Books published by World Bank Publications

The growth of regional trading blocks has been a major development in international relations in recent years. This book examines regionalism from the perspectives of developing countries, presenting a comprehensive account of existing theory and empirical results.

Examines the origins and implications of decentralization from a political economy perspective, with a focus on its promise and limitations. This report explores why countries have often chosen not to decentralize, and also seeks to explain why since the early 1980s many countries have undertaken some form of decentralization.

Builds upon the World Bank's prior research on conflict and violence. The two volumes build upon on the work of Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler, whose model of civil war onset has sparked much discussion on the relationship between conflict and development in what came to be known as the "greed" versus "grievance" debate.

The two volumes of Understanding Civil War build upon the World Bank's prior research on conflict and violence, particularly on the work of Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler, whose model of civil war onset has sparked much discussion on the relationship between conflict and development in what came to be known as the "greed" versus "grievance" debate.

Over the 1980s and 1990s most Latin American countries witnessed a retrenchment of the public sector from infrastructure provision and an opening up of infrastruture activities to the private sector. This book analyses the consequences of these policy changes.

Brings together the assessments and experiences of leading academics and practitioners from the international investor, lender and insurance communities, and examines the transformations in the political risk insurance market in the 1990s.

This volume focuses on specific strategies for economic development.

The World Bank and other donors are fully committed to modalities of development support that put countries in the driver's seat. Enhancing the capacity of African states has risen to the top of the continent's development agenda. This book aims to share some of the lessons for the design and implementation of public sector capacity building.

This book is part of a larger effort undertaken by the World Bank to understand the development experience of the 1990s. This volume considers the operational implications of the decade for the World Bank as an institution.

Case studies analyse specific natural resource conflicts in 10 countries and the interventions of people close to the conflicts. Four concept papers draw the case stories together around particular themes: culture, society, peace, and policy.

Focuses on measuring the effects of training and institutional development programs on individuals, the organizations or economic sectors in which they work, and the welfare of the larger community.

A comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the factors that contributed to maternal mortality decline in Malaysia and Sri Lanka over the second half of the 20th century. It considers policy issues, health system developments and expenditures in maternal health, and the use of trained midwives.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean draws upon the Latin American and Caribbean region's experience in order to formulate a historical and multidimensional assessment of the globalization process from the perspective of developing countries.

Discusses the principles and practicalities of a partnership, covering a broad range of development topics. It draws on an extraordinary conference held in Nairobi in March 2000, organized jointly by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa and the World Bank, to explore closer collaboration, especially at the grassroots level.

Reviews the state of the art of biomass combustion and gasification systems, their advantages and disadvantages. It also encourages investment in use of these technologies to enable developing countries to better exploit their biomass resources and help close the gap between their energy needs and their energy supply.

An insight into trends in the reform of public hospitals focusing on the organizational changes such as increased management autonomy, corporatization and privatization. The book provides an opportunity to further understand the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of such reforms.

The media industry plays a critical role in any economy. It can influence economic, political and social outcomes. This work is concerned with factors which determine how the media industry supports economic progress. It cites examples which show the value of the information provided by the media.

Taking stock of reforms to social security in Latin America and the Caribbean, ""Keeping the Promise of Old Age Security"" in Latin America and the Caribbean reassesses the priorities of pension systems in the region.

This work aims to contribute to the applied literature on social capital by providing an empirical tool to measure different dimensions of social capital, with a focus on applications in developing countries.

This comprehensive reference explores the key issues and opinions in agricultural trade liberalization from a developing country perspective. Chapters cover topics including: market access; domestic support policies; export competition policies; regional trade agreements; and food security.

Early in 2000, Ecuador, facing a serious economic and governance crises, adopted the U.S. dollar as its national currency. This work examines the conditions in which the decision was made. It looks historically at Ecuador's economic and social structure and assesses the impact of the decision.