This history illustrates a number of
themes encountered in Swaziland that faces developing
countries and their external partners in Africa and beyond.
Firstly, the history relates the experience of a small and
comparatively insular country in addressing complex
challenges deriving from rapid urbanization and, as a
result, the growing need to adapt governance systems and
structures. A second key issue is the challenge that small

The present study examines the
challenges facing municipal governments in FYR Macedonia.
The introductory chapter provides some further context for
these developments, in terms of the challenges they pose
for urban areas and their governments. Chapter Two examines
issues for financial management of municipalities under the
decentralized regime, and the attendant need for improving
local government capacity. The third chapter highlights

Sana'a is located in an upland
basin at an altitude of 2300 meters within a mountainous and
semi-arid region of Yemen. Because of its high altitude, the
city enjoys a moderate climate year around. The main rainy
season is in summer. The nearest port is Hodeidah, roughly
250 kilometers away. Bound by mountains and steep slopes to
the east and west, the city has few options but to expand
primarily along its north and south axes within its basin.

The objective of this paper is to
present a succinct and up-to-date review of the urban sector
in Egypt, with a focus on issues for which there is new
insight or emerging government interest. The two main themes
of the report are the challenges facing the urban sector and
the policy implications at various levels of government.
Some of the reports mains findings are: urbanization in
Egypt takes on forms and processes which are not well

The objective of this study on the
Development of 13 Mozambican Municipalities in Central and
Northern Mozambique is to assess the impact that the 2008
reforms on own-source revenues is having on the municipal
revenue potential. To do so, it calculates the revenue
potential of four fiscal and three non-fiscal revenue
sources. The analysis shows that there is substantial
untapped revenue potential at the municipal level, with

Global concerns about climate change
have led to the development of new market based mechanisms
aimed at reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases
(GHGs) in the atmosphere. These carbon trading schemes
enable countries or entities within countries to trade
'carbon credits' in order to increase the economic
efficiency of transitioning to a low carbon economy. A
sub-set of these markets involve the generation of carbon

A Country Environmental Analysis (CEA)
is a World Bank analytical tool used to integrate
environmental issues into development assistance strategies,
programs, and projects. To that end, the CEA synthesizes
environmental issues, highlights the environmental and
economic implications of development policies, and evaluates
the country's environmental management capacity. It is
composed of three analytical building blocks: the

Transitional shelter can play a crucial
role in housing reconstruction following a mega disaster.
Reconstruction of permanent housing cannot move forward
until a number of complex issues are settled, such as
relocation planning and removal of debris. Even after plans
are agreed on and reconstruction begins, it may take several
years for permanent housing to be completed. In this
context, affected people may need to rely on transitional

Cities' development matters to
Pakistan. It is central to economic growth, job creation and
quality of life. This is also one of the core themes in the
2011 Government of Pakistan Framework for Economic Growth
(FEG). This paper explores the conditions for
growth-enhancing spatial change in Pakistan s cities.
Cities' development matters to Pakistan. Two strands of
analysis are developed. First, it reviews the performance

Industrial parks are as popular as they
are controversial, in India and globally. At their best they
align infrastructure provision and agglomeration economies
to jolt industrial growth. More often, they generate
negative spill-overs, provide handouts, sit empty, or simply
do not get built. This paper disaggregates how parks are
built and how they fail. It contextualizes parks in India,
followed by a thick case study of an innovative scheme that

The great 21st-century migration into
cities will present both a great challenge for humanity and
a significant opportunity for global economic growth. This
paper describes the diverse patterns that define this
metropolitan migration. It then lays out a framework for
understanding the costs and benefits of new arrivals through
migration's externalities and the challenges and policy
tradeoffs that confront city stakeholders. The paper

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is one of the most
densely populated states in India with high rates of
poverty. The state is a major contributor to the
agricultural staples of the country and, at present, a large
percentage of the state s labor force is engaged in
low-productivity agricultural activities with the
agricultural sector employing 60 percent of all formal
workers at the state level. The purpose of this report is to