Download or read book Satisfying Urban Thirst written by R. Maria Saleth and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1997 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vietnam's educational record is impressive: 91 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 10 are enrolled in school, and 88 percent of the countrys working-age population is literate. However, emerging market forces within Vietnam, as well as examples and competition from its economically vibrant neighbors, raise important new challenges for the countrys education and training (E & T) system. The government of Vietnam has set ambitious targets for increasing enrollments in E & T institutions, but one question remains unanswered: What policies are required to ensure that an expanded E & T system will give its graduates the knowledge, skills, and attitudes demanded by private sector employers and critical to the smooth functioning of a leaner public sector in the futureNULL This study attempts to answer the question and thereby assist education policymakers in Vietnam in making equitable and efficient choices. The report is divided into six chapters. The first two chapters set the general context for a consideration of E & T costs and financing in Vietnam and explain how the system is presently organized and managed. The third and fourth chapters assess the current financing system, including the state budget and other sources of public funding, and calculate the cost per student-year and the cost per graduate at each level. Chapter 5 examines the social rates of return and the cost burdens for different groups within the country. The final chapter looks ahead to the next decade and draws lessons from other countries.

Download or read book Satisfying Urban Thirst written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book World Bank Group Assistance for Minerals Sector Development and Reform in Member Countries written by William Torrens Onorato and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World Bank Technical Paper No. 399. This paper examines the increased role of the private sector in developing and maintaining critical infrastructure. It identifies governments' quest to shift part of the burden of new infrastructure investments to the private sector for the economic development of firms and industry and the improvement of quality of life and, given the constraints on public budgets, to finance growing infrastructure needs. Adequate infrastructure services include power, telecommunications, transport, water supply and sanitation. The paper also emphasizes the private sector involvement in bringing increased efficiency to investment and management and operation.

Download or read book Designing Rules for Demand driven Rural Investment Funds written by Thomas B. Wiens and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The demand-driven rural investment fund (DRIF) is a new mechanism for decentralizing decisionmaking authority and financial resources to local governments and communities to use for investments of their choice. To counteract the local government's weak capacity to choose and implement projects well, central governments have often constrained the choices of communities by limiting the types of projects eligible for financing and requiring specific procedures for procurement and disbursement. This study explores the extent to which well-designed DRIF rules and incentive structures can substitute for central control. It looks at the different and often conflicting motivations of donors, central governments, and communities and explores how rules can be devised to allow actors to achieve their objectives.

Download or read book Court Performance Around the World written by Maria Dakolias and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World Bank Technical Paper no. 430.QUOTEMany countries are undertaking legal and judicial reforms as part of their overall development programs; there is increasing recognition that economic and social progress requires consolidation of democracy as well as respect for the rule of law and human rights; without these development is not sustainable.QUOTEMany developing countries find that their judiciaries are inconsistent in conflict resolution and carry a large backlog of cases, thus stifling private-sector growth, eroding individual and property rights, and perhaps even violating human rights. Delays affect both the fairness and the efficiency of the system. They impede the public's access to the courts, which, in effect, weakens democracies, the rule of law and the ability to enforce human rights. This paper aims to describe and explain the performance of court systems in a sample of developing and developed countries in order to provide data to those designing or evaluating reforms. The study also seeks to show areas in which international comparison of judicial performance can be fruitful, suggesting indicators that can be used in such comparisons. Finally, it endeavors to provide comparisons of performance within individual countries over time.

Download or read book Groundwater Law and Management in India written by Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-07-23 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the existing nature of India’s groundwater laws. In the backdrop of the gravity of groundwater crisis that threatens to engulf the country, the book examines the correlation between the imperfections in the law and water crisis and advocates a reform agenda to overhaul the legal framework. It accomplishes this objective by examining how some of the States and Union Territories regulate and manage groundwater through the legal instrumentality against the backdrop of the two conflicting paradigms: the “elitist” and the “egalitarian.” The book’s fundamental premise is that despite being an extraordinarily critical resource that supports India’s burgeoning population’s ever-increasing water demands, groundwater is abused and mismanaged. The key argument that it posits is that the elitist paradigm must give way to an egalitarian one where groundwater is treated as a common property resource. To place this message in perspective, the book’s introduction explains the dichotomy between the two paradigms in the context of groundwater. This sets the stage, after which the book is divided thematically into three parts. The first part deals with some of the general groundwater management concerns brought to the fore by the operation of the elitist paradigm. Since water is constitutionally a State subject, the second part analyses the groundwater legislations of different States and Union Territories set against their unique circumstances. As these laws do not dismantle the elitist paradigm that interlocks groundwater rights to land rights, the next part articulates the legal reform agenda where a case is made to re-engineer groundwater laws to reflect a more sustainable basis. The findings and arguments resonate with the situation in many developing countries around the world due to which the book is a valuable resource for researchers across disciplines studying this area, and also for policy makers, think tanks, and NGOs. Groundwater Management–Inter-state Water Conflicts–Aquifers–Water Markets–Water Security–Water Law Reform–Groundwater Law–Water Law–Sustainable Development–Hydrology

