, and most of the commentators focus on three elements. I focus on five, in part, from some of my discussions with some of the Europeans who have been part of it.

First, you have the bank recapitalization. That is, I think, an important step. I think you had an initial positive reaction in terms of some of the bank equities, but it has to be accomplished, as I recall, by about the middle of 2012. So, the devil will be in the details of the execution.

Second, you have the multiplication of the EFSF's facilities, and that one was somewhat vaguer about how it was going to be accomplished and, as I mentioned, the idea of using some of the EFSF funds for first loss insurance provision is a viable alternative.

The other method, frankly, I think, required clarification, and my sense of it was that the leaders, understandably, wanted to try to take those models and further define them with markets, including potential investors, to see how they could get the greatest effect.

Third is the actions that Italy and Spain take themselves. You know, these countries should be able to make it if they continue to take the right actions at home. And so, in that sense, it's linked to the EFSF's ability to help them roll over their debt, but in a world where markets are--depending on confidence--it's going to depend a lot on the governmental actions.

And Spain actually has taken a series of significant actions. I think that distinguished itself somewhat from Italy. We'll have to see whether this most recent proposal that I mentioned about a package of reforms during the month of November can be pursued and, if so, whether that can help boost confidence.

Fourth, you have the Greek debt, and there will be debates about whether the reduction is deep enough, but it certainly gave Greece a much better chance, and now we have the uncertainty related to the decision the Greeks will have to make in their own referendum.

And the fifth element is one that I think is important to connect the immediate to the medium and long term, and that is what some in Germany have discussed as political and fiscal union or, sometimes, in France, is talked about as economic governance, and that is recognizing that these steps fundamentally buy time. What will be the future structure of the European system of fiscal support that complements the monetary union.

So, the monetary union as constructed without the fiscal discipline clearly ran into trouble, and markets are well aware of that. So, the question will be what type of political and fiscal union will be built on the Eurozone on top of it. That's not going to be done overnight, but I think people will be looking to see what are the directions and steps that are taken.

So, again, I'm not critical of the package. What I'm saying is that the devil will now be in the details of the follow-up, and this is why the G20 leaders shouldn't waste the moment.

MR. FERGUSON: Thank you. Can we have the next question, please.

OPERATOR: The next question is from Phil Thornton from Emerging Markets.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr. Zoellick. Can I just pick up the theme about the role that emerging markets and developing countries can play. You've highlighted their strong level of growth, but a lot of the recommendations you're talking about seem to be quite long-term.

Isn't the G20 an excellent opportunity for the emerging markets to really step up to the plate and take the sort of immediate action that was taken by the G20 in London?

MR. ZOELLICK: Well, I don't know what actions in particular you have in mind, and remember, what--at least, the way I see things is markets are now looking for a sustained boost of confidence, and I've outlined how the Eurozone could take first steps, but I think there need to be follow-up steps and others need to be taking steps in support of that.

So, as I said, I think that if the G20 leaders have the primary message of supporting these steps that the Eurozone has taken plus the pro-growth steps that I referred to in avoiding sort of fraying at the edges with sort of domestic political positioning, that would send a positive signal to markets, and developing countries will be part of that.

At the same time, I think the best thing the developing countries can do is to continue to have the pro-growth strategies that they have. They've been the bright light in the picture, and so, they do have a common interest in Europe and the United States and Japan enjoying full recovery.

But I don't want to--I don’t think one should raise expectations about what one could expect them to be able to do to help Europe and the United States solve their own problems.

And in fact, I think that one of the misleading paths is to assume for any of these countries that somebody else is going to bail you out and solve your own problems. Europe's got to solve its problems, United States has got to solve its problems, Japan's got to solve its problems, and what one wants to avoid is people doing dumb things that will make it harder, such as slipping into protectionism or trade conflicts.

But by and large, for the emerging markets, if they can participate in financial support through the IMF arrangements as they have before or through special agreements to borrow, that can be constructive, but I don't think that, for example, in the Eurozone, that people should be looking for a silver bullet from the Chinese when the per capita income in China is about $4,000 a person and it's about $38,000 in Europe.

MR. FERGUSON: Thank you. We have time for one more question.

OPERATOR: The next question is from Ruben Barrera from Notimex.

QUESTION: Yes, thank you for doing this. Mr. Zoellick, I would like to go back to the issue of Greece, and my question is, if--do you think that this position by the Greek authorities to seek a referendum on the bailout could set a bad precedent for a future rescue plan for other countries, either in Europe and other parts of the world?

MR. ZOELLICK: Well, ultimately, countries have to make their own decisions here. I mean, my--I guess the theme is whether it's a group of countries or individual countries, they need the political support and they have to take the tough actions. So, I'm not in a place to second-guess the Greek political authorities feeling about what sort of vote of confidence or referendum they need.

I did say it's a roll of the dice. If it passes, that could be a positive signal for people. If it fails, it's going to be a mess.

