This paper seeks to develop estimates of
the net cost of the urban expansion in Tanzania. The paper
focuses on developing estimates of the cost of planning and
servicing land for new residential urban settlement. It does
not attempt to develop detailed estimates of the cost of
addressing infrastructure backlogs which would include the
retrofitting of basic urban infrastructure to unplanned
areas. On the revenue side, estimates of current spending in

Although charcoal is the single most
important energy source for millions of urban dwellers in
Tanzania, being used by all tiers of society from laborers
to politicians, it seems to be politically neglected and
even unwanted, given that it is not considered as a possible
mean to achieve long-term sustainable development, for
example as a low-carbon growth option contributing to energy
security, sustainable forest management, and poverty

Input subsidy programs carry support as
instruments to increase agricultural productivity, provided
they are market-smart. This requires especially proper
targeting to contain the fiscal pressure, with decentralized
targeting of input vouchers currently the instrument of
choice. Nonetheless, despite clear advantages in
administrative costs, the fear of elite capture persists.
These fears are borne out in the experience from the 2008

In recent years, the number of studies
looking at the effect of politics on economic outcomes has
flourished. For developing economies, these studies are
useful to better understand why long overdue reforms are not
implemented. The studies analyze the overall context within
which reforms are being implemented and the underlying
incentive framework. However, it seems difficult to make
such studies actionable, especially in sectors where donors

This study attempts to quantify the
benefits that could be obtained for the country of
Afghanistan from the developments of the Aynak copper and
Hajigak iron ore deposits and to discuss policies and
programs-based on the experience of other countries-that
will tend to maximize the benefits from these and other
mines. In this study, the potential economic benefits to
Afghanistan of its mining sector will be analyzed, focusing

This paper explores the reduction of
food insecurity in Bolivia, adopting a supply side approach
that analyzes the role of agricultural spending on
vulnerability. Vulnerability to food insecurity is captured
by a municipal level composite -- developed locally within
the framework of World Food Program food security analysis
-- that combines welfare outcomes, weather conditions and
agricultural potential for all 327 municipalities in 2003,

The Chinese budget law prevents
subnational governments from borrowing. However, Subnational
Governments (SNG) borrows indirectly off-budget, through
Urban Development and Investment Corporations (UDIC). There
are various estimates on the off-budget liabilities, with
one estimate having the liabilities at more than 30 percent
of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This paper provides a
discussion of more reform options for China, anchored with

The Dominican Republic-Central American
Free Trade Agreement with the United States aims to create a
free trade zone for economic development. The Agreement is
expected to intensify commerce and investment among the
participating countries. This paper analyzes the changes in
the production and trading patterns in 2-digit manufacturing
sectors with the goal of understanding the short-term
environmental implications of the Dominican Republic-Central

The purpose of this paper is to provide
information on how to transform and strengthen pluralistic
agricultural extension and advisory systems in moving toward
the broader goal of increasing farm income and improving
rural livelihoods. The focus of this book is primarily on
the technical knowledge, management skills, and information
services that small-scale farm households will need to
improve their livelihoods in the rapidly changing global

This policy note analyzes the
composition of public expenditures that support devolved
services (including the resource allocation decisions that
support these expenditures), an assessment of the quality of
local service delivery based on available local data, and an
evaluation of the interactions between various public
entities that finance and provide local services. The report
includes reviews of local capital investments, local road

The expanding coverage of social
assistance in Vietnam raises a question of whether relevant
arrangements at all levels are sufficiently robust to handle
a larger program. This note explores institutional and
delivery aspects of formal and informal social assistance in
metropolitan cities. It is a result of a rapid assessment of
governance and administration of social assistance in
metropolitan cities, including interviews with related

This Country Economic Memorandum (CEM)
is the first for Burundi since the 1980s. It has been
developed in collaboration with the government of Burundi.
The CEM has been prepared in cooperation with the African
development bank and the U.K. department for international
development. Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the
world, and has suffered from many years of civil conflict
and its consequences. In the last years, peace has been