This thematic note is part of a broader mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, which intends to illustrate the key gender gaps in the country and shed light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due...

This Overview presents the findings from the mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, illustrating the key gender gaps in the country and shedding light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due to the...

Sri Lanka's longstanding structural weaknesses plunged the country into a severe economic crisis in 2022. The economy has shown initial signs of stabilization, albeit at a low-level equilibrium, in the first half of 2023. Swift and sufficiently deep debt restructuring is needed to restore Sri...

The economy has maintained its strong growth momentum, with the expansion in tourism, and poverty is expected to fall further in 2023. The number of tourist arrivals grew by 14 percent (y-o-y) to 1.25 million by early September 2023, reaching a historic high compared to similar periods in other...

This report builds a compelling case for India to look beyond land and institute an ecosystem that supports the installation and operationalization of floating solar photovoltaics (FSPV) power plants. Since these plants are installed on the underutilized surfaces of large water bodies, no land...

Following the Herat province (Western Afghanistan) earthquake sequence of October 7 to 15, 2023, the World Bank carried out a remote desk-based assessment of the physical damages using the Global RApid post-disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) methodology. The objective of the assessment is to...

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) is facing economic challenges. The country is experiencing a growth slowdown with high levels of public debt. Growing current expenditure and debt service obligations amid sluggish tax revenue led to a widening fiscal deficit in the early 2010s, which...

Bulgaria has traditionally adhered to fiscal discipline and prudent fiscal policy since the introduction of its currency board arrangement in mid-1997. After a gradual decline in the 2000s, public debt has remained among the lowest in the European Union (EU), hovering in a narrow band between 17...

This year's economic activity has been slower than previously anticipated due to emerging structural bottlenecks and continued external headwinds. This has prompted a sense of urgency to address the rising economic challenges to sustain growth in the short to medium term. While Cambodia's...

Land use planning is one of the most important policy instruments for urban and regional development aiming to meet the needs of the populations while considering various factors such as environmental sustainability, economic development, and social well-being. The process of land use planning...