Over the last half century, large-scale changes to coal industries across Europe, and more recently in the United States and China, have resulted in as many as 4 million coal workers losing their jobs.
... See More + The main drivers of these changes are mine mechanization, government policies and competition from other fuels in downstream energy demand markets. At present, economies in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa face these same drivers of change, with large job losses already taking place in China, and with other large coal producing countries in Asia likely to follow. Lessons drawn from the experiences of the Russian Federation (Russia), Ukraine, Poland, and Romania from 1994 to 2012, complemented by data on impacts of coal industry adjustment in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and China, show that job losses not only take place as the industry contracts but even if production is increasing. The mitigation of social conflict and economic distress are of grave concern as globally the coal industry enters a new era of downsizing. The objective of this report is to share with governments lessons learned regardingcoal mine closure. Indeed, the full set of coal mine closure issues is diverse with few positive case studies to date to draw on. The complexity of technical issues and vested interests along with the myriad of potential risks which may unfold will require combining time-tested and new approaches, and applying a broad array of skills. In this issues paper, we have sought to identifylessons from the past that can guide policy makers for more successful future mine closures. Nine lessons learned are presented for government consideration, drawn from three sets of literature. First, analysis from coal industry adjustment and downsizing experiences in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania from 1994 to 2012 where interventions ranged from preparatory diagnosticand technical studies to planning and financing of eventual closure programs. Second, observations and insights on impacts from coal industry adjustment in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and China. Third, evidence-based interventions that have helped to mitigate potential negative social and labor impacts from mass job losses in other industries.
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This issue of Indonesia daily economic update for April 04, 2018 contains economic highlights, including: creative economy agency estimated that the creative industry contributed IDR 922 trillion in 2016 and more than IDR 1,000 trillion in 2017 to the GDP.
... See More + It also estimated that 16.9 million workers (around 20 percent from the total workers) are employed in the creative industry; Bank Indonesia has confirmed that it will issue a new regulation on quick response (QR) codes due to the method’s growing use among payment service providers; and coal mining companies have reported potentially significant decreases in revenue, following the implementation of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree No. 30/2018 on coal domestic market obligation since March 12.
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When delegates from Poland signed the Articles of Agreement on June 27th 1986, Poland officially became the 150th member country of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
... See More + A milestone for both the Bank and Poland, this act opened new lines of communication and aid between the two parties. Yet the act had a ring of familiarity to it. Over 50 years before, on January 10th 1946, Poland became the 31st member country of the World Bank. The two loans which Poland applied for were not realized; the Polish government and the Bank were unable to agree upon terms and the negotiations were abandoned in early 1948. On March 14th, 1950 Poland became the first country to withdraw its membership. Thirty-one years later, on November 10th 1981, a Polish delegation met with President Clausen to present a letter of application for entry into the Bank. Poland's final application for membership was submitted in February of 1985. In anticipation of Polish re-entry, the Bank began to analyze the requirements for the revitalization of these sectors. With the application for membership and recovery plans in motion, the rest of the process went smoothly and Poland became a member of the Bank once more. This exhibit was originally published in May 2011.
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The Bank lent Yugoslavia an amount in various currencies equivalent to $28 million in October 1951 [Loan 00510]. The loan provided foreign exchange needed to complete projects in the fields of electric power, coal mining, non-ferrous metals development, industry, forest products utilization, agriculture and fisheries, and transportation.
... See More + Rene Brion, a World Bank Staff Member from the Treasurer’s Department, describes some of the local color during a mission to Yugoslavia during late 1951 and early 1952, and reflects on the history of Sarajevo. This article originally appeared in the May 1952 issue of 'International Bank Notes.'
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The World Bank officially opened for business on June 25, 1946. As with many new organizations there were initial difficulties. The first President, Eugene Meyer, resigned abruptly in December 1946, without a clear successor.
... See More + The Bank’s Vice President, Harold Smith, died suddenly on January 23, 1947. Although a few applications had been received, the Bank had thus far made no loans. However, the election on February 23, 1947, or John J. McCloy as the Bank’s second President marked the start of true operations in the World Bank. The Bank was soon embarked on the preparation and execution of an important series of reconstruction loans to countries of Western Europe, the first of which was to France. This exhibit was first published in March 2002, and highlights Bank's first loan application, appraisal, negotiation, signing the loan processes, and the outcome.
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The discipline of law and economics deals with wide-ranging topics, from competition and environmental policy to crime control, and has been instrumental in determining how an economy performs.
... See More + Yet its success has fallen short of its potential. The discipline’s shortcomings are nowhere as visible as in developing economies, where a common refrain is how the law looks good on paper but does not get implemented. This paper articulates a methodological flaw that underlies much of contemporary law and economics, and argues that there is an intimate connection between human beliefs and expectations, on the one hand, and the effectiveness of the law, on the other. I propose a new approach to law and economics that is rooted in game theory and rectifies the flaw. It is argued that this approach can open up new areas of research and be marshalled to address some of the more pressing policy challenges of our time.
