The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
Women, Business and the Law 2024 is the 10th in a series of annual studies measuring the enabling conditions that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. To present a more complete picture of the global environment that enables women’s socioeconomic participation, this year Women, Business and the Law introduces …
The world is in the midst of a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste. The global economy is consuming ever more natural resources, while the world is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. The scientific community has never before been more …
In 2021, UNICEF updated its guidance on the Procurement and Use of Breastmilk Substitutes (BMS) in Humanitarian Settings, which clarifies that where BMS procurement is warranted in humanitarian settings, UNICEF can procure such supplies as part of an overall response that supports optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF). The …
Internationally coordinated climate mitigation policies can effectively put the world on a path toward achieving the agreed Paris temperature goals. Such coordination could be initiated by large players, such as China, the US, India, the African Union, and the European Union. Find that the implications for fiscal revenues over time …
Electric bikes, or e-bikes, are close substitutes for cars and two-wheelers because they cover longer distances with less effort. Thus, e-bikes will play a key role in shifting passenger and freight trips away from high-polluting private vehicles and generating fewer emissions if used at scale. While vehicle electrification has focused …
Recent spikes in staple food prices resulting from the invasion of Ukraine have once again highlighted the difficulty faced by low-income countries that rely on imports for a substantial portion of their food supply. To better understand which countries are most affected by higher world food prices, we propose a …
This briefing note prepared by the Initiative for Climate Action and Development (ICAD) explores the status of Malawi’s NAP process, places human mobility in the context of climate change in Malawi, and uses a gender-responsive approach to identify entry points and opportunities for integrating human mobility—including migration and displacement—into Malawi’s …
Zimbabwe is a lower middle-income country with abundant natural capital and growth potential, but is highly exposed to climate change, with its immediate ability to address climate challenges severely constrained. People in Zimbabwe are increasingly reliant on successive rounds of emergency relief rather than a formal government safety net. Macroeconomic …
This document provides an on overview of the activities implemented to respond climate change in Egypt. Climate change is the defining issue of time, and are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the …
Zimbabwe is a lower middle-income country with abundant natural capital and growth potential, but is highly exposed to climate change, with its immediate ability to address climate challenges severely constrained. People in Zimbabwe are increasingly reliant on successive rounds of emergency relief rather than a formal government safety net. Macroeconomic …
With municipal waste set to rise by two thirds and its costs to almost double within a generation, only a drastic reduction in waste generation will secure a liveable and affordable future, according to this new report by the UNEP. In response to Resolution 2/7 from the second session (UNEP/EA.2/RES.7) …
Watersheds play a crucial role in sustaining the ecosystem, biodiversity, wildlife, agriculture, and human population by serving as the natural resource base for all forms of life. These natural boundaries of river catchments form a mosaic covering the entire land surface of the earth. Watersheds describe areas of land that …
The Rwanda Economic Update edition 22 reviews the country’s macroeconomic performance and prospects and includes a special section focusing on Mobilizing Domestic Savings to Boost the Private Sector in Rwanda. In 2023, Rwandan economy demonstrated resilience, achieving a 7.6 percent growth in a challenging global environment. This growth was largely …
The world is getting warmer and natural hazards are becoming more intense, likely bringing higher economic losses in the future. Today, four major weather perils result in expected economic losses of USD 200 billion annually. With more severe weather coming, economic losses are set to rise. The study analysis finds …
The Ethiopia Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) aims to support Ethiopia’s plans to achieve its development goals within the context of a changing climate. By quantifying the likely economic impacts of climate change on the economy between now and 2050, the report highlights the measures that the government of …
The oil firm Shell cannot be allowed to withdraw from the Niger delta before it takes responsibility for its toxic legacy of pollution and the safe decommissioning of abandoned oil infrastructure, a report says. Shell plc is preparing to divest from the delta but a report warns that it must …
The global COVID-19 recovery presented an exceptional opportunity for countries to integrate climate adaptation and resilience into a significant, yet unforeseen, increase in public spending in line with the Paris Agreement. While there have been efforts to analyze the “green” or mitigation components of country recoveries, none have systematically considered …
Cross-border guarantees are an important but underused tool for mobilizing private climate finance. A recent OECD evaluation found that guarantees leveraged 26% of all mobilized private finance between 2018-2020 and were among the preferred risk mitigation tools of private investors. Studies suggest that larger and more effective credit guarantee facilities …
This Used Heavy- Duty Vehicles and the Environment: A Global Overview of Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale and Regulation report analyses the flow and scale of used heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) from three major used HDVs exporters – Japan, the European Union (EU) and Republic of Korea (ROK). It also reviews …
In Sub-Saharan Africa, health care facilities face critical challenges in water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services; health care waste management; and environmental cleanliness. With coverage below 50 percent, these deficiencies pose significant health risks to patients and health care workers, contributing to health care–associated infections. Meta-analyses and individual studies estimate …
