Payments for Environmental Services
(PES) are one of the instruments that countries might use to
try to reduce deforestation, and hence receive payments for
Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation
(REDD). This paper discusses four aspects related to the use
of PES as an instrument to implement an avoided
deforestation program, based on a review of PES experiences
in Latin America. First, the paper discusses the

They are being hailed as the new Holy
Grail of economic development. The success of special
economic zones (SEZ) in general and specialized ones in
particular (industrial and technology parks) in countries as
diverse as Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland,
Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and
more recently, China; Korea; Taiwan, China; or Mauritius,
has led several African leaders to launch new similar

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

This paper reviews empirical findings
from economic analyses of the role of gender equality and
women's empowerment in reducing poverty and stimulating
growth. Going beyond the large literature documenting the
impact of female education on a range of development
outcomes, the paper presents evidence on the impact of
women's access to markets (labor, land, and credit) and
women's decision-making power within households on

What transforms a Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) project from a desirable project on a
government 'wish list' to an attractive investment
opportunity in the eyes of a potential private sector
partner? This guide seeks to enhance the chances of
developing effective partnerships between the public and the
private sectors by addressing one of the main obstacles to
the effective delivery of PPP projects: having the right

This document provides a summary
assessment of (presented) scaled-up crediting instruments as
well as existing project-based crediting schemes against a
number of important general characteristics of such
instruments. Its purpose is to provide insights that may
inform the design and use of possible scaled-up crediting
instruments. This summary assessment begins with an
examination of proposals for scaled-up crediting mechanisms.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is exploring
options for public private partnerships (PPP) in the
wastewater services as part of a strategy to expand sewerage
access and to meet its environmental obligations. The
purpose of this report is to identify those models of
partnership which are most relevant to DJB's situation
and to discuss some of the advantages and risks associated
with them. The report goes on to propose an outline for a

After the post-war reconstruction period
that started in 1990-1992, Lebanon made spectacular
improvements to repair the scars of the wars by investing
heavily in public infrastructure, roads, highways, airports
and harbors, communications, commercial estates, and high
and middle income housing. The environmental neglect had an
impact on the economy and resulted in a degradation
amounting to US$ 565 million in 2000 or 3.4 percent of Gross

This issue includes the following
headings: renewable energy: wind and solar; energy
efficiency: green building; and green finance:
infrastructure finance.

This report sets out various options for
regulatory reform of the Indian port sector. The terms of
reference from The World Bank require the Author making
recommendations to the Ministry of Finance (Department of
Economic Affairs) with respect to alternative institutional
and legal options for regulation of the port sector in India
as well as analysing key considerations in the regulation of
this sector and the way they are being addressed in the

Structural change is a key driver of
rapid growth: countries diversify into new industries, firms
learn new things, people move to new locations. Anything
that slows this structural change is also likely to slow
growth. Because urbanization is one of the most important
enabling parallel processes in rapid growth, making it work
well is critical. Urbanization's contribution to growth
comes from two sources: the difference between rural and

The agricultural season in Bosnia and
Herzegovina (BH) begins earlier than in most European
countries, shipping costs are relatively low, and land and
labor prices are more favorable than in other southern
European countries. As a result, the country's
agriculture sector should be well positioned to compete on
the export markets. With 20.6 percent of all employed in BH,
agriculture remains an important sector for employment,