Bøger i World Bank Technical Paper serien

This paper provides practical guidance to government officials charged with managing case-by-case privatization programs. It identifies the key steps for privatization, describes sale options and the processes for carrying them out, and examines special conditions. It outlines how governments should undertake case-by-case privatization by identifying basic principles and common challenges, describes various methods for valuing state enterprises, and explains the role of financial advisers and sales agents in valuing candidates for privatization and developing sale options.

This report assesses the changes in social welfare and policy that have taken place in Poland during the economic transition. It tests the main hypotheses concerning changes in the role of the welfare state, workings of the labor market, the distributional consequences of transition, and more generally about the winners and losers in transition. Chapter one examines trends in social expenditure during economic transition. Chapter two focuses on changes in the labor market, including emerging risks and opportunities. Chapter three explores distributional consequences of transition.

Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource for most of the world's citizens. The current trends indicate that the overall situation is likely to deteriorate further, at least for the next decade, unless the water profession eschews 'business as usual' practices, which can only allow incremental changes to occur. Groundwater is the least understood and least appreciated, yet the most important, natural resource available to mankind. Groundwater represents about 97% of the existing fresh water resources, excluding the resources locked in polar ice. More than one and a half billion people in the urban parts of the world today depend on groundwater. Groundwater supply is more reliable than the seasonal, and sometimes erratic, surface water and provides the main line of defense against drought. Moreover, the quality of groundwater is, by and large, superior to surface water and cheaper to develop. However, when available, data on groundwater is very scanty. As a result, the World Bank is now paying increasing attention to this valuable resource, through both operations and sector work. This publication represents the proceeding of the seminar 'Groundwater: Legal and Policy Perspectives' that was organized by the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank. It explains some basic technical aspects of groundwater, surveys the regulatory framework for it, and discusses the World Bank experience and international law regarding this precious resource. It is a timely publication and should also assist in a better understanding and appreciation of this valuable source. It will be of interest to Bank staff, borrowing country officials, international agencies and research organizations working on groundwater.

'Urban Air Quality Management' examines the contribution of vehicles to urban air pollution which is a growing problem in many cities in developing countries. It evaluates the priorities for air quality management programs, and reviews national, municipal, and World Bank experience with pollution-reduction efforts. This book draws lessons from this assessment and offers recommendations for priorities in developing coordinated assistance strategies in the environment, urban transport, and energy sectors.

Given the preponderance of evidence showing that diesel fumes are more toxic than previously known, there has been greater interest in substituting diesel with natural gas for vehicles operating in cities where there is greater air pollution. This report examines whether natural gas vehicles are an important part of solving this problem. Transit buses, traditionally fueled by diesel, are one of the cheapest forms of mass transit. They are also significant polluters and typically operate in heavily congested urban areas, where significant air pollution problems exist. The report provides an overview of the issues that must be considered when evaluating natural gas an alternative to diesel for use in transit buses.