In Sub-Saharan Africa, ineffective rural transport services present a major obstacle to economic and social development. Deciding who owns the roads, who finances the maintenance, and who manages them is a fundamental requirement. This volume proposes a framework for improving management and financing of local government roads and community roads and paths based on two distinct owner categories and a redefined partnership between the public and private sectors.

This paper provides practical guidance to government officials charged with managing case-by-case privatization programs. It identifies the key steps for privatization, describes sale options and the processes for carrying them out, and examines special conditions. It outlines how governments should undertake case-by-case privatization by identifying basic principles and common challenges, describes various methods for valuing state enterprises, and explains the role of financial advisers and sales agents in valuing candidates for privatization and developing sale options.

Using the Ricardian approach (a cross sectional analysis of farm performance across different climate zones), this report examines the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector and the sector's adaptation to that change. Studies in the report measure the climate sensitivity of low-capital agriculture, test whether actual farm performance is as sensitive to climate as agronomic models predict, and compare the climate sensitivity of low-capital farms with the results already calibrated for U.S. agriculture. The goal of the study is to examine farm behavior and test whether there is any...

Mining and industrial activities, if poorly managed, can damage the environment and leave behind contaminated soils, polluted groundwater, and waste material. The two papers in this volume illustrate the methodologies developed for selecting priority sites for remediating environmental problems due to mining. It also describes the high priority investments that would provide the greatest benefits for the available resources. The methodologies have broad application and could be used to identify priority remediation investments in other sectors where past activities have led to environmental...

This paper examines the increased role of the private sector in developing and maintaining critical infrastructure. It identifies governments' quest to shift part of the burden of new infrastructure investments to the private sector for the economic development of firms and industry and the improvement of quality of life and, given the constraints on public budgets, to finance growing infrastructure needs. Adequate infrastructure services include power, telecommunications, transport, water supply and sanitation. The paper also emphasizes the private sector involvement in bringing increased...

Despite its importance, labor is one of the least addressed issues in privatization. The lack of information on the employment impact of privatization has exacerbated the fears and concerns of governments and workers alike. This paper examines the effects of privatization on labor and analyzes the mechanisms that governments can use to minimize the political and social costs of labor restructuring in privatization, by drawing on the experience of mixed economies.

This paper highlights key urban groundwater issues and management needs. It also raises awareness and understanding of hydrogeological processes in urban areas and provides a framework for the proper and systematic consideration of groundwater dimensions in urban management. This paper suggests options for greater sustainable development and management of groundwater in urban areas.

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