And one of my concerns is that, in the meantime, it adds to degrees of uncertainty. Europe can cope with that if it has the additional support and facilities that we've been discussing because Greece is only about 2 percent of the EU's GDP. But at this moment, it adds one other element of uncertainty in what's already a difficult time.

MR. FERGUSON: Thank you very much. I'm afraid that's all we've got time for today. So, thank you for calling in and goodbye.

MR. ZOELLICK: Thank you.

MR. FERGUSON: Thanks, good-bye.

Global Food Prices Remain High and Volatile Affecting Poorest Countries the Most

2011-11-01T13:30:00.000Z

Floods in Thailand add further uncertainty. Food crisis in the Horn of Africa continues

WASHINGTON, November 1, 2011–Global food prices remain high and volatile, hitting the poorest countries hardest and adding to the strains facing the global economy, according to the World Bank Group’s new Food Price Watch released ahead of the G-20 Summit in Cannes, France. While the Bank’s food price index has dropped 5 percent from its February 2011 peak and dipped marginally in September by one percent, it remains 19 percent above its September 2010 levels.

“The food crisis is far from over,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick, who has urged the G-20 to put food first. “Prices remain volatile and millions of people around the world are still suffering. The World Bank has been working closely with the French Presidency of the G-20 and our partner international organizations on actions to protect the most vulnerable from the dangers of food price volatility, while also addressing some of its root causes. Let's remember, averting crisis is not just about banks and debt. Millions of people around the world face a daily crisis of hunger and malnutrition. At Cannes, the G-20 can and should take steps to address their needs."

The Group of 20 heads of government, who are meeting in Cannes Nov. 3– 4 to discuss the global economy, are expected to endorse a package of concrete actions to improve transparency and policy coordination to detect and correct problems early; to help countries manage price volatility using sound risk management tools; to promote more productive and resilient agriculture; and to get food to the needy fast through emergency regional humanitarian food reserves and agreement not to ban exports of food for World Food Programme. As the world population reaches a staggering 7 billion people, it is more important than ever for the global community to galvanize around actions to improve food security.

According to Food Price Watch, a quarterly report, recent floods in Thailand−the worst in 50 years−may add uncertainty in the short run following estimated production losses of between 16 to 24 percent of total production. In the meantime, the food crisis in the Horn of Africa continues, affecting over 13.3 million people in the region–an additional million since August, and the outlook remains frightening.

The report said prices of grains rose 30 percent (September 2010–September 2011), with maize increasing by 43 percent, rice by 26 percent and wheat 16 percent. Soybean oil went up by 26 percent. Over the last quarter, however, an increase of 3 percent in the price of grains was roughly offset by a 3 percent decline in the prices of fats and oils.

Volatility, which is higher in low income countries, is expected to persist in the medium term due to multiple global and domestic factors. Structural factors contributing to the volatility include rising populations and changing diets, increasingly intertwined relations between food and energy prices, and increasing production of biofuels.

On the other hand, a favorable outlook on supply and stocks is likely to relieve some of the pressure on global food prices. Latest forecasts show global wheat stocks reaching a 10-year high in 2011-12, global production of maize to rise by 4 percent from increased production in Argentina, Brazil, China, Russia, and Ukraine. Global rice output is also likely to get a boost in 2011-12 due to an expected bumper harvest in India following very favorable monsoon rains.

These production gains in some markets underscore the critical need to keep international markets open, to get food where it is needed, provide incentives to farmers who expand production, and avoid panic behavior created by export bans.

While a troubled global economy could dampen demand and push food prices down, the effect on developing countries would be mixed−hurting food exporting countries and poor producers in rural areas, and benefiting food importers and consumers. The problem, Food Price Watch warns, is that developing countries might have now limited resources to protect vulnerable populations following the economic crisis and stimulus spending.

In addition, fears associated with the global economy may affect medium to long-term investments in agricultural research and more productive agricultural techniques, especially amid persistent volatility.

Among the ongoing efforts to improve volatility-related information, the G-20 agriculture ministers introduced the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), officially launched in September, to increase market transparency on the short-term global food outlook, especially stocks, and to identify abnormal international market conditions in order to prompt early responses.

How the World Bank Group is helping to put food first

· In the Horn of Africa, the World Bank Group is providing $1.88 billion to save lives, improve social protection, and foster economic recovery and drought resilience. More than 13 million people are affected by the crisis.

· A first-of-its-kind World Bank Group risk management product, provided by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will enable up to $4 billion in protection from volatile food prices for farmers, food producers, and consumers in developing countries.

· The Global Food Crisis Response Program (GFRP) is helping some 40 million people through $1.5 billion in support.

· The World Bank Group is boosting its spending on agriculture to some $6 to $8 billion a year from $4.1 billion in 2008.

· Supporting the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), set up by the World Bank Group in April 2010 at G-20’s request, to assist country-led agriculture and food security plans and help promote investments in smallholder farmers. To date, six countries and the Gates Foundation have pledged about $971.5 million over the next three years, with $571 million received.

