 Complete
Report [1 mb] |
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| Foreword (also available in: Español, Français) |
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| Executive
Summary (also available in: Español, Français) |
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| Chapter
1: Nature, Disaster, and Recovery |
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Natural disasters are becoming increasingly destructive. |
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The Bank is increasingly involved in responding to natural
disasters. |
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Bank policy on emergency lending has been revised three
times, but without the benefit of evaluation or knowledge
about Bank experience with natural disasters. |
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The Bank's strategic planning for disaster has been limited. |
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| Chapter
2: The World Bank Responds |
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Since 1984 the Bank has financed natural disaster activities
in 528 projects for $26,281 million. |
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The Bank has approved 89 ERLs over the period and the instrument
is increasingly used in disaster responses. |
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The largest number of disaster projects were implemented in
the rural sector. |
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Lending is highly concentrated—10 countries accounted for
208 projects. |
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Reallocations have been a large part of the Bank's response—
$3,047 million from 217 projects has been reallocated over
20 years. |
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Projects have been best at restoring physical assets:
115 completed projects successfully restored damaged
infrastructure. |
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| Chapter
3: Disasters and Bank Strategy |
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Natural disasters are more predictable than commonly
believed. |
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Reallocations are concentrated in highly vulnerable countries. |
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Disasters are rarely considered in PRSPs and CASs, even for
highly vulnerable countries. |
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Categorizing borrowing countries according to their vulnerability
would help in formulating country lending programs,
especially in highly vulnerable countries. |
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| Chapter
4: Relevance of Bank Assistance |
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The Bank has responded flexibly with a wide variety of activities. |
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Without advance preparation, doing things in order of priority
can be difficult. |
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When activities are done and how long they take to complete
are at least as important as what activities are done. |
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A quick reaction may not lead to the most relevant response. |
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Many important activities require long implementation times. |
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Most activities financed by the Bank take more than three years
to complete. |
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Of 59 completed ERLs, only 10 have had follow-on projects. |
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Existing lending mechanisms do not significantly accelerate
project processing and usually do not expedite the disbursement
of funds. |
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More recent projects are, on average, slower than those of a
few years ago. |
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Three-quarters of disaster assessments have led to an ERL. |
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| Chapter
5: Social Dimensions of Disaster |
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An immediate response that ignores local power structures,
social groups, and differences in vulnerability can make recovery
more difficult. |
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Participation by local leaders and communities can help ensure
an effective recovery. |
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In housing, the goal should be to help the disaster homeless,
focus on the poorest, and encourage mitigation measures
that will help reduce the impact of future disasters. |
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When relocation is required, care is needed to ensure that
those relocated have jobs and an environment that offers the
potential to rebuild social cohesion. |
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Disaster impacts and recovery vary, depending on social vulnerability
and level of risk. |
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Cash support can be vital to the recovery of the poor. |
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Women's particular vulnerability can be addressed through improved
data gathering, targeting, and equitable treatment. |
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| Chapter
6: Bank Policy: Implementation and Implications |
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Coverage of the policy has expanded, but the same guidance
is not appropriate for all emergencies. |
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Prohibitions on the financing of relief and consumption and on
the use of ERLs for recurring events are unrealistic and unnecessary. |
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With minor modification, the available forms of emergency
assistance serve borrower needs and give staff necessary
flexibility. |
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The requirement to build to disaster-resilient standards needs
reinforcement. |
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Assistance with prevention and mitigation is growing, but
procedural issues need to be resolved. |
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Provisions for operation and maintenance in Bank-financed
projects need improvement. |
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When the Bank is involved, highly effective donor coordination
requires a consistent Bank presence. |
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| Chapter
7: Conclusions and Recommendations |
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Appendixes: |
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Appendix
A: Bank Policy and Products |
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Appendix
B: Study Methodology |
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Appendix
C: Supplemental Data - Chapter 2 |
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Appendix
D: Survey Results |
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Appendix
E: Supplemental Data - Chapter 3 |
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Appendix
F: Supplemental Data - Chapter 4 |
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Appendix
G: Cash Support |
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Appendix
H: Housing and Shelter |
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Appendix
I: External Advisory Panel Comments |
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Appendix
J: Management Response |
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Appendix
K: Chairman's Summary: Committee on Development Effectiveness
(CODE) |
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Endnotes |
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References |
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