With 1.5 billion people covered globally, food and voucher programs provide an important lifeline for the poor and vulnerable. The study is the 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers or Cash Transfers?
... See More + reveals that while countries increasingly support people with cash as a form of safety net, food-based programs are still important interventions in some contexts. The analysis highlights how food and voucher programs remain relevant, and in most circumstances, have improved over time.It is against such a backdrop that this book explores how to genuinely integrate the agendas of social protection and food assistance. To be clear: over the past decades, efforts to introduce, expand, and upgrade social protection systems in low- and middle-income countries primarily revolved around cash transfers—and for good reasons. At the same time, about 1.5 billion people worldwide have been covered by in-kind food programs, 1 billion of whom live in countries examined in this volume. In-kind transfers have been a key vehicle to provide income support to poor consumers; but, on average, they have often done so at high cost and as part of broader agricultural support and food price risk management efforts. In other words,in-kind programs can generate technical and political economy quandaries that go well beyond income support to poor consumers.The book provides a long-awaited and very much-needed analysis on such a shift: when viewed through the lenses of history, countries are increasingly moving from in-kind provisions to cash-based transfers, often with vouchers as an intermediate step. Yet this process is far from straightforward, and it is checkered by the bumpy and erratic pathways of evolution. In particular, the book argues that many of the precursors of current cash transfer programs were in-kind measures and that such measures are still relevant in certain circumstances. The volume’s analysis—one at the intersection of economics, political economy, politics, sociology, and history—would help debunk some long-standing myths about food assistance, highlight the complex and inter- twined objectives pursued by well-intentioned food programs, and identify insightful lessons from reform processes that are, regrettably, seldom available internationally.
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All countries in Central America provide direct electricity subsidies to a majority of residential consumers, in some cases benefiting close to 80 percent of the population.
... See More + In general, these subsidies entail substantial fiscal costs for countries that are already facing tight budget constraints. This book answers key questions regarding residential electricity subsidies in Central America: how do the subsidy mechanisms function in each country?, what are their fiscal costs?, how effective have these subsidies been in easing the burden of electricity expenditures on poor households?, how efficiently has this spending reached households in need, and what factors drive this effectiveness?, and what are the reform options? The main message of this book is that there is considerable scope for improving the efficiency of electricity subsidies in Central America by better targeting them to low-income households. This is the first study to assess the fiscal and welfare implications of electricity subsides in Central America and to simulate policy options aimed at improving the efficiency of spending. The focus of the study is on residential subsidies because these accounts for the largest share of electricity (and energy) subsidies in Central America. This study provides tools for the evaluation of trade-offs when considering policy changes needed in response to higher production costs. Chapter one gives overview. Chapter two describes the evolution of electricity sectors and subsidy mechanisms in each of the six countries of Central America. Chapter three examines the fiscal impacts of electricity subsidies. Chapter four assesses the distribution of benefits of electricity subsidies in terms of their ability to reduce the electricity costs of low-income households. Chapter five identifies why the subsidy mechanisms in Central America result in inefficient targeting and a regressive distribution of public spending. Chapter six illustrates the broad trade-offs between reform strategies by simulating fiscal savings, efficiency gains, and welfare impacts of five prospective scenarios in each of the six countries in the region.
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The development objective of Social Protection Investment Project aims to support the government of Rwanda to improve the coverage of the vulnerable and the effective delivery of Rwanda's main social protection program.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (i) for PAPs who are losing the land, first option is a land replacement to be given; (ii) resettle and compensate full market value for the structures to be demolished; (iii) provide assistance with relocation, and cover all the costs of moving any salvageable parts of existing structures and reinstallation and start ups; (iv) resettle and compensate full market value for assessed crops, plants or trees; and (v) vulnerable will be given special consideration by providing to them any assistance they may need to get back or above their previous livelihoods status.