· The World Bank Group is coordinating with UN agencies through the High-Level task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis and with NGOs.

· The World Bank Group supports the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), which it helped to establish in 1971. In 2008, the CGIAR with the support of the World Bank and other donors launched a reform process, which culminated in the adoption of a comprehensive strategy that determines the new global research programs and a new funding model that prepares CGIAR to absorb and attract vastly more program funding, with a target annual budget of $1 billion by 2013, to which the World Bank contributes some $50 million per year. With agriculture production needing to rise some 70 percent by 2050, and with a five- to ten-year window to develop new varieties and get them to farmers, increased funding from the international community for global research is critical.

Contacts:

In Washington: Alejandra Viveros, (202) 473-4306, aviveros@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

To access Food Price Watch, please click:

http://go.worldbank.org/26VBL9Q3F0

Food Price Watch author, Jose Cuesta will take part in World Bank Live online discussion about Global Food Prices on Tuesday, November 8 at 10:00 am EST (15:00 GMT). Participate and submit questions in advance here: http://live.worldbank.org/qa-global-food-prices-nov-2011

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The project BMA Urban Transformation Project has changed to Dropped

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000Z

The project BMA Urban Transformation Project has changed to Dropped. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Thailand Ranks 17 in the World in Ease of Doing Business as Business Regulations Improve in East Asia and the Pacific

2011-10-19T09:47:21.000Z

In Washington, D.C.:
Nadine Ghannam
Phone: +1 (202) 473-3011
E-mail: nsghannam@ifc.org

Washington D.C., October 20, 2011— A new report from IFC and the World Bank finds that across the globe Singapore and Hong Kong SAR, China, provide the friendliest regulatory environments for local entrepreneurs. Within the East Asia and the Pacific region, China advanced the most in making its regulatory environment more business-friendly over the past six years.

Released today, Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World assesses regulations affecting domestic firms in 183 economies and ranks the economies in 10 areas of business regulation, such as starting a business, resolving insolvency, and trading across borders. This year, the rankings on ease of doing business have expanded to include indicators on getting electricity. The report finds that getting an electrical connection is most efficient in Iceland; Germany; Taiwan, China; Hong Kong, China; and Singapore. Thailand ranks 9 in getting electricity.

With the addition of Getting Electricity indicator, Thailand ranks 17 in the overall Ease of Doing Business ranking as compared to rank 19 in last year’s ranking when the indicator was not included. Thailand also ranks in the top 20 in Dealing with Construction Permits, Protecting Investors, and Trading Across Borders.

"Thailand has ranked among the world's top 20 countries for Doing Business for the past 8 years. The ranking is a testimony to Thailand's continuing efforts to improve its business environment", says Annette Dixon, World Bank Country Director for Thailand.

“In Thailand, the introduction of the Single Point Service Center was a positive development that makes starting a business in Thailand easier”, says Kirida Bhaopichitr, Senior Economist. The Single Point Service Center is a one-stop-shop which processes applications that previously were handled by three different government agencies.

Singapore topped the rankings on ease of doing business for the sixth straight year. Hong Kong SAR, China, held onto the second spot—in part by introducing an online system for company registration and making it easier to secure an electricity connection.

Fourteen of the region’s 24 economies improved business regulations in the past year. The Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Malaysia improved in three or more areas measured by Doing Business. Malaysia rose five places in the global ranking, to 18, by implementing regulatory reforms—including a new one-stop shop for start-ups, computerization of commercial courts, and improved insolvency proceedings. Brunei Darussalam’s rank climbed to 83, partly because the country made it easier for businesses to get an electrical connection.

New data show that improving access to information on business regulations can aid entrepreneurs. In the region, two-thirds of the economies have put application requirements for building permits in public notices or online. “Effective use of information technology can make things easier for entrepreneurs,” said Sylvia Solf, lead author of the report. Hong Kong SAR, China; Malaysia; the Solomon Islands; Taiwan, China; Tonga; and Vanuatu have all used new technologies to simplify business start-up, made it easier to register property, or modernized the court system.

Over the past six years, a new measure shows that 22 economies in East Asia and the Pacific have made their regulatory environment more business-friendly. “Making business regulation more transparent and efficient increases opportunities for economic growth,” said Augusto Lopez-Claros, Director, Global Indicators and Analysis, World Bank Group. “In East Asia and the Pacific, businesses have benefited from the region’s broad and sustained regulatory reforms.”

About the Doing Business report series
Doing Business analyzes regulations that apply to an economy’s businesses during their life cycle, including start-up and operations, trading across borders, paying taxes, and resolving insolvency. The aggregate ease of doing business rankings are based on 10 indicators and cover 183 economies. Previous year’s rankings are back-calculated to account for the addition of new indicator(s), data corrections, and methodology changes in existing indicators so as to provide a meaningful comparison with the new rankings. Doing Business does not measure all aspects of the business environment that matter to firms and investors. For example, it does not measure security, macroeconomic stability, corruption, the level of skills, or the strength of financial systems. Its findings have stimulated policy debates in more than 80 economies and enabled a growing body of research on how firm-level regulation relates to economic outcomes across economies.

