This report is part of a broader global
study, the Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change (EACC),
which has two principal objectives: (a) to develop a global
estimate of adaptation costs for informing international
climate negotiations; and (b) to help decision makers in
developing countries assess the risks posed by climate
change and design national strategies for adapting to it.
The purpose of this study is to assist the Government of

This chapter examines overarching
mineral policies and mining laws to identify current trends
in mineral development that contribute towards sustainable
development. From those trends key components are defined
that, if embedded in overarching policy and legal
instruments, becomes tools of sustainability.

The detrimental health effects of environmental exposure to arsenic have become increasingly clear in the last few years. High concentrations detected in groundwater from a number of aquifers across the world, including in South and East Asia, have been found responsible for health problems ranging from skin disorders to cardiovascular disease and cancer. The problem has increased greatly in recent years with the growing use of tubewells to tap groundwater for water supply and irrigation.

The objectives of the project ($9.37
million, 1996-2001) were to (a) enhance the capacity of the
mining sector institutions to carry out their functions of
encouraging and regulating investments in the mining sector
in an environmentally sound manner and (b) support the use
of techniques and mechanisms that will improve productivity,
financial viability and reduce the environmental impact of
small-scale mining operations. It had two components:

This is the first Economic Report on
Afghanistan by the World Bank in a quarter-century. It is
intended to contribute to a better understanding of the core
challenges that lie ahead for the country and key strategic
priorities for national reconstruction. It focuses on the
conceptual frameworks, policies, and institutions that will
be needed to achieve core national objectives of
state-building; sustained rapid, broad-based economic

In conformity with its objective of
functioning as a local Government, Kathmandu Metropolitan
City (KMC) sought the assistance of the World Bank for the
preparation of a City Development Strategy (CDS). The
various sectoral as well as integrated strategies presented
in this document seem to be an overwhelming demand on KMC
with its limited manpower and money. A CDS is essential if
KMC is to focus its development potential. The optimism lies

The authors describe and analyze the emergence of river basin management in the Warta River Basin of Poland. The Warta basin's 55,193 k

In conformity with its objective of
functioning as a local Government, Kathmandu Metropolitan
City (KMC) sought the assistance of the World Bank for the
preparation of a City Development Strategy (CDS) for
Kathmandu. The various sectoral as well as integrated
strategies presented in this document seem to be an
overwhelming demand on KMC with its limited manpower and
money. However, a CDS is essential if KMC is to focus its

Favorable economic conditions offer a
window of opportunity for the Ukrainian government External
factors served as a catalyst for the economic turnaround but
policies and reforms have also played a critical role.
Nevertheless, the positive trends will weaken without vision
at the top level of government. An "insider
economy" threatens to become a primary obstacle to
Ukraine's future development and also weakens the link

This publication provides guidance to
water-sector decision makers and planners on how to deal
with the quality dimension of groundwater resources
management in the World Bank's client countries. There
is growing evidence of increasing pollution threats to
groundwater and some well-documented cases of irreversible
damage to important aquifers. This guide has been produced
in the belief that groundwater pollution hazard assessment

In conformity with its objective of
functioning as a local Government, Kathmandu Metropolitan
City (KMC) sought the assistance of the World Bank for the
preparation of a City Development Strategy (CDS) for
Kathmandu. The various sectoral as well as integrated
strategies presented in this document seem to be an
overwhelming demand on KMC with its limited manpower and
money. However, a CDS is essential if KMC is to focus its

About 50 countries have prepared interim
and full Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). In this
context, this paper examines Millennium Development Goal
(MDG)7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability, its targets
and indicators, and responds to three questions: To what
extent do PRSPs define and adopt targets and indicators that
align with those of MDG7? To what extent do the available
data allow tracking of progress with respect to MDG7? When