This issue focuses on ways to tackle persistent flooding and economic vulnerabilities in the agricultural sector for Guyana. In January 2005, extreme and prolonged rainfall caused widespread flooding in Guyana with flood levels reaching over one and a half meters in some coastal villages.
... Voir la suite One of the country's primary water reservoirs and dam, the East Demerara Water Conservancy, serves as a flood control mechanism during the wet-season and a water storage basin providing irrigation during the dry-season. It allows for biannual harvests of rice and sugar, accounting for approximately 27 percent of the nation's GDP. In 2005, water levels in the Conservancy were elevated well above safe operating levels, putting the dam at risk of overtopping and catastrophic breaching. A top priority identified under the Conservancy Adaptation Project (CAP) initiative is the strengthening of the Conservancy and coastal drainage systems to protect the country's key economic and most populated regions. The CAP focused on four main areas: 1) pre-investment studies and data collection for engineering design of works; 2) critical drainage infrastructure investments; 3) institutional strengthening and capacity building; and 4) building national awareness of flood risk. CAP has been a flagship project and launching pad for significant progress in flood risk mitigation measures for Guyana and the Caribbean region. The data generated through the CAP's pre-investment studies are being utilized for a variety of purposes, such as modeling studies, line of sight studies, biomass measurements, 3D building-modeling, further climate change impact studies, visualizations for land-use planning and agricultural production, and open-data sharing platforms. These investments will generate increased capacity to manage water levels in the Conservancy and lessen the high vulnerability of the people and agricultural areas in the region to moderate and extreme climate events.
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The World Bank Environmental and Social Framework sets out the Bank's commitment to sustainable development, through a policy and a set of environmental and social standards designed to support Borrowers' projects, with the aim of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity.
... Voir la suite This framework converts aspirations and principles into practical, project-level applications within the context of the Bank's mandate as set out in its Articles of Agreement. It comprises: a) a vision for sustainable development, setting out the Bank's aspirations regarding environmental and social sustainability; b) the World Bank Environmental and Social Policy, setting out the mandatory requirements that apply to the Bank; c) the Environmental and Social Standards, together with their annexes, setting out the mandatory requirements that apply to the Borrowers and projects; d) the Environmental and Social Procedures, setting out requirements mandatory for both the Bank and the Borrower on how to implement the Policy and the Standards; and e) non-mandatory guidance and information tools, to support Bank and Borrower implementation of the Policy and the Standards.
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Global growth is projected to pick up to 3.4 percent in 2015 and 3.5 percent in 2016, propelled by highincome countries. Developing country growth will benefit from these tailwinds, with growth projected to increase from 4.8 percent in 2014 to 5.5 percent in 2016broadly in line with potential.
... Voir la suite Global growth projections for 2014, however, have been marked down from 3.2 percent to 2.8 percent on account of the bumpy start this year, buffeted by poor weather in the United States, financial market turbulence and the conflict in Ukraine. The outlook for the East Asia and the Pacific region continues to reflect several counterbalancing factors, including domestic policy adjustment, volatile financing conditions, political crisis in Thailand, and sustained recovery in global demand for exports. Regional GDP growth is expected to slow down slightly to 7.0 percent by 2016, about 2 percentage points slower than the pre-crisis boom years but broadly in line with potential. Regional risks include volatility and eventual tightening of global financing conditions, possible setbacks in Chinas restructuring and a weaker contribution from net exports than assumed in the baseline. Potential escalation of regional political tensions presents additional risk to the outlook.
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This note presents the results of the first Inspection Panel ('the Panel') case under its 'pilot approach to support early solutions for request for inspection' ('the Pilot').
... Voir la suite On September 30, 2013, the Panel received a request for inspection of the Nigeria: Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project ('the Project'), and after consulting with the requesters and management, the Panel decided to consider this case under the Pilot approach. In addition to presenting the results of the case in the context of the Pilot, this note also provides insights into the issues that arose during the Panel's assessment of the case and the lessons that emerged from it. The Request for Inspection ('the request') was submitted by the Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC) in Lagos, on behalf of 'individuals, families and groups living in the Badia area of Lagos State' alleging that the project has caused the 'impoverishment and insecurity' of Badia residents, a vulnerable slum community in Lagos, as a result of evictions that have occurred under the Project 'without prior consultation, notice, compensation or resettlement.' The requesters believe that they have suffered serious harm as a result of actions and omissions of the World Bank. They state that the Bank is 'clearly obliged to ensure that the project is implemented in accordance with its own operational policies and to hold Lagos State to its commitments under the LMDGP Project Agreement.' They add that on February 23, 2013, again, hundreds of structures were demolished in the area of Badia East immediately adjoining the canal mentioned above, forcefully evicting about 9.000 inhabitants. According to the Requesters, both incidences occurred without prior consultation, notice, compensation or resettlement and resulted in their further impoverishment. They add that since February 23, 2013, no relief or emergency aid measures have been provided to mitigate the extreme suffering of thousands of affected people. The Request refers to a number of interactions in which these concerns have been raised with World Bank representatives between March 2012 and July 2013.
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Avis d’enregistrement du panel d’inspection 89613 JUL 16, 2014