For more information about the Doing Business report series, please visit: www.doingbusiness.org.
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoingBusiness.org.
Compare Doing Business data on your iPhone: www.doingbusiness.org/iphone

About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It comprises five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each institution plays a distinct role in the mission to fight poverty and improve living standards for people in the developing world. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.

Regional Media Contacts:

East Asia and Pacific
Hannfried von Hindenburg +852 2509-8115
E-mail: hvonhindenburg@ifc.org

Carl Hanlon +1 (202) 473-8087
E-mail: chanlon@worldbank.org

Devolution of health centers and hospital autonomy in Thailand : a rapid assessment

2011-10-19T04:00:00.000Z

This rapid assessment was conducted for the Thailand Ministry of Public Health with the support of the World Bank in partnership with the Thailand International Health Policy Program and the Thailand Health Systems Research Institute. This work was done under the World Bank's Country Development Partnership Agreement with the Government of Thailand. Thailand's health system has some features that lead to complexity and local variation in the scope of health responsibilities of Health care (HCs) and the accountabilities and incentives of HCs before and after devolution. HC staff and Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO) leaders in three of the devolved health centers (Naphu, Salabangpoo, and Pakpoon) have positive perceptions of improvement in management flexibility, in the sense that future decision making is expected to be faster and there should be greater scope for initiative. Three devolved health centers (Naphu, Salabangpoo, and Pakpoon) could point to a number ways in which service delivery had already improved and new services had been provided in response to the needs and preferences of the community. These include a stronger client service orientation, increased curative care services, and increase in promotion and prevention (P&P).

Public sector reforms and human resources for health in Thailand : an exploration of impacts, issues and options for moving forward

2011-10-19T04:00:00.000Z

This report responds to a Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) request to the World Bank to conduct exploratory work to examine the impacts of public sector reforms on human resources for health (HRH), with the aim of identifying areas where further analytical work may be useful. A World Bank team interviewed a range of stakeholders: senior officials of MOPH, the Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC), the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC), and the Nursing Council; directors and managers of district, provincial, and regional hospitals and one health center; health care workers; nursing instructors and students; as well as expert observers and academicians. Interviews were conducted in Bangkok and three provinces (Mae Hong Son, Khon Kaen, and Songkhla) in February-March 2010, with participation of researchers from MOPH's Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP). The information in this report is based on interviews, and a review of key pieces of legislation and available English-language literature and some Thai-language literature. We were not able in this brief initial foray to conduct a comprehensive in-depth review of regulations nor of all related Thai-language research that has been conducted by a variety of entities. With this in mind, we ask for readers? forbearance and welcome comments. This report consists of a concise main text that presents key issues and stakeholder perspectives, and suggests further analytical work for consideration. A series of annexes provide background about the fundamental structure and features of health sector employment, sample earnings data, and short profiles of individual health workers interviewed by the team. Readers who are not familiar with the main features of Thailand's HRH may wish to review the annexes prior to reading the main text.

First of its Kind Career Counseling Offices Established at Two Academic Institutes in Vientiane Capital

2011-10-18T09:17:38.000Z

The National University of Laos and Pakpasak Technical College, with support from the World Bank and the Australian Agency for International Development, open offices to provide employments services for students.

Vientiane, October 18, 2011— Two Career Counseling Offices were officially opened today at the Faculty of Economics and Business Management of the National University of Laos and the Pakpasak Technical College in Vientiane, through support from the World Bank (WB) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The new offices will offer career counseling and employment services to students and recent graduates. The opening ceremony was attended by Associate Professor Somchit Souksavath, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Economics and Business Management, National University of Laos; Mr. Sithonh Bounkhongmanivanh, Deputy Director of Pakpasak Technical College; Ms. Keiko Miwa, the World Bank Country Manager to Lao PDR; Katheryn Bennett, First Secretary and Head of Development Cooperation of AusAID to Lao PDR, academics, professors and students.

“The Career Counseling Offices will provide much needed career advice and employment services to hundreds of students, with a special focus on young women. We expect that at least 40% of participating students will secure an internship or job offer within a year of graduating. In addition, the two offices will also assist interested students with long term career planning and advice so that they can be better prepared to make the transition from school to work.” said Keiko Miwa, Country Manger of the World Bank to Lao PDR.

The offices are run by staff from the academic institutes who have received training from a certified Thai Career Counselor from Fawathana College of Technology, in order to build their capacity to serve as part-time counselors. Students will now have the opportunity to meet with a trained career counselor to prepare their CV, practice interview questions or conduct a self assessment or search for recent job and internship opportunities. Already more than 100 students have participated in career training and hundreds more are anticipated to receive the training in the coming year.

Both academic institutes have successfully completed the foundational tasks of setting up the offices. A formal unit with an organizational structure and key personnel has been identified, an operations manual drafted and a database set up that will allow counselors to maintain important information about students and companies and to follow students progress in securing a job. Equipment for the offices, including a computer which students can use to access job information online, was donated by the World Bank.