Download or read book Hungary written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published by Oxford University Press for the World Bank. Some people may believe that crises are an inevitable feature of the capitalist system. Others hold that exchange-rate crises will vanish as more and more countries adopt floating exchange rates... But, some of us believe that crises can be avoided or at least limited by good economic management, and that having a reasonable idea of where the equilibrium exchange rate lies is an essential requirement for good macro management... --John Williamson, Chief Economist, South Asia Region, World Bank Exchange Rate Misalignment provides a comprehensive treatment of the conceptual and empirical issues concerning measuring exchange rate misalignment in developing countries. The report hopes to provide policymakers and their advisors with a compendium of practical techniques for estimating equilibrium real exchange rates. The book analyzes, in detail, four methodologies for the empirical estimation of the long-run equilibrium real exchange rate. The findings of the report include: * An assessment of alternative empirical measures of the internal and external real exchange rates. * An up-to-date survey of the literature on estimating equilibrium exchange rates in both industrial and developing countries. * A detailed presentation of currently available methodologies for empirically estimating the equilibrium exchange rate in developing countries. The analytical depth and practical techniques provided in Exchange Rate Misalignment make this book an invaluable resource for policymakers and foreign exchange specialists in the public and private sector.

Download or read book Agriculture Sector Programs written by Nwanze Okidegbe and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This sourcebook provides practical guidance to policymakers and program planners in countries and to development agencies on how to carry out or support an agricultural sector program—from initial discussions, to developing the program concept, to securing broad stakeholder involvement, to implementation. It explains the reasons why countries may wish to undertake a sector or subsector program and describes the conditions which can help ensure the program's success; provides details on how to formulate a sector strategy and bring about institutional reforms; focuses on core public sector activities based on a detailed expenditure review; and suggests ways of encouraging donors to work together under the leadership of the partner country government.

Download or read book Reforming Education in the Regions of Russia written by Mary Canning and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Russia's educational system, with broad access, and high levels of scholarly achievement, has long been a source of strength. The Soviet system, however, was grossly overcentralized, inefficient, and lacking in accountability. In the last decade, attempted rapid decentralization has not been well designed, since there has been no commensurate transfer of resources and levels of responsibility have remained unclear. Unless corrected soon, the harmful impact on educational quality and equity could be very serious. The purposes of this report are to analyze the nature of the current problems and to discuss policy options open to the Russian Government in its efforts to improve educational efficiency, preserving and even improving equitable access, without sacrificing traditions of academic excellence. This report is based on analysis of trends across the 89 Russian regions and case studies. In its conclusions, the report draws on this regional experience to suggest reform options. Among other proposals, efficiency could be increased by giving schools increased financial autonomy, using of per capita financing formulae, and beginning to rationalize the teaching force and improve its quality. A national system of student assessment might help both to raise quality and improve the equity of access to highly selective institutions. Reforms are required to improve the market responsiveness of first-level vocational education, and especially to avoid excessive and premature specialization. Education practitioners and policy makers will find this publication of interest.

Download or read book Privatization of the Power and Natural Gas Industries in Hungary and Kazakhstan written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hungary and Kazakhstan have privatized a large portion of their electric power and natural gas industries, but have followed different strategies. In contrast, the other former socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe have privatized almost none. Has the privatization in these two countries been a success? What lessons can other countries learn from their experience? These countries began their reforms from different starting points. The Hungarian power and gas sectors had a long history of being relatively well managed. In contrast, Kazakhstan inherited pieces of the old systems that were designed to serve the needs of the Soviet Union and had to develop new organizations to manage the system. 'Privatization of the Power and Natural Gas Industries in Hungary and Kazakhstan' analyzes how each country dealt with the key issues involved in the restructuring and privatization of the power and gas sectors. These issues include: industry structure, wholesale market, labor and management relations, regulatory framework, privatization objecties, and privatization methods.

Download or read book Comprehensive River Basin Development written by Barbara A. Miller and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the United States represents one of the few successful examples of comprehensive river basin development. Established to guide the development of the resources within the Tennessee River Basin, TVA operates a wide variety of water, power, economic development, and environmental programs within the region. This report presents an overview of TVA's growth and development, its institutions, and its operational programs.