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Policy Research Working Paper WPS7259 MAY 07, 2015
The project objective of the Huainan Mining Area Rehabilitation Project of China is to support environmental remediation and utilization of the JiuDa subsidence site in Huainan city.
... See More + Environmental impact assessment of this project will focus on pollution of the landfill before and after dumpsite closure, ecological benefits contributed by the proposed project, potential impact of plant diseases and insect pests caused by site utilization and lessons learned from subsidence area rehabilitation. Applicable pollutant discharge standards can be met and extent and scope of environmental impact by pollutant discharge will be insignificant. However, there will be potential negative impacts mainly associated with closure of the existing dump site and site clean-up of limited coal mining wastes. During construction phase, there will be general construction-related impacts such as disposal of sediments and waste generated from demolished buildings, nuisance of dust, noise, wastewater, and disturbance to the local communities etc. In the operation phase, adverse impacts mainly include, among others, disposal of leachate and methane gas collected from the dump site. Potential negative impacts may also be related to future land use of the area after rehabilitation. Mitigation measures for these potential impacts will be based on the environmental monitoring plan, the implementation schedule, the implementation responsibilities, and the budget for remedial measures as well as the long-term environmental monitoring plan, the institutional responsibilities for implementation, and the budget for these activities.
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The development objective of the Huainan Mining Area Rehabilitation Project for China is to support environmental remediation and redevelopment of the JiuDa mining site in Huainan city.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) collectively owned land shall be compensated at the price of complex area; compensation for land of contracted land shall all be released to land-expropriated households. Pension insurance shall be provided for the land-lost farmers, and job opportunities and skill training shall be provided prior to them; (2) skill training shall be provided to land-transferred farmers; job opportunities shall be provided prior to them; employment promotion measures shall be taken; (3) uncertified private houses shall be compensated at cost price and will not be resettled, but nearby economically affordable houses can be provided for households living in uncertified private houses to purchase; (4) compensation for green crops shall be provided and occupied land shall be restored; and (5) all charges and management fee involved in the appeal on resettlement issues of land expropriation and demolition of affected people shall be exempted.
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The project objective of the Huainan Mining Area Rehabilitation Project of China is to support environmental remediation and utilization of the JiuDa subsidence site in Huainan city.
... See More + Environmental impact assessment of this project will focus on pollution of the landfill before and after dumpsite closure, ecological benefits contributed by the proposed project, potential impact of plant diseases and insect pests caused by site utilization and lessons learned from subsidence area rehabilitation. Applicable pollutant discharge standards can be met and extent and scope of environmental impact by pollutant discharge will be insignificant. However, there will be potential negative impacts mainly associated with closure of the existing dump site and site clean-up of limited coal mining wastes. During construction phase, there will be general construction-related impacts such as disposal of sediments and waste generated from demolished buildings, nuisance of dust, noise, wastewater, and disturbance to the local communities etc. In the operation phase, adverse impacts mainly include, among others, disposal of leachate and methane gas collected from the dump site. Potential negative impacts may also be related to future land use of the area after rehabilitation. Mitigation measures for these potential impacts will be based on the environmental monitoring plan, the implementation schedule, the implementation responsibilities, and the budget for remedial measures as well as the long-term environmental monitoring plan, the institutional responsibilities for implementation, and the budget for these activities.
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The development objective of the Huainan Mining Area Rehabilitation Project for China is to support environmental remediation and redevelopment of the JiuDa mining site in Huainan city.
... See More + Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) collectively owned land shall be compensated at the price of complex area; compensation for land of contracted land shall all be released to land-expropriated households. Pension insurance shall be provided for the land-lost farmers, and job opportunities and skill training shall be provided prior to them; (2) skill training shall be provided to land-transferred farmers; job opportunities shall be provided prior to them; employment promotion measures shall be taken; (3) uncertified private houses shall be compensated at cost price and will not be resettled, but nearby economically affordable houses can be provided for households living in uncertified private houses to purchase; (4) compensation for green crops shall be provided and occupied land shall be restored; and (5) all charges and management fee involved in the appeal on resettlement issues of land expropriation and demolition of affected people shall be exempted.
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The project objective of the Huainan Mining Area Rehabilitation Project of China is to support environmental remediation and utilization of the JiuDa subsidence site in Huainan city.
