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 …
Since the discovery of large offshore oil and gas reserves in 2014, Senegal has set its hopes on fossil fuel export revenue to help fund its plans to become an emerging economy by 2035. Senegal is actively seeking investors to help develop its offshore oil and gas reserves – both …
Climate-induced disasters are causing increasingly frequent and intense economic damages, disproportionally affecting emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) relative to advanced economies (AEs). However, the impact of various types of climate shocks on output growth and fiscal positions of EMDEs is not fully understood. This research analyzes the macro-fiscal implications …
Research on migration and urban development in Africa has primarily focused on larger cities and rural-to-urban migration. However, 97 percent of Africa’s urban centers have fewer than 300,000 inhabitants, and a sizable share of urban migrants come from other urban areas. A more holistic and dynamic perspective, incorporating migration flows …
Developing countries spent a record $443.5 billion to service their external public and publicly guaranteed debt in 2022. These costs shifted scarce resources away from health, education, environment and other critical areas, the World Bank’s latest International Debt Report showed. Debt-service payments, which include principal and interest, increased by 5 …
The Government of Nigeria avoided a fiscal cliff by implementing bold reforms, including ending the gasoline (premium motor spirit, PMS) subsidy, and shifting to a unified, market-reflective foreign exchange (FX) rate. These essential reforms entail painful adjustments. They have led to an increase of retail gasoline prices by an average …
WWF, the Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIAT, IFPRI/CGIAR and AfDB have released a new report to help African countries to achieve food security and implement climate and nature commitments. The report is based on a joint study, executed with the technical support of the International Institute for Environment and …
The government of Malawi, under its recent national development strategy and vision (Malawi 2063), plans to transform the country into an upper-middle-income country by 2063. Achieving this goal will require strengthening efforts to foster high and sustained economic growth. It will also require ensuring that current and future growth have …
This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) captures the interplay between development challenges and climate change and climate policies in Mozambique, with the objective of identifying synergies and tradeoffs. The CCDR informs the World Bank Group’s engagement in Mozambique, alongside other key products, such as Systematic Country Diagnostics (SCDs) and …
Africa is facing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. Millions are expected to be at risk of worsening hunger soon due to the rippling effects of the war in Ukraine, which are compounding the devastating impacts that conflicts, climate variability and extremes, economic slowdowns and downturns, and the aftereffects of …
Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiencies, is a serious public health issue affecting approximately 2 billion people worldwide. Identifying areas with high prevalence of hidden hunger is crucial for targeted interventions and effective resource allocation. However, conventional methods such as nutritional assessments and dietary surveys are expensive and time-consuming, rendering them …
Achieving gender equality in irrigation can result in greater production, income, and job opportunities for both men and women smallholder farmers from diverse social groups, while building climate resilience in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, national irrigation agencies, donors, and researchers have been assisting project implementers to mainstream gender issues into …
This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) proposes that Benin focuses on building a resilient economy, with investment and policy options primarily targeted at adapting to climate change risks. The dependence of Benin’s economic structure on agriculture and informal employment makes its development path highly vulnerable to climate change in …
Fossil fuels account for over three-fourths of greenhouse gas emissions, fuelling a climate crisis that is projected to devastate ecosystems and communities across the globe. The Fossil Fuel Atlas is a GIS-based open-access tool that shows the overlap between fossil fuel planned and existing fossil fuel production. This report gives …
Migration will likely become increasingly important for Tunisia in terms of both inflows and outflows, given the demographic transition in both Tunisia and Europe. As such Tunisia can work (also with partner countries) to maximize the benefits of migration. As a country of mainly emigration, Tunisia could help strengthen the …
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have released their first joint report to strengthen understanding of renewable energy resources and their intricate relationship with climate variability and change. It seeks to inform policy-making and hasten the transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards a …
Approximately 1 billion people around the world are served by healthcare facilities without reliable electricity access or with no electricity access at all. The electrification of such facilities is a crucial requirement for achieving universal health coverage. This report titled Climate Finance for Powering Healthcare examines how climate finance, such …
Energy efficiency continues to play a critical role in improving living standards around the world and is the first and best response to simultaneously meet affordability, supply security and climate goals. As Kenya looks to drive forward its clean energy transition in the face of the global climate and energy …
Uganda’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) is a strategic roadmap for the development and modernisation of Uganda’s energy sector. It charts an ambitious, yet feasible pathway to achieve universal access to modern energy and power the country’s economic transformation in a sustainable and secure way. The plan was developed by Uganda’s …
Reducing black carbon emissions will help in avoiding climate tipping points, building resilience and delivering clean air. This policy brief outlines the latest science on black carbon, examples of cost effective solutions, and recommendations for policymakers, funders and governments. This briefing by Clean Air Fund, the Center for Study of …
The Ethiopian economy relies predominantly on rainfed agriculture for income generation, export earnings, and rural livelihoods. However, the frequency and intensity of extreme ago-climatic events projected by climate scenarios suggest considerable and growing risks from climate change to the country’s agri-food systems and the overall economy. This study assesses the …