“AusAID is very pleased to be supporting this initiative, which aims to assist young people, in particular women, to enhance their entrepreneurial and work readiness skills. These Career Counseling Offices are just one part of a program that provides targeted support for promoting youth entrepreneurship, and business skills training and mentoring” said Katheryn Bennett, Head of Development Cooperation, AusAID.

The Supporting Talent, Entrepreneurial Potential and Success (STEPS) initiative in Lao PDR is co-founded by the World Bank and AusAID, and consists of two main components. The first, which is coordinated with the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Lao PDR (YEAL), seeks to promote a culture of youth entrepreneurship using a ‘market-place’ model which identifies strong business ideas and support young entrepreneurs with business skills training, mentorship, and seed grants. The first Young Entrepreneur Market Place Competition 2011 targeted 3 provinces in the country: Vientiane Capital, Luang Prabang, and Champasack. The second component aims to provide employment services to students and recent graduates at tertiary-level academic institutions in Vientiane Capital. These services include work readiness skills, career advice, job placement support, and links to internship and employment opportunities in the private sector.

For more information about AGI, STEPS program, please visit The World Bank Group website: www.worldbank.org/lao

AGI Contact:

Ms. Philaiphone Vongpraseuth

Tel: +856 21 450 010

Email: pvongpraseuth@worldbank.org

Media Contact:

Ms. Souridahak Sakonhninhom

Tel: +856 21 450 010

Email: ssakonhninhom@worldbank.org

Universal Access to Modern Energy Within Reach in East Asia Pacific

2011-10-18T02:00:00.000Z

JAKARTA, October 18, 2011− Despite impressive growth, around 170 million people in the East Asia-Pacific region still have no electricity connections while another 1 billion people still use solid fuels for cooking. Nonetheless, universal access to modern energy is still within reach in this region, says a joint World Bank-AusAID report, released today. One Goal, Two Paths: Achieving Universal Access to Modern Energy in East Asia and Pacific outlines an ambitious program to overcome energy poverty in the region by 2030. The report was funded by AusAID as part of a wider partnership with the World Bank to help develop sustainable infrastructure in East Asia-Pacific.

“In East Asia Pacific, people at the bottom billion still face energy poverty and lack access to modern energy solutions,” says John Roome, the World Bank’s Director for Sustainable Development, East Asia Pacific Region. “With every second household in the region still depending on solid fuels for cooking, the indoor air pollution is a major health risk factor and women and children are especially vulnerable”.

The report urges the governments in the region to work simultaneously on two paths:

1) Achieve universal electricity access by accelerating both grid and off-grid programs; reducing costs through appropriate policies and technical innovations; improving reliability, and providing timely service to all households.

2) Increase access to clean cooking fuels (natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and biogas) and advanced cooking stoves, particularly in poor rural areas. This can go a long way in improving health and reducing the number of premature deaths. Currently over 600,000 people die in the region each year from indoor air pollution.

“Both of these paths are affordable. It would cost an estimated $78 billion over the next two decades for the region to attain universal access to electricity, modern cooking fuels, and advanced cooking stoves. This is 40 percent more than what it would cost to maintain the ‘business-as-usual’ scenario over the same period, but it is a small fraction of Regional GDP,” says Dejan Ostojic, the report’s lead author.

“The Australian Government aid program focuses on the Asia Pacific region and is committed to assisting developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” said AusAID Minister Counsellor for Indonesia Mrs Jacqui De Lacy, “Access to modern forms of energy is crucial to improving the lives of men, women and children, and funding this report is one of AusAID’s many strategies to look at alleviating poverty in developing countries.”

For the full report, please click here

Contacts:
In Washington: Carl Hanlon (202) 473-8116, E-mail: chanlon@worldbank.org
In Jakarta: Randy Salim +62-21-5299-3259, E-mail: rsalim1@worldbank.org
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

The project EGAT And PEA Advancing Clean Energy Investment - CTF has changed to Dropped

2011-09-09T04:00:00.000Z

The project EGAT And PEA Advancing Clean Energy Investment - CTF has changed to Dropped. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Chiang Mai Sustainable Urban Transport Project is now in the pipeline.

2011-08-30T04:00:00.000Z

The project Chiang Mai Sustainable Urban Transport Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

Gender needs assessment in conflict-affected areas in Thailand's southernmost provinces

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000Z

The objectives of the gender needs assessment study is to add value to and complement the Post Conflict Fund (PCF) supported conflict; and to add to the body of knowledge regarding women, men and their families affected by the conflict as well as the government's policies in addressing this conflict. The century-long struggle in Thailand's southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwas and Pattani broke into open violence in January 2004, and has since escalated, involving over 9,000 individuals in violence, widowing nearly 1,000 women and orphaning over 1,200 children. The conflict historically centered on the relationship between Malayu-speaking Muslims majority in the three provinces, and the largely Buddhist nation. The aim of the gender needs assessment is to deepen the understanding of the conflict situation experienced by men and women in the southern conflict areas; and to help identify appropriate interventions aimed at improving the lives of men and women in conflict situations. This study had been undertaken with the explicit purpose of developing a gendered understanding of dimensions of the conflict and the existing or possible sources of peace and resilience to conflict.

