Books by World Bank

Obesity is a global ticking time-bomb with huge potential negative economic and health impacts, especially for the poor. Countries and global partners need to act urgently to address this ensuing epidemic with emphasis highlighting interventions that require corrective public action rather than one of individual responsibility.

Shifting the attention from high-income countries, this report takes the perspective of developing countries to ask:If new technologies reduce the importance of low-wage labour, how can developing countries compete?; Do countries need to industrialize to develop?; How can countries at different levels of development take advantage of new opportunities?

Takes a detailed look at the complexity of the teacher management system in India. It compares and contrasts teacher management policies in nine Indian states with actual practice on the ground, identifying key implementation challenges.

This report moves beyond asset and production losses and shifts its attention to how natural disasters affect people's well-being. Disasters are far greater threats to wellbeing than traditional estimates suggest. This approach provides a more nuanced view of natural disasters than usual reporting, and a perspective that takes fuller account of poor people's vulnerabilities.

Shows how urban resettlement can become a development opportunity for those who are adversely affected by the process of urban development. Examples include improvements to legal systems in Brazil, resettlement programs in slums in India and Mauritania, and restoration of informal sector livelihoods in Morocco and Pakistan.

The Kazakhstan Power Sector Assessment study aims to objectively identify the principal challenges faced by the Kazakhstan power sector in its ongoing transition and outlining potential policy options; and draw lessons from Kazakhstan's experience in sector reforms for the broader international audience.

This handbook is part of the wider WBG engagement in supporting countries with Domestic Resource Mobilization. It covers all relevant aspects that have to be considered when introducing or strengthening transfer pricing regimes aimed at addressing country specific risks and promoting compliance among taxpayers.

Published semiannually, this report includes analysis of topical policy challenges faced by developing countries through in-depth research in the January edition, and shorter analytical pieces in the June edition.

Provides policymakers from government finance agencies, security and justice ministries, and international organisations with an introduction to the key issues related to public expenditure reviews in the security sector.

Sub-Saharan Africans make their living from agriculture. Based on a detailed review of currently available technologies, this paper argues that improving the productivity and stability of agriculture has the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience.

This report looks at the trends in public social spending in Central America from 2007 to 2014, conducts international benchmarking, examines measures of the effectiveness and efficiency of social spending, and assesses the quality of selected institutions influencing public social spending.