Persistent malnutrition is contributing not only to widespread failure to meet the first MDG to halve poverty and hunger but to meet other goals in maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, education, and gender equity. The choice is now between continuing to fail, or to finally make nutrition central to development. Underweight prevalence among children is the key indicator for measuring progress on non-income poverty and malnutrition remains the world's most serious health problem and the single biggest contributor to child mortality. Nearly a third of children in the developing world are either...

Le Bassin du fleuve Niger compte approximativement 100 million d'habitants et constitue une richesse vitale mais complexe de l'Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale. En traversant neuf pays le Benin, le Burkina Faso, le Cameroun, le Tchad, la Cote d'Ivoire, la Guinee, le Mali, le Niger et le Nigeria le fleuve Niger contribue aux moyens d'existence et a la geopolitique de ces pays. Le Niger est aussi l'origine d'une identite, une voie de migration et de commerce, mais egalement une source potentielle de conflicts et un catalyseur de la cooperation. La cooperation entre les decideurs et les...

'This study provides a balanced and serious evaluation of the trade and development challenges facing Central America in the next decade, especially those associated with DR-CAFTA. And there is a sobering and timely message within these pages. DR-CAFTA offers great opportunity, but it is no magic potion. Capitalizing on the opportunities andd mitigating the costs depends critically on the success by the Central Americans in developing an effective domestic agenda and handling the ensuing economic and social restructuring. The study provides useful guidance toward this objective, including how...

'This document offers an excellent explanation of the concept of empowerment and develops a very useful framework for disentangling and clarifying the concept. It is both practical and well justified on the basis of the literature. The approach and survey instruments developed to measure empowerment are innovative and very useful. Developing an approach to empirically measure empowerment, and to track empowerment indicators over time in a way that is operationally feasible and consistent with World Bank standards is certainly an outstanding achievement.' --Reginer Birner, Senior Research...

In order to face the challenge of disappointing returns on public investment in irrigation and drainage, new solutions have emerged. These solutions are based on widely available technology and new management and governance options. The main message of 'Re-engaging in Agricultural Water Management' is that the irrigation and drainage sector should not continue to be dealt with as a standalone sector, but should be integrated into a broader perspective, one that embraces the objectives of productivity growth, poverty reduction, natural resources management and environmental protection.

This book contains a wealth of information and analysis relating to mineral royalties. Primary information includes royalty legislation from over forty nations. Analysis is comprehensive and addresses issues of importance to diverse stakeholders including government policymakers, tax administrators, society, local communities and mining companies. Extensive footnotes and citations provide a valuable resource for researchers.

Empirical insights on household behavior and electricity consumption patterns in this book reveal that, in Europe and Central Asia, the erosion of tariff based subsidies has disproportionately affected the poor, while direct transfers through social benefit systems have often been inadequately targeted. 'People and Power' suggests alternative strategies for achieving cost-recovery in the electricity sector in a socially and politically acceptable manner, providing lessons that are equally relevant for other utilities and regions.

Large-scale efforts have been made since the 1990s to ensure that all children of the world go to school. But mere enrollment is not sufficient, students must become fluent in reading and calculation by the end of grade 2. Fluency is needed to process large amounts of text quickly and use the information for decisions that may ultimately reduce poverty. State-of-the-art brain imaging and cognitive psychology research can help formulate effective policies for improving the basic skills of low-income students. This book integrates research into applications that extend from preschool brain...

China's remarkable economic growth has been supported by a generally adequate and relatively low-cost supply of energy, creating the world's largest coal industry, its second-largest oil market, and an electic power business that is adding capacity at an unprecedented rate. However, in fueling that impressive economic growth, the energy sector has increasingly stressed the natural environment, placed heavy demands on domestic energy sources, and exposed the country to risks of dependence on foreign petroleum supplies. If energy requirements continue to double every decade, China will not be...

This book contributes to the debate about the role of agriculture in poverty reduction by addressing three sets of questions: (1) Does investing in agriculture enhance/harm overall economicgrowth, and if so, under what conditions? (2) Do poor people tend to participate more/less in growth in agriculture than in growth in other sectors, and if so, when? (3) If a focus on agriculturewould tend to yield larger participation by the poor, butslower overall growth, which strategy would tend to have the largest payoff in terms of poverty reduction, andunder which conditions?