India's environmental problems are deep-rooted and severe. Estimates of annual environmental damage range from 4.5 percent to 8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), in line with annual economic growth. Since 1990 the World Bank has lent India 1.94 billion dollars for 19 projects to mitigate...

The water and sanitation sector in Latin America and the Caribbean is facing a crisis of confidence. The return of cholera to the region in 1991 was a symptom of deep seated problems and exposed the fragility and inadequacy of publicly operated water supplies and sanitation systems. Despite...

The debate on whether natural disasters cause significant macroeconomic impacts and indeed hinder development is ongoing. Most analyses along these lines have focused on impacts on gross domestic product. This paper looks beyond this standard national accounting aggregate, and examines whether...

East Asia has experienced a dramatic decrease in output growth volatility over the past 20 years. This is good news, as output growth volatility affects poor households because of coping strategies that have long-term, harmful consequences, and the overall economy through its negative impact on...

This paper analyzes the drivers and consequences of sudden stops of capital flows. It focuses on the impact of external vulnerability on the depth and length of sudden stop crises. The authors analyze 43 developing and developed countries between 1993 and 2006. They find evidence that external...