This qualitative assessment of poverty
in Albania seeks to deepen the understanding of poverty in
the country, first, by involving poor Albanians in a process
of exploring the causes, nature, extent of poverty, and how
it affects their livelihoods. Second, it is intended to
support the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
(PRSP). Third, it supports preparation of the Country
Assistance Strategy (CAS), and the Living Standards

Urban growth is, in all parts of the
world, inevitable and welcomed. Despite concerns that local
governments will not be able to address those issues
associated with increased urban population, the number of
people living in urban centers will sur-pass those of the
rural population by 2030. Since productivity levels are
consistently higher in urban areas than in rural settings,
this would seem a reason to rejoice since it suggests more

This review of the active portfolio of
World Bank projects aimed at improving urban environmental
quality was carried out during 2002-03 in order to assess
the level of commitment of the institution to urban
sustainability. The review focuses on the contributions of
key sectors to urban environmental improvements, in
particular on those belonging to the Infrastructure
Vice-Presidency, and on how projects are contributing to

This volume presents a set of Policy
Notes prepared by the World Bank's Brazil Team with
partners during 2002 as a contribution for the debate of
policies by the new federal and state governments elected in
October 2002. The objectives of making these Policy Notes
available to a broader audience is twofold. It could
contribute to the discussion in Brazil and elsewhere about
public policies to be formulated by the Brazilian

The book intends to trigger, and support
policy debate in Colombia. The first part distills four
thematic chapters, responsive to the country's current
realities, as well as to the five decades of development
partnership with the Bank, spanning the entire development
spectrum. First, violence, sustainable peace, and
development introduces the reader to the source of violence
- armed, and social conflicts, and drug trade prevalent in

This study serves as the preliminary
basis for further rounds of discussions and analyses among
stakeholders to arrive at a strategic vision for the Eritrea
health sector. It incorporates comments received from the
Ministry of Health's central agencies, Zoba (regional)
health teams, external partners working in Eritrea, and the
World Bank Eritrea Country Team. In March 2001, the Ministry
of Health of the Government of Eritrea launched a process to

This qualitative assessment of poverty
in Albania seeks to deepen the understanding of poverty in
the country, first, by involving poor Albanians in a process
of exploring the causes, nature, extent of poverty, and how
it affects their livelihoods. Second, it is intended to
support the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
(PRSP); third, it supports preparation of the Country
Assistance Strategy (CAS), and the Living Standards

The focus of the report, combined with
Vietnam's remarkable long-term growth potential,
presents a favorable outlook, suggesting the effects of the
East Asian crisis are over. The country is committed to
socially inclusive development, and, translates a vision of
transition towards a market economy, with socialist
orientation into concrete public actions, emphasizing the
transition should be pro-poor, noting this will require

What drives growth at the microeconomic
level? The authors divide the factors that determine a
location's growth performance into two groups,
"1st advantage" and "2nd advantage." The
term 1st advantage refers to the conditions that provide the
environment in which new activities can be profitably
developed, including most of the factors on which
traditional theory has focused, such as access to inputs

The report's objectives are i) to
better understand the nature and magnitude of urban
transport problems, particularly in respect of the poor, and
ii) to articulate a strategy by which the World Bank and
other agencies can assist national and city governments to
address these problems. The first part of the report
considers how urban transport can be used as an instrument
of urban development and poverty reduction. Chapter 2

Brazil entered the 1990s suffering the
consequences of a lost decade of high inflation and slow
growth. Between 1980 and 1990, per capita income declined in
real terms, and the share of the population in extreme
poverty rose from 16.5 to 19 percent -and from 36 to 42
percent in the Northeast. Income distribution worsened. Key
social indicators improved little, particularly in the
Northeast. These adverse conditions persisted in the early

India's transport
system--especially surface transport--is seriously
deficient, and its services are highly inefficient by
international standards. The economic losses from congestion
and poor roads are estimated at 120 to 300 billion rupees a
year. This report takes a critical assessment of the key
policy and institutional issues that continue to contribute
to the poor performance of the transport sector in India.