Following the collapse of the Soviet
Union, Moldova faced the deepest and most prolonged
recession among transition countries, and the resulting
increase in poverty has made it the poorest country in
Europe today. The main objective of this report is to update
and assess poverty in Moldova in its multiple dimensions,
with a view to informing public policies. It focuses on the
period of recession that followed the Russian crisis and the

This study examines the poverty, and
growth experience of six villages in rural Ethiopia, from
1989 to 1995. The time period was one of relative peace
politically, which promoted considerable change in economic
policies pertaining to the rural sector. As a result, local
growth out-performed the average growth rate in gross
domestic product. The focus of the study is the link between
economic reforms, growth, and changes in poverty. The author

The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of various types of
government spending on growth and poverty reduction, using provincial level data over
the last decade. Government spending reduces poverty through many channels such as
agricultural growth and improved nonfarm employment. We will try to capture all these
different effects in the analysis if the data allow. This paper opens with a review of
Vietnam’s economic reforms and growth over the past decade. We then sketch Vietnam’s

Recent trends in Albania suggest that it
has the potential for a modern and competitive agricultural
sector, provided there is sufficient private investment and
the right policy environment. This chapter looks at the role
of agriculture in the economy and the current status of the
sector, and outlines the implications of modernization and
transformation of agriculture for rural areas. It also
identifies trends and sources of growth for agriculture, and

Timor-Leste has achieved enormous
progress in rehabilitating its economy, reconstructing its
infrastructure, reintegrating its refugees and building the
key elements of a sustainable political process in an
environment of internal peace. It now faces many challenges
of nation-building and of overcoming the deprivation
affecting the lives of the poor. This report written in two
volumes lays out the challenge of poverty reduction in

A major section of over 720 million
rural poor in India continue to depend on biomass sources
for meeting their energy requirements. Most of these poor
people continue to burn biomass in energy-inefficient
devices, locally called Chulhas. This study report is based
on an evaluation of the National Program for Improved
Chulhas (NPIC) conducted as part of a larger Bank study
entitled India : household energy, indoor air pollution and

The purpose of this Economic Sector Work
(ESW) is to: (i) provide a framework to help the government
analyze transport sector issues and finalize the update of
the transport sector strategy; and (ii) identify issues and
challenges that can be addressed through donor funded
operations. This ESW focuses on roads, air, and port
transport. Transport infrastructure and services have a
vital role to play in the economic and social development of

Timor-Leste has achieved enormous
progress in rehabilitating its economy, reconstructing its
infrastructure, reintegrating its refugees and building the
key elements of a sustainable political process in an
environment of internal peace. It now faces many challenges
of nation-building and of overcoming the deprivation
affecting the lives of the poor. This report written in two
volumes lays out the challenge of poverty reduction in

This report discusses the study of slums
in the city of Surat and it is divided into eight sections.
Section one introduces the study and discusses general
background, overall methodology, methods and techniques of
data collection, and methods of analysis; section two
profiles the city of Surat and slums therein; section three
discusses definition and recognition of slums and situation
of tenure of land along with the physical and social

The country's approach to poverty reduction is outlined in the 2003 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, and draws on a development approach in which growth and poverty reduction are mutually reinforcing. Three areas of focus are identified in the PRSP: (1) restoration of law and improvements in governance; (2) promotion of broad-based growth; and (3) promotion of systems for establishing human and material security. The DPR presents Madagascar's development policy agenda in an integrated framework within which issues of policy consistency, priorities, and sequencing could be addressed.

The states in the Brazilian Amazon have
made progress in reducing poverty and improving social
indicators in the last decade. Despite this progress, the
poverty rate in the Amazon is among the highest in Brazil.
As of 2000, rural poverty is the greatest challenge. In
Par?, not only is the headcount poverty rate of 58.4 percent
in rural areas more than 55 percent higher than headcount
poverty in urban areas, but also poverty is much deeper in

Lithuania's long-term economic
strategy aims at building the foundations for achieving
rapid convergence with Western European countries. The
medium-term objective of the economic policy is to meet the
economic criteria for accession and to get ready for
membership in the European and Monetary Union (EMU) after
accession. This will be acheived through continued
macroeconomic stability, fiscal consolidation, and further