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The Project Objective of the Social Protection Investment Project for Rwanda is to support the Government of Rwanda to improve the coverage of the vulnerable and the effective delivery of Rwanda's main social protection programmes.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts are includes : (i) air pollution causing health risks due to dust and exhaust gas from vehicle; (ii) noise pollution causing health risks due to noise from vehicles; (iii) reduced traffic safety due to improved roads, inducing drivers to exceed the speed limits and cause accidents (mostly to pedestrians); (iv) exhaust fumes and dust emission from movement of construction trucks and equipment and construction activities like digging etc.; (v) drainage discharging their sediments into water bodies; (vi) due to the removal of vegetation during public works, borrow pits, waste dumping area, protected areas, etc.; (vii) conflicts with incompatible activities and land uses; (viii) use of local labor and therefore income earning; (ix) Indiscriminate disposal of human waste or free-range defecation by project workers could create environmental health problems for local communities; Some of the mitigation measures are includes : (i) temporary storage of sanitary and cleaning wastes in containers. disposal should occur at waste dumps; (ii) Integrating land stability into the roads and radical terraces (and other relevant project activities) designs to address the landslide risks. The planting of grasses on embankments slopes with low landslide risks, stone masonry construction on embankments’ slopes with high risks; tree planting along rehabilitated roads or terraces embankments and other critical areas should be considered; (iii) adequate sanitary facilities should be available for workers and open range defecation should not be countenanced; (iv) limit any temporary interference with private property (e.g. farms) in creating routes; (v) all open trenches and excavated areas will be backfilled as soon as possible after construction has been completed. access to open trenches and excavated areas will be secured to prevent pedestrians or vehicles from falling in; (vi) design should ensure a proper drainage network allowing for return flow from the plantation plots into the river during the dry season; (vii) training of farmers to regulate quantities of water used will be a long term investment in sustaining the chemical properties of the soil for continuous fertility; (viii) provision of speed restriction measures (speed limit signs, bumps) near villages and special facilities (schools, health posts, markets); (ix) provide traffic control signage prominently at the entrance and throughout populated village areas;
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This Migration and Development Brief reports global trends in migration and remittance flows, major policy developments, and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators for reducing remittance costs and recruitment costs.
... See More + The Brief reports new data on recruitment costs, a potential indicator for the SDG of promoting safe and regular migration. The special focus of the Brief is return migration, currently a challenging issue globally following the increase in asylum seekers and undocumented migrants.
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The objective of the District Heating Energy Efficiency Project is to improve efficiency and quality of heating and hot water supply systems in Andijan, Chirchik, and Tashkent (Sergili District) cities of Uzbekistan.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (i) land for land compensation with a plot of equal value for loss of land plot (tomorka) used for planting fruit trees, vegetables or other crops; (ii) provision of rehabilitation assistance if required (assistance with job placement, skills training) for loss of business income; (iii) rehabilitation/replacement of affected structures/utilities (i.e. roads, pavements, pipelines) to pre-Project level for loss or damage to public infrastructure and utility; and (iv) priority for employment in project-related jobs, training opportunities for Loss or damage to any asset.
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The development objective of the Emergency Flood Disaster Reconstruction Project for Vietnam is support the government in overcoming long-term natural disasters through reconstruction of prioritized infrastructures in some flood-damaged provinces in 2016 and through capacity building for efficient response to natural disasters in the coming years.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures are include : (i) cash compensation for affected agricultural land; (ii) livelihood restoration assistance will be provided for the affected land; (iii) for agricultural, garden and pond land adjacent to, but not included in the category of residential land, affected households (AHs) will receive assistance according to the provisions of the PPC; (iv) all compensation for loss of residential land will be made in cash at 100 percent replacement cost; (v) compensation and assistance will be paid in cash, without any depreciation of the structure and without deduction for salvageable materials; (vi) for annual and perennial standing crops, regardless of the legal status of the land, compensation will be paid to households who cultivate the land, according to full replacement cost will be paid to the affected persons who cultivate the land; (vii) For aquatic livestock which are not due to be harvested at the time of land recovery, the harvest will be compensated in cash at replacement cost at the time of land acquisition; (viii) in the case of the affected households is equipped with telephone system, water meter, electric meter, cable TV, internet access (subscription), well shall be compensated according to unit price of installing new units offer service announcement or relocation costs due to service providers regulations; (ix) households, individuals who are compensated by agricultural land will be, supported production rehabilitation; (x) for land acquisition of public land funds of communes, wards or townships, the assistance level is sixty percent price of same-type agricultural land in the price list issued by the PPC; (xi) other poor AHs, will be assisted in cash equal to thirty kilograms rice per person per month for a period of six months or in accordance with provincial policy, whichever is higher; (xii) damaged property will be restored to its former condition by contractors, immediately upon completion of civil works; and (xiv) in case the project causes restriction of access to resources or residents’ establishments, such households will be received necessary additional compensation amount or allowances.
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The objective of this Guide is to provide, in a systematic and methodological way, the steps to address the problem of food losses and waste in a city or municipality, to achieve viable and sustainable solutions.