... See More + Environmental impact assessment of this project will focus on pollution of the landfill before and after dumpsite closure, ecological benefits contributed by the proposed project, potential impact of plant diseases and insect pests caused by site utilization and lessons learned from subsidence area rehabilitation. Applicable pollutant discharge standards can be met and extent and scope of environmental impact by pollutant discharge will be insignificant. However, there will be potential negative impacts mainly associated with closure of the existing dump site and site clean-up of limited coal mining wastes. During construction phase, there will be general construction-related impacts such as disposal of sediments and waste generated from demolished buildings, nuisance of dust, noise, wastewater, and disturbance to the local communities etc. In the operation phase, adverse impacts mainly include, among others, disposal of leachate and methane gas collected from the dump site. Potential negative impacts may also be related to future land use of the area after rehabilitation. Mitigation measures for these potential impacts will be based on the environmental monitoring plan, the implementation schedule, the implementation responsibilities, and the budget for remedial measures as well as the long-term environmental monitoring plan, the institutional responsibilities for implementation, and the budget for these activities.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia) has accomplished a great deal since the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords helped bring an end to the worst bloodshed on European soil since Second World War Most importantly, Bosnian citizens and authorities have restored peace.
... See More + Bosnia is a European Union potential candidate country and is moving, though fitfully, toward alignment with European Union requirements. The authorities have also established a solid record of economic management. Between 1998 and 2008, per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) nearly quadrupled, and poverty dropped from nearly 20 percent to about 14 percent. Perhaps most impressive, a decade and a half after the end of fighting, Bosnias citizens have managed these achievements within a decentralized and highly complex political and institutional structure. Critical development challenges remain. The country is embarking on a new growth model dependent on exports in a period of slow growth and escalating financial volatility in Europe, while at the same time its neighbors are undertaking similar strategies. Bosnia has to become more competitive. This will require upgrading in physical infrastructure, business environment, and human capital. It will also require greater coherence in the countrys decentralized administrative system. In addition, Bosnia is rich in natural resources, but these need to be used sustainably. As throughout South East Europe, climate change threatens not only Bosnias natural beauty but key sources of growth, such as agriculture, forestry, and hydropower. Between 1996 and 2007, the World Banks International Development Association has invested about one billion dollars in Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve infrastructure, support economic development, and deepen structural reforms. The government plans to partner with private investors and operators to meet its growing infrastructure requirement. Within this context, PPIAF has provided support to strengthen the understanding of government officials regarding important issues in planning, developing, and implementing public-private partnership (PPP) projects, by funding four activities in the country (a fifth activity was approved but eventually cancelled).
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The objective of the Thar Coal and Power Technical Assistance Project for Pakistan is to strengthen the enabling policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks conducive to new investments in the coal-to-energy sector.
... See More + Negative measures include: air quality, capacity building, coal, and soil and water contamination and consumption. Mitigation measures include: a) improving the regulatory efficiency of the mines and minerals development department, including setting up a computerized mining cadastre system and a geographical information system for management of resource information province-wide; b) developing and adopting an operational environmental and social management framework for the coal-to-power sector, including undertaking local consultations in the Thar area, in coordination with the ministry of environment and the federal and provincial environmental protection agencies; and c) strengthening the capacity of the ministry of water and power and the private power infrastructure board to improve sector governance for coal-generated power and federal-level ancillary infrastructure development.
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China's current strategy for the development of its coal industry is based on policies developed and implemented in accordance with the state council's detailed opinions.
... See More + The highest level of government authority has thus defined principles to be followed and guidelines to be adopted in developing a sustainable, coal industry which meets the needs of the national economy. The document summarizes the rapid progress which has already been achieved within the coal industry and highlights the key issues that must be addressed as the growing economy continues to drive coal demand, thus increasing pressure on resources, the environment, and safety. The state council's proposals are fundamental and far-reaching. Once accomplished, China's coal industry will be capable of achieving sustainability. The Government has made substantial progress in addressing most of the state council's aims. However, there are a few omissions and key areas where significantly more needs to be done to achieve the desired objective of a sustainable coal mining industry.
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The Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Guidelines are technical reference documents with general and industry specific examples of Good International Industry Practice (GIIP).
... See More + When one or more members of the World Bank Group are involved in a project, these EHS Guidelines are applied as required by their respective policies and standards. These industry sector EHS guidelines are designed to be used together with the general EHS guidelines document, which provides guidance to users on common EHS issues potentially applicable to all industry sectors. For complex projects, use of multiple industry-sector guidelines may be necessary. The EHS guidelines contain the performance levels and measures that are generally considered to be achievable in new facilities by existing technology at reasonable costs. Application of the EHS Guidelines to existing facilities may involve the establishment of site-specific targets, with an appropriate timetable for achieving them. The applicability of specific technical recommendations should be based on the professional opinion of qualified and experienced persons. When host country regulations differ from the levels and measures presented in the EHS guidelines, projects are expected to achieve whichever is more stringent. If less stringent levels or measures than those provided in these EHS guidelines are appropriate, in view of specific project circumstances, a full and detailed justification for any proposed alternatives is needed as part of the site-specific environmental assessment. This justification should demonstrate that the choice for any alternate performance levels is protective of human health and the environment.
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