Research and Publications

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National statistical offices still face disruptions and challenges as they adapt to a “new normal”

When the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out, national statistical offices (NSOs) around the world acted to suspend face-to-face interviews and asked staff to work from home, even though many lacked adequate technology for remote work. More than a year into the pandemic, the effects on national statistical offices are far more extensive and long-term than initially anticipated , even despite improvements NSOs have since made in collecting data and upgrading their information and communication technology (ICT).

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Policy Research Working Paper series publication roundup for the weeks of June 7 and 14

This entry introduces seven papers published during the weeks of June 7 and 18 on various topics including the economic impacts of the COVID pandemic, cross-border electricity trade in Latin America, conservation of communal forests in Burkina Faso and others. Here are the highlights of select findings.

Research for a resilient recovery

COVID-19 has devastated lives and livelihoods. According to Ferreira et al. (2021), by December 2020 almost 20 million life-years were lost to COVID-19 and more than 120 million additional years were spent in poverty. To provide insight into the costs, consequences, and policy responses to the crisis, this page highlights research on COVID-19 produced by the World Bank's Development Research Group.

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World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives
World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives explores the tremendous potential of the changing data landscape to improve the lives of poor people, while also acknowledging its potential to open back doors that can harm individuals, businesses, and societies.
Glaciers of the Himalayas : Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience
Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience investigates the extent to which the black carbon (BC) reduction policies of South Asian countries may affect glacier formation and melt within the context of a changing global climate. It assesses the relative impact of each source of black carbon on snow and glacier dynamics.
The Converging Technology Revolution and Human Capital : Potential and Implications for South Asia
The convergence of technological breakthroughs spanning biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science is driven by artificial intelligence, data flows, computing power, and connectivity. These breakthroughs can improve service delivery, productivity, and innovation, but they can also exacerbate inequalities and eliminate people’s agency and empowerment. This report analyzes these trends in the region, offering a comprehensive agenda to exploit the opportunities offered by converging technologies while minimizing the risks to vulnerable populations.
Development Research in Practice : The DIME Analytics Data Handbook
Development Research in Practice leads the reader through a complete empirical research project, providing links to continuously updated resources on the DIME Wiki as well as illustrative examples from the Demand for Safe Spaces study. The handbook is intended to train users of development data how to handle data effectively, efficiently, and ethically.
Ebb and Flow, Volume 1 : Water, Migration, and Development
Ebb and Flow, Volume 1. Water, Migration, and Development presents new global evidence to advance our understanding of how fluctuations in water availability, as induced by rainfall shocks, influence internal migration, and hence regional development. It finds that cumulative water deficits result in five times as much migration as water excess does.
Ebb and Flow, Volume 2 : Water in the Shadow of Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa
Ebb and Flow: Volume 2. Water in the Shadow of Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa examines the links between water risks (harmful outcomes related to water, from droughts and floods to lack of sanitation), conflict, and forced displacement. It aims to better explain how to address the vulnerabilities of forcibly displaced persons and their host communities, and to identify water policy and investment responses.