Thailand environment monitor : integrated water resources management - a way forward

2011-07-20T04:00:00.000Z

Water is everyone's business. Beside a necessity for living, water has implications on public health and, most importantly, can cause social conflicts. This is because water is limited, is difficult to control, and can easily be polluted. The Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) process is considered worldwide as a means to reduce social conflicts from competing water needs as well as to facilitate effective and sustainable development of water resources. Effective implementation of IWRM however will require appropriate policy, regulation, and institutional frameworks which could facilitate cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation among water users. A good example of IWRM is in the Lower Mekong River Basin. IWRM has been adopted by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) as a means to management water resources through the 1995 agreement, where as MRC countries are fully committed to manage water resources. In Thailand, IWRM has been technically recognized as a means to achieve sustainable water resources management and the concept has been incorporated in the national policy for more than 15 years, however clear institutional responsibility and introduction of the IWRM concept to local communities are relatively new. To address the challenges on water resource management in Thailand, particularly at the local level, stronger leadership and commitment of the key government agencies and effective cooperation of the water users will be important.

Industrial Change in the Bangkok Urban region

2011-07-12T04:00:00.000Z

The 2009 World Development Report (WDR) on economic geography aroused interest among policymakers in Thailand and led to an agreement between the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) and the East Asia Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit of the World Bank to collaborate on a study of the Bangkok urban region which is Thailand's engine of growth. This report is the fruit of continuous collaboration between the NESDB and the World Bank. This report was prepared by a joint NESDB-World Bank team. For over three decades, Thailand has consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing Southeast Asian economies. This growth performance is principally the result of high levels of domestic and foreign investment that enabled Thailand to build a diversified, export oriented industrial economy and absorb technologies from more advanced countries. Much of this industrialization has been concentrated in Bangkok and five adjacent provinces that comprise the Bangkok metropolitan region and, in recent years, a few provinces further to the south east which are now a part of the Bangkok urban region. The principal economic challenge for Thailand is to enhance the industrial potential of the region so as to sustain real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at between five and six percent per annum. This is well below the growth rates of eight and nine percent per annum achieved during 1985-1995. Bangkok must ensure that public amenities, services, housing and transport infrastructures receive sustained attention and financing. The quality of life will be vital to retaining a large talent pool, attracting investment and sustaining the tourist industry.

Thailand - TH OZONE DEPLETING SUBS : P004649 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 22

2011-06-26T04:00:00.000Z

Thailand - Highways Management Project : P075173 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 10

2011-06-25T04:00:00.000Z

The project Public Sector Development Policy has changed to Active

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project Public Sector Development Policy has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objectives of the Public Sector Reform Development Policy Loan (PSRDPL) are to assist the Royal Thai Government (RTG) in its response to the financial crisis and to support institutional development in the public sector by: 1) improving the effectiveness of the public financial management framework through better governance and accountability; 2) enhancing the skills and performance of the civil service; and 3) improving quality and timeliness of service delivery. The RTG is requesting this US$1 billion PSRDPL to sustain economic recovery from the global financial crisis. During loan preparation in late 2008 and early 2009, Thailand became one of the countries in Asia most affected by the global financial crisis making more urgent the need for resources. Around this time, the political climate also deteriorated significantly. The loan was negotiated in May 2009, but the government did not submit it to Parliament as the political situation did not allow parliamentary discussion as required by the Constitution. The economy began to recover in late 2009, and there has been a period of relative political calm since June 2010. As a result, the government initiated the process for parliamentary discussion of the loan, Parliament approved the loan in August, and the Government has now requested the Bank for final approval. The delay in Parliamentary approval meant a relatively long gap between negotiations and final board consideration. During this period, the government continued to make significant progress in implementation of the forward-looking reform program discussed during negotiations, in addition to the standard consideration of implementation of the prior actions.

Thailand economic monitor : April 2011

2011-05-24T04:00:00.000Z

The pace of economic activity is gradually returning to pre-crisis levels. After a roller-coaster of sharp drops, vigorous rebounds and mild contractions, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was up 4.8 percent in the last quarter of 2010 on a seasonally-adjusted annualized (SAAR) basis, closer to pre-crisis, normal levels. For 2010 as a whole, GDP expanded by 7.8 percent from 2009. Growth was broad-based, with significant contributions from external and domestic demands. Thailand's economy is one of the most energy intensive in the region because of the large (and growing) share of energy-intensive manufacturing in the economy and high proportion of cargo transported by trucks. Thailand can reduce its vulnerability to oil price shocks by raising fuel standards, improving tax incentives for conservation and relying more on rail for cargo transport.

