Digitalization is increasing rapidly worldwide, requiring more energy, and resulting in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) two thirds of the world's population are now online. Estimates of the internet and communication technology (ICT)...

This study delivers evidence of the main causes of premature deaths from air pollution in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, two major cities in Kazakhstan, and offers guidance on cost-effective solutions to prevent them while making the cities better prepared for a low-carbon future. The report provides...

Welcome to the Spring 2019 edition of the World Bank's Madagascar Economic Update, which presents recent economic developments and our medium-term outlook. The economy has continued to perform well, with growth in 2018 estimated at 5.2 percent, above regional and global averages. External demand...

The most cost-effective way to reduce both particulate and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is to couple switching from noncompliant solid fuel boilers to gas boilers, heat pumps, renewable energy (RE) heating systems such as biomass, wherever possible, and compliant solid fuel boilers, as...

The Western Balkans is home to the most polluting power plants in Europe, and its transport and energy infrastructure require updates. Not surprisingly, countries such as Kosovo, are suffering from severe urban air pollution and traffic congestion as a result of high dependence on fossil fuels...

Cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) experience high ambient concentrations of health-damaging fine particulate air pollution in Europe. This report is one in a series of three reports on air quality management in BiH, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. This report examines the nature and magnitude...

Many cities in Kosovo suffer from poor air quality, with ambient concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5) significantly exceeding the national and European Union (EU) standards and global air quality guidelines for PM2.5 established by the World...

Air pollution is a significant problem in cities and urban centers in the Republic of North Macedonia. This report is one in a series of three reports on air quality management (AQM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. It examines the nature and magnitude of ambient air...

Ambient air pollution (AAP) is a serious global health problem that accounts for an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year. People in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans are frequently exposed to air pollution levels above those considered safe, particularly in the winter....