Download or read book The Role of Foreign Direct Investment and Trade Policies in Poland s Accession to the European Union written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade policies with regard to Poland's accession to the EU. It also discusses developments in foreign trade, market access for Polish products, and foreign trade institutions and policies. It outlines the premises of a strategy that would assist Poland in its aim for accession. This publication is a Technical Paper sponsored by the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network of the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Division. It is part of a comprehensive series regarding the many important factors that influence European Union (EU) accession in the Central and East European countries (CEEC). The topics in the series cover both the social and economic aspects of accession across a broad range of sectors. The series also provides background information for specific acceding countries. These publications will be of interest to EU member and candidate countries, their ministries, and any one studying the accession issue.

Download or read book Identification of Joint Management Structures for Shared Aquifers written by Eran Feitelson and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overcoming the scarcity and temporal variance of water availability in semi-arid regions, or the excess of water in temperate regions, often requires cooperation. This paper describes the approach taken by an Israeli-Palestinian team to identify joint management structures for the aquifers shared by these two parties, and some of the lessons learned from the experience of this team.

Download or read book Groundwater written by Salman M. A. Salman and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource for most of the world's citizens. The current trends indicate that the overall situation is likely to deteriorate further, at least for the next decade, unless the water profession eschews "business as usual" practices, which can only allow incremental changes to occur." Groundwater is the least understood and least appreciated, yet the most important, natural resource available to mankind. Groundwater represents about 97% of the existing fresh water resources, excluding the resources locked in polar ice. More than one and a half billion people in the urban parts of the world today depend on groundwater. Groundwater supply is more reliable than the seasonal, and sometimes erratic, surface water and provides the main line of defense against drought. Moreover, the quality of groundwater is, by and large, superior to surface water and cheaper to develop. However, when available, data on groundwater is very scanty. As a result, the World Bank is now paying increasing attention to this valuable resource, through both operations and sector work. This publication represents the proceeding of the seminar "Groundwater: Legal and Policy Perspectives" that was organized by the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank. It explains some basic technical aspects of groundwater, surveys the regulatory framework for it, and discusses the World Bank experience and international law regarding this precious resource. It is a timely publication and should also assist in a better understanding and appreciation of this valuable source. It will be of interest to Bank staff, borrowing country officials, international agencies and research organizations working on groundwater.

Download or read book Hard Lessons written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education is a basic condition for economic and social development. Working in conjunction with the National Primary Education Commission, the World Bank supported consultations among teachers, parents, educational administrators, and community leaders to develop a strong foundation for primary education in Nigeria. The innovative work documented in this publication illustrates the potential not only for partnership between the users and providers of primary education but also between the World Bank and its clients.

Download or read book Assessment of Corporate Sector Value and Vulnerability written by Dale F. Gray and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Once equity has fallen below a certain threshold for a significant period of time, it triggers a suspension of debt payments and distorts incentives for equity holds and managers. But what is a significant period of time? You or I could pay a $10 million annual mortgage payment for a day or two but not two or three months. Similarly, owners and managers can withstand short periods of illiquidity or negative equity but not longer ones. At some point in time, the inability to meet obligations and perception of continued difficulties creates a system-wide breakdown in debt payments." The relationship between the corporate sector and a country's macroeconomy is receiving increased attention from policymakers and investors, especially those affected by the Asian crisis. Recent crises have pointed out the importance of improving our understanding of the links between the corporate sector, the financial sector, and the macroeconomy in a world of volatile capital flows. Assessing the vulnerability of the corporate sector and its links to financial and exchange rate crisis is important for both improved surveillance and in the design of policies in crisis countries. However, the analytical and operational tools available to policymakers and investors to analyze this problem have been limited. This Technical Paper was prepared as part of an initiative to develop new frameworks which can integrate state-of-the art corporate finance principles, macroeconomic, and financial sector analysis. An innovative yet practical framework is provided which has numerous applications for assessing corporate sector vulnerability, design of corporate restructuring strategies, as well as financial sector and macroeconomic policies. It will be of interest to bankers, economic policymakers, corporate finance specialists, and macroeconomists.

Download or read book Welfare and the Labor Market in Poland written by Jan J. Rutkowski and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report assesses the changes in social welfare and policy that have taken place in Poland during the economic transition. It tests the main hypotheses concerning changes in the role of the welfare state, workings of the labor market, the distributional consequences of transition, and more generally about the winners and losers in transition. Chapter one examines trends in social expenditure during economic transition. Chapter two focuses on changes in the labor market, including emerging risks and opportunities. Chapter three explores distributional consequences of transition.