The urban population in many developing countries continues to grow at more than six percent per year. The number of cities with a population of over 10 million inhabitants is expected to double within a generation. More importantly, within a generation, more than half of the developing world's population and between a third and one-half of its poor, will then reside in cities. Not only will the number of inhabitants in cities continue to increase but the problems associated with an increasing urban population will be exacerbated.

This report constitutes a step towards the objective of designing an integrated strategy for rural poverty reduction in Brazil, with a particular focus on rural poor in the Northeast and Southeast of Brazil. The report identifies key determinants of rural poverty in these regions and proposes a strategic framework in which to couch a set of integrated policies that could effectively help to reduce rural poverty in Brazil.

The need for an integrated strategy arises because of the heterogeneous nature of the rural poor in Brazil. As no single simple remedy for rural poverty reduction in...

An important new annual publication from the World Bank, 'Doing Business in 2004' provides both qualitative and quantitative information on the business climate in over 130 countries. 'Doing Business' constructs a new set of indicators on the regulatory environment for private sector development and provides a collection of informative case studies of real-life experiences. 'Doing Business in 2004' covers the fundamental aspects of a business life cycle, from starting a business to bankruptcy. Topics include access to credit, bankruptcy, entry regulations, contract enforcement, and labor...

This work is a guide to the activities of the World Bank Group, especially the information resources that the Bank Group organizations generate. It recognizes the extensiveness of the Bank Group's Internet resources, and is designed to document and complement them.

This book offers five geographically and institutionally diverse case studies from Latin America, where some of the longest-running and most successful programs in this field have been conducted. Representing a wide variety of funding arrangements and outside involvement, the stories presented in the book rely on a qualitative approach and demonstrate the positive impact that community participation and people-oriented service solutions can have on slum upgrading efforts. A road map and practical, hands-on guide for local officials and policy makers as they attempt to design and manage slum...

The 'World Bank Atlas 2003' provides easy-to-read, colorful world maps, tables, and graphs highlighting key social, economic, and environmental data for 208 countries. Drawing on data from 'World Development Indicators', the World Bank's respected annual compilation of development data, the Atlas brings to life cross-country comparisons of social indicators like life expectancy, infant mortality, safe water, population below the poverty line, girls in school, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as basic economic indicators like income growth, income per person, private...

Broad-based growth is one of the four pillars of the Nicaraguan Government's Poverty Reduction Strategy. Living standards of the rural poor will continue to depend largely upon agriculture. This study takes stock of major developments in Nicaragua's agricultural sector and argues that broad-based growth can be promoted by strengthening agricultural competitiveness. Export growth is the key, requiring immediate action within a coherent strategy. The case of coffee is used to illustrate the proposed strategy. The study also identifies productivity constraints in rural factor markets, suggesting...

The purpose of this report is to provide diagnoses and policy recommendation in public expenditure management in Peru. The introductory chapter of the book provides a synthesis of Peru's public expenditure reform agenda from the Bank's perspective. Chapter II-IV examine the core functions of the public expenditure management. Chapters V-VIII explore selected themes such as the decentralization of public administration and the social sectors; civil service reform; governance and corruption; and mining and fiscal environmental issues. The report does not attempt to provide full coverage of all...

A universal concern in reforms involving private participation in infrastructure is the effect such reforms have on labor. Fears of job loss and changes in employment status have often led enterprise workers and unions to be among the most vocal and organized opponents of privatization and to take actions that delay or block reforms. Many developing country governments have been reluctant to undertake reforms because of labor opposition and the political costs involved. Such difficulties are often compounded by concerns about the social impact of reforms, particularly in countries where...

The global knowledge economy is transforming the demands of the labor market in economies worldwide. It is placing new demands on citizens, who need more skills and knowledge to function in their day-to-day lives than can be acquired in formal education systems alone. Lifelong learning from early childhood to retirement is education for the knowledge economy, and it is as crucial in transition and developing economies as it is in the developed world. A roadmap for policymakers in developing countries to the key issues and challenges of education in a knowledge economy, this book explores the...