Thailand economic monitor : November 2010

2011-02-28T05:00:00.000Z

Growth has slowed down since the second quarter, but exceeded expectations. Considering the 1) political turmoil; 2) robust growth during the rebound; and 3) slowdown in advanced economies, the Thai economy was expected to contract by more than it did in the second and third quarters. The output of the manufacturing sector expanded in the second quarter, led by still-growing exports and robust private consumption. Demand indeed appears to have been higher than production, as some orders had to be filled by drawing down on inventories. However, a sharp contraction in tourism led Gross Domestic product (GDP) overall to contract in the quarter. The FY10 fiscal deficit was much smaller than initially feared when the budget was proposed. The budget for FY10 was prepared at the trough of the global financial crisis in February 2009 and anticipated only 1.35 trillion baht in revenues. Inflation levels have been low and stable but persistent increases in food prices could pose risks. Overall, slower growth in advanced economies will translate into lower GDP growth Thailand for the next two to three years. Notwithstanding a deceleration in the second half because of the waning global inventory cycle, year-on-year growth in 2010 is expected at 7.5 percent due to the low base of 2009 and the strong first half. Quarter-to-quarter growth will pick up modestly in 2011 to average over 4 percent, but the relatively high base in 2010 results in a year-on-year growth rate of 3.2 percent for 2011.

Doing business 2011 : Thailand - making a difference for entrepreneurs : comparing business regulation in 183 economies

2011-01-27T05:00:00.000Z

Doing Business 2011: making a difference for entrepreneurs is the eighth in a series of annual reports investigating regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. A set of regulations affecting 9 stages of a business's life are measured: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business. Data in Doing Business 2011 are current as of June 1, 2010. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where, and why. The paper includes the following headings: overview, starting a business, dealing with construction permits, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and closing a business.

Trust funds country report FY09 - FY10 Thailand

2011-01-19T05:00:00.000Z

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)/International Development Association (IDA) trust funds country report FY2009-FY2010 for Thailand includes: disbursements, approvals, and pending requests.

Pest management plan

2010-12-30T05:00:00.000Z

The objective of the Methyl Bromide Phase-out Project for Thailand is to assist the Government of Thailand (GOT) to completely phase out its Methyl Bromide (MB) consumption in non quarantine and non-preshipment applications in accordance with the phase-out schedule mandated by the Montreal Protocol. The most important impact of current practices is ozone layer depletion caused by MB. For phosphine, no evidence of impact, except the trouble when collecting phosphine tablets that are not completely decomposed since it is easy to generate flames and potentially explosions. Moreover, phosphine may corrode copper and electronic equipments and cause pest resistance. High efficacy to control pests for durable commodities. Need longer exposure period and may cause resistance of insects if not properly done. Both MB and chemicals used for structure treatment may cause negative impact to environment. Mitigation measures include: 1) development of pest control standards for storage facilities; 2) development and implementation of accreditation program for storage facilities; 3) local and oversea training of Department of Agriculture (DOA) officers that are not the trainers of authorized training centers; 4) development of training modules; 5) modification of fumigation enclosure; and 6) training of MB users and training updates.

The project JSDF Grant - TH Community Youth Helmet Use Program has changed to Closed

2010-08-05T04:00:00.000Z

The project JSDF Grant - TH Community Youth Helmet Use Program has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Thailand Civil Society and Small Grants Program has changed to Closed

2010-08-05T04:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand Civil Society and Small Grants Program has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project BMA Urban Transformation Project is now in the pipeline.

2010-07-08T04:00:00.000Z

The project BMA Urban Transformation Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project EGAT And PEA Advancing Clean Energy Investment - CTF is now in the pipeline.

2010-07-07T04:00:00.000Z

The project EGAT And PEA Advancing Clean Energy Investment - CTF is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project TH-Community Approaches in S Thailand is now in the pipeline.

2010-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project TH-Community Approaches in S Thailand is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Additional Financing - Highways Management Project has changed to Active

2010-03-22T04:00:00.000Z

The project Additional Financing - Highways Management Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This project paper provides an additional International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan in an amount of USD 79.30 million to the Thailand Highways Management Project (HMP). The additional loan will mainly help finance the costs associated with the widening of five national highway sections from two lanes to four lanes (totaling 2 16 kilometers) under the Royal Government of Thailand (RGT)'s four-lane Second Phase Highway Widening Project (phase II). Two sections are located in the Northeast Region of the country, two in the South, and one in the Eastern Seaboard. The widening of these sections is proposed for accommodating the growing traffic and improving road safety, with an expected outcome in the reduction of road user costs (including vehicle operating costs, travel time costs and traffic accident costs) by at least 10percent on the improved sections. The existing loan for the HMP was approved on December 9, 2003, and became effective on March 15, 2004. The implementing agency is the Department of Highways (DOH). There was a one-year extension of the loan closing date from June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2009. This was followed by an extension to September 30, 2009 for the processing of a second order restructuring, and another extension to June 30, 2010 as part of the completed restructuring. The total disbursed balance as of February 3, 2010 is USD 77.89 million, which represents 92.4percent of the loan commitment of USD 84.29 million.

