{"rows":10,"os":"0","page":"1","total":"212306","whatsnew":{"_046d9a6f8fcc09edd0a7cec86085f53d8f2f5332":{"id":"046d9a6f8fcc09edd0a7cec86085f53d8f2f5332","title":"South Asia Economic Update April 2026","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar/publication/south-asia-economic-update"},"count":"Bhutan,Bangladesh,India,Maldives,Nepal,Sri Lanka","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/region/sar/en/publication/south-asia-economic-update","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Publication","originating_unit":"South Asia, SAR","originating_unit_exact":"South Asia, SAR","masterconttype":"Publication","node_id":"046d9a6f8fcc09edd0a7cec86085f53d8f2f5332","wn_title":"South Asia Economic Update April 2026","wn_desc":" The World Bank’s latest economic outlook explores growth prospects for South Asia and provides analysis on how the region can benefit from the green energy transition.","master_recent_date":"2027-04-08T23:00:00Z","short_description":"South Asia’s growth is expected to slow in 2026 amid headwinds from global energy market dislocation. Trade reforms could unlock further growth by reducing trade barriers, especially for emerging export sectors.","desc":" The World Bank’s latest economic outlook explores growth prospects for South Asia and provides analysis on how the region can benefit from the green energy transition.","date":"2027-04-08T23:00:00Z","contenttype":"Publication"},"_f5e307762b854ad0fbd662f1b3a86ff38e89b00c":{"id":"f5e307762b854ad0fbd662f1b3a86ff38e89b00c","title":"LAC AI Accelerator: An AI-Enabled Region","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/lac/brief/accelerator-lac"},"lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/region/lac/en/brief/accelerator-lac","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Brief","originating_unit":"Latin America & Caribbean, LCR","originating_unit_