Weather risk and incomplete insurance
markets are significant contributors to poverty for rural
households in developing countries. Weather index insurance
has emerged as a possible tool for overcoming these
challenges. This paper provides evidence on the impact of
weather index insurance from a pioneering, large-scale
insurance program in Mexico. The focus of this analysis is
on the ex-post effects of insurance payments. A regression

This report sets forth details of a financial recovery plan designed to help Vietnam Electricity (EVN), and the Vietnamese power sector more generally, to address a series of complex and interconnected challenges over the next 3 to 10 years. These challenges are operational and institutional as well as financial, and will lead to fundamental changes over time in the way that EVN and the overall power sector operate.

Despite its rapid growth in recent
decades, GDP per capita in India remains at a relatively low
level by international standards, and the country continues
to be marked by large subnational disparities in levels of
well-being. These large disparities naturally lead to
interest in India’s spatial landscape of potential for
economic development. Against this backdrop, this paper
presents the results of an analysis of underlying variations

The Philippine Economic Update (PEU)
provides an update on key economic and social developments,
as well as policies over the past six months. It also
presents findings from recent World Bank studies on the
Philippines. It places them in a longer term and global
context, and assesses the implications of these developments
and policies on the outlook for the Philippines. Its
coverage ranges from the macro-economy and financial markets

The objective of this report is to
update the Government of Bangladesh, think tanks and
researchers, the general public as well as the Bank’s senior
management on the state of the economy, outlook, risks,
progress on structural policy reforms, and key challenges
the economy is currently facing. The coverage includes
developments in the real sector focusing on growth,
inflation, and poverty; external sector developments

Participatory community development
programs are designed to match government investments with
local needs. In Morocco, where issues of inequality and
poverty are high on the national agenda, a community
development program, the National Initiative for Human
Development, targeted high-poverty areas for additional
investments. This paper examines whether, in addition to
reducing poverty, such programs can also promote human

People living in poverty are
particularly vulnerable to shocks, including those caused by
natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Previous
studies in local contexts have shown that poor people are
also often overrepresented in hazard-prone areas. However,
systematic evidence across countries demonstrating this
finding is lacking. This paper analyzes at the country level
whether poor people are disproportionally exposed to floods

The Indonesia Economic Quarterly (IEQ)
has two main aims. First, it reports on the key developments
over the past three months in Indonesia’s economy, and
places these in a longerterm and global context. Based on
these developments, and on policy changes over the period,
the IEQ regularly updates the outlook for Indonesia’s
economy and social welfare. Second, the IEQ provides a more
in-depth examination of selected economic and policy issues,

Analysis of Sri Lanka’s recent progress
in reducing poverty and inequality is directly relevant to
the new government’s development agenda. The newly sworn-in
president ran for election on a platform that featured,
among other goals, inclusive growth and support to the
agricultural sector. The pursuit of these and other goals of
the new administration can be informed by a fuller
understanding of recent developments in household living

Bhutan’s hydropower generation potential
raises the prospect of tremendous development opportunities
for the country: fast increasing export revenue, sustained
economic growth, and rapid poverty reduction. Driven by
developments in the hydropower sector, the country has grown
at an average rate of 7 percent per year over the last
decade, while poverty has declined remarkably fast. But
hydropower development also creates significant challenges

Market-based reforms and the opening up
of trade and investment initiated over the past four years
have had a positive impact on growth in Myanmar. These have
enhanced private sector participation and increased the role
of exports in the economy. Reforms have included streamlined
business entry procedures, reduced export and import
licensing requirements, and enhanced public-private
partnerships and dialogue. Promoting private sector

Costa Rica stands out for being among the most politically stable, progressive, prosperous, and environmentally conscious nations in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. Its development model has brought important economic, social, and environmental dividends, with sustained growth, upward mobility for a large share of the population, important gains in social indicators, and significant achievements in reforestation and conservation. However, there are a number of development challenges that need to be addressed to maintain the country’s successful development path.