This paper provides field
experiment–based evidence on the potential additional forest
carbon sequestration that cleaner and more fuel-efficient
cookstoves might generate. The paper focuses on the Mirt
(meaning “best”) cookstove, which is used to bake injera,
the staple food in Ethiopia. The analysis finds that the
technology generates per-meal fuel savings of 22 to 31
percent compared with a traditional three-stone stove with

At the end of 2013, there were about 3.3
million people who remained forcibly displaced within the
Great Lakes Region (GLR) of Africa. Of these, 82 percent
were internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 18 percent
refugees; 64 percent were under 18 years old. This Report
analyzes the extent, causes, and character of this forced
displacement, with particular attention to certain situations.

After years of strong performance in the
run-up to the European Union (EU) accession, Bulgaria’s
growth has slowed down and poverty remains the highest in
the EU. Bulgaria achieved the highest recorded growth rates
between 2000-08 on the back of exceptionally high capital
inflows, structural reforms, sound fiscal management and the
prospects of EU accession. Employment boomed and poverty
fell steeply. Since 2008 – the year of global economic

This report is the culmination of a
cross-African countries analytical and empirical study
commissioned by the World Bank, which set out to improve the
understanding of the characteristics and environmental,
economic, and social performances of small-scale fisheries
in Africa. It applies a common evaluation tool, called
Fishery Performance Indicators (FPIs), which evaluates the
ecological, social, and economic performances of a

Recognizing the importance and
uniqueness of the Sundarbans, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
declared the Indian portion of the forest a World Heritage
Site in 1987, and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program
has included the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in the Global
Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves
Contributing to Action on Climate Change and Sustainable

The international development community
is increasingly demanding better evidence on the
effectiveness of policies and programs across different
sectors. The forest sector is no exception. Governments and
donor agencies explicitly seek to link investment to proven
impact. Yet the evidence base necessary to inform
interventions in the forest sector that can successfully
enhance the livelihoods of the forest-dependent poor, foster

The inability to unlock natural resource
wealth for the benefit of developing countries’ local
populations, a phenomenon popularly known as the ‘resource
curse’ or the ‘paradox of plenty’, has spawned extensive
debate among researchers and policy makers in recent years.
There is now a well-established body of literature exploring
the links between natural resources and conflict, with some
sources estimating that over the past 60 years, 40 percent

This paper examines the determinants of
agricultural productivity and its link to poverty using
nationally representative data from the Nigeria General
Household Survey Panel, 2010/11. The findings indicate an
elasticity of poverty reduction with respect to agricultural
productivity of between 0.25 to 0.3 percent, implying that a
10 percent increase in agricultural productivity will
decrease the likelihood of being poor by between 2.5 and 3

From 2004 to 2012, Zambia experienced a
combination of good economic policies and high rates of
growth not seen since the early years after its
independence. While growth was mainly driven by rising
copper prices, other factors contributed to Zambia’s ability
to take advantage of this growth. The international debt
relief programs in 2004-2005 almost eliminated public debt
and provided the fiscal space for selective, high-priority

Costa Rica stands out for being one of
the most politically stable, progressive, and prosperous
nations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Political
stability and inclusive social policies have contributed to
solid growth rates and the modernization of the country. The
combination of political stability, the social compact and
steady growth, has resulted in one of the lowest poverty
rates in LAC. Costa Rica is also a global leader for its

What is second-generation biofuel
technology worth to global society? A dynamic, computable
partial equilibrium model (called FABLE) is used to assess
changes in global land use for crops, livestock, biofuels,
forestry, and environmental services, as well as greenhouse
gas emissions, with and without second-generation biofuels
technology. The difference in the discounted stream of
global valuations of land-based goods and services gives the

China is considered one of the most seriously eroded countries in the world. The
many causes of this degradation can be divided into natural, human-induced and root causes.
The consequences of watershed degradation are severe and reach even beyond the country’s
boundaries. Addressing this issue requires a sustainable participatory and integrated watershed
management approach. The Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Projects, implemented by
the Ministry of Water Resources and co-financed by the World Bank has provided a model that