The project Piloting Community Approaches in Conflict Situation in Three Southernmost Provinces in Thailand has changed to Closed

2009-10-30T04:00:00.000Z

The project Piloting Community Approaches in Conflict Situation in Three Southernmost Provinces in Thailand has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project JSDF-Thailand: Legal Aid Services for Poor and Vulnerable People has changed to Closed

2009-08-12T04:00:00.000Z

The project JSDF-Thailand: Legal Aid Services for Poor and Vulnerable People has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Additional Financing - Highways Management Project is now in the pipeline.

2009-07-02T04:00:00.000Z

The project Additional Financing - Highways Management Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Thailand Small Scale Livestock Waste Management Program has changed to Active

2009-06-26T04:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand Small Scale Livestock Waste Management Program has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objectives of the Small Scale Livestock Waste Management Program Project are to: (a) reduce methane emissions from improved livestock waste management practices through a carbon finance transaction between the World Bank and the project sponsor; and (b) serve as a demonstration for future programmatic Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) activities in Thailand. There are three components to the project, the first component being construction of livestock waste management facilities. These component activities include: (i) installation of anaerobic wastewater treatment systems; (ii) installation of monitoring equipment and devices; and (iii) implementation of an environmental management and indigenous people plan during construction and operation phases. The second component is the carbon finance transaction. This component will facilitate the purchase and transaction of Certified Emission Reduction (CER) from the participating farms through several CDM program activities. Finally, the third component is the capacity building. Participating farms will be responsible for operating and monitoring the livestock waste treatment systems on their own farms as required under the CDM with technical assistance provided by Energy Research and Development Institute of Chiang Mai University (ERDI) and ERDI's consultants. ERDI will provide a capacity building program for the participating farms including: (1) training on the operation of anaerobic wastewater treatment system; (2) training on the handling of monitoring data; and (3) ensuring training for operation and maintenance in close cooperation with suppliers of the generators and monitoring equipments.

The project Thailand Sapthip Biogas Project has changed to Active

2009-06-10T04:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand Sapthip Biogas Project has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Sapthip Wastewater Biogas and Renewable Energy Project for Thailand is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the fossil fuel used at the Sapthip Co., Ltd. bioethanol plant and from the methane produced from the plant's wastewater through the recovery of methane from wastewater treatment and the use of the recovered methane and solid residue from plant operation as fuel. There are two components to the project, the first component being wastewater system with biogas collection. The system will recover and combust the biogas, the majority of which is methane (CH4), a greenhouse gases that, without the project, will have been released directly into the atmosphere by the open-lagoon wastewater treatment systems commonly used in Thailand. The wastewater undergoes a staged treatment process that relies on up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors to generate and capture most of the methane-containing biogas used in the project. Finally, the second component is the renewable energy use. Two 20-ton-per-hour-capacity boilers will be employed to supply the average of 20 tons per hour of steam required for the ethanol plant and to provide sufficient backup capacity in cases of plant shutdown or maintenance. Instead of being dependent on the fossil fuel coal, the boilers will utilize a combination of renewable energy, including the biogas recovered from the wastewater treatment process (58,000 cubic meters per day) and the solid residue ('wet cake') from the distillation column which is dried using waste heat from the boiler (30 tons per day). It is anticipated the boiler will rely on 70 percent biogas and 30 percent wet cake for energy. Excess biogas produced during operation will be used for on-site electricity generation using commercially available biogas-fired generators, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the substitution for fossil fuel based grid electricity that will have been used by the plant without the project.

The project Thailand: Bioenergy Sugar Ethanol Wastewater Management Project is now in the pipeline.

2009-04-23T04:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand: Bioenergy Sugar Ethanol Wastewater Management Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Bio Energy Wastewater Management and Methane Capturing for Electricity Project for Thailand is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through: (i) the avoidance of methane emissions from the wastewater treatment system of the ethanol plant; and (ii) the displacement of electricity produced from fossil fuel to electricity from methane collected from the new wastewater treatment system. There are three components to the project; the first component being improvement of the wastewater management system. This component will improve the management of wastewater and sludge generated by the ethanol plant. The second component is the waste-to-energy and transmission facility. This component will capture methane for electricity generation with the installed capacity of 3.2 MW and annual output of around 18 GWh, which will be sold to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) of Thailand under the Very Small Power Producer Program (VSPP). The electricity will be transmitted through the upgraded transmission line to connect to the provincial grid sub-station. Finally, the third component is the carbon finance transaction.

The project Thailand Small Scale Livestock Waste Management Program is now in the pipeline.

2009-01-30T05:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand Small Scale Livestock Waste Management Program is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Public Sector Development Policy is now in the pipeline.

2008-12-21T05:00:00.000Z

The project Public Sector Development Policy is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Thailand Sapthip Biogas Project is now in the pipeline.

2008-07-30T04:00:00.000Z

The project Thailand Sapthip Biogas Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database