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The development objective of Emergency Operation for Development Project (EODP) for Iraq is to support the country in the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the restoration of public services delivery in Targeted Municipal Areas.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts are include : (i) emission of pollutants from engines of construction machinery and equipment; (ii) noise emission from engines of construction machinery and equipment; (iii) soil/subsoil contamination due to accidental spills and leaks from construction equipment; (iv) improper disposal of fuel barrels, removed asphalt, paint containers, asbestos materials etc; (v) removal of trees or green cover for rehabilitation or construction purposes may result in loss of habitats; (vi) temporary nuisance and inconvenience as a result of the construction activities including noise, emissions; (vii) disturbance of public health and quietness due to construction/rehabilitation activities; (viii) traffic impacts due road blockages for construction purposes and detours. This may be associated with traffic congestions, increasing commuting time and creating inconvenience to roads users; (ix) increase in vibration levels due to heavy traffic in roads passing through culturally important sites; Some of the mitigation measures are include : (i) employ construction machines with low emissions to reduce pollution, arranging sources of emission far from people's houses and public places; (ii) regular watering of roads for dust suppression in urban, residential areas and in areas with sensitive receptors; (iii) use vehicles and equipment that meet national standards for noise and vibration; (iv) stockpiling of earth should be done a safe distance away from waterways; (v) temporary storage of solid wastes shall be done with appropriate containment to avoid spreading of waste, odor and avoid dust; (vi) labor camps shall be provided with adequate and appropriate facilities for disposal of sewage and solid waste; (vii) hazardous wastes and contaminated soils should not be dumped on-site but removed to landfill/dumpsite designated by the local authority or the environmental agency as appropriate; (viii) identification of the reliable water resources and obtain necessary approvals from the relevant authorities to extract water prior to commencement of construction work; (ix) solid waste, construction debris should not be dump into wetlands or natural habitats.
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The development objective of Emergency Operation for Development Project (EODP) for Iraq is to support the country in the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the restoration of public services delivery in Targeted Municipal Areas.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures are included : (i) involuntary restriction of accessto protected areas resulting inadverse impacts on livelihood; (ii) displaced persons& their communities and host communities – participate inplanning, implementing and monitoring resettlement; (iii) compensation for loss in land and assets at full replacement cost; (iv) support after displacement, until livelihoods and standards of living are restored to pre-displacement levels; (v) trees and crops will be compensated based on the market value; (vi) compensation at full replacement cost for houses and other structures; (vii) compensation for land acquisition; (viii) dislocation allowance and transition subsides; (ix) full compensation for crops, trees and other similar agricultural products at market value; and (x) other assets, and appropriate rehabilitation measures to compensate for loss of livelihood;
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The objective of the Conditional Cash Transfers Project is to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the Government of Macedonia's (GoM) social safety net through (a) the introduction of conditional cash transfers; and (b) improvements in the administration, oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of social assistance transfers.
... See More + The project will contribute to the GoM's ultimate objectives of alleviating current poverty and enhancing human capital, thereby reducing the intergenerational transmission of poverty over the long-run. This restructuring comprises: 1) an extension of the loan closing date for eight months, from December 31, 2017 to August 31, 2018, resulting in a cumulative extension of the closing dates of 54 months.; 2) cancellation of funds in the amount of 1.6m Euros; and 3) reallocation of 2.6m Euros of loan proceeds. Specifically, the restructuring will allow the client to continue providing CCT benefits, further upgrade the IT systems and to carry out further analytical work vital for reforming the planned social safety net system. Furthermore, the proposed extension will support the continuation of the CCT institutional and implementation arrangements. The continuation of these arrangements will be important for an effective and productive Bank engagement with the new Government in preparing the new follow-on operation.
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The development objective of the Emergency Food and Livestock Crisis Response Project for Chad is to improve the availability of and access to food and livestock productive capacity for targeted beneficiaries affected by the conflict in the Central African Republic on the Recipient's territory.
... See More + The additional financing (AF) will entail the following changes to the project: (i) addition of new activities under component A (targeted food assistance) and component B (agricultural production and livestock stabilization) of Projet d’Urgence de Réponse à la Crise Alimentaire et de l’Elevage (PURCAE); (ii) revision of the results framework to update the end targets of the project development objective (PDO) indicators to match the newly established closing date and add new intermediate result level indicators; (iii) addition of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as an implementing agency, alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP), to handle specific, newly introduced activities; and (iv) extension of the closing date of the original project from December 31, 2017 to September 30, 2019 to be coterminous with the closing date of the AF. To leverage on complementarities and to avoid duplication, close coordination will be sought with other International Development Association (IDA) - financed operations as well as with other development partners active in the project areas.
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On September 8, 2017, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) Board of Governors adopted resolution number six hundred and fifty five.
... See More + It was resolved that the Bank transfers immediately from surplus, by way of grant, 55,000,000 US dollars to the Trust Fund for Gaza and the West Bank, such transfer to be drawn down by the International Development Association as needed; provided, however, that the amount of such grant may at any time be changed by the International Development Association into an equivalent amount in other currencies.
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