The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) is an independent unit within the World Bank Group; it reports directly to the Bankandapos;s Board of Executive Directors. IEG assesses what works, and what does not; how a borrower plans to run and maintain a project; and the lasting contribution of the Bank to a country's overall development. The goals of evaluation are to learn from experience, to provide an objective basis for assessing the results of the Bank's work, and to provide accountability in the achievement of its objectives. It also improves Bank work by identifying and disseminating the lessons learned from experience and by framing recommendations drawn from evaluation findings. This feed will keep you updated on all of IEG's resources, including new evaluations, publications and websites. http://www.worldbank.org/ieg/rss/feed.xml August 28 2009 11:00:08 -0400 FeedForAll v1.0 (1.0.2.0) The impact of natural disasters on economic well-being and human suffering has increased alarmingly, as have the costs: costs between 1990-99 were more than 15 times higher than they were between 1950-59. Recent events in Haiti have underscored just how important it is to consider disaster risks into development programs. This report is the first ever assessment of World Bank assistance for natural disasters, and one of the most comprehensive reviews of disaster preparedness and response ever conducted. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTOED/EXTEVAWBASSNATDIS/0,,menuPK:4441909~pagePK:64829575~piPK:64829612~theSitePK:4434963,00.html January 25 2010 16:40:21 -0400 Ken Chomitz is a Senior Advisor in IEG, whose work has focused on environmental economics. He has worked extensively on the causes and consequences of land use change and on climate change. He is also the lead evaluator for the IEG evaluation on Climate Change and the World Bank Group. In this interview he discusses tropical deforestation and protected areas. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTOED/EXTCLICHA/0,,contentMDK:22449846~pagePK:64829573~piPK:64829550~theSitePK:4683327,00.html January 25 2010 16:40:21 -0400 The economic crisis could push 90-million people more into extreme poverty worldwide by end of this year. About 2-million children could die in the next five years if the crisis persists. In sub-Saharan Africa, the global economic crisis could undermine recent progress through declines in commodity prices, tourism earnings, exports, remittances, and private capital flows… IEG Director General Vinod Thomas and IEG-IFC Managing Director Marvin Taylor-Dormond collaborate on this Op-Ed on the financial crisis. http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=91365 January 25 2010 16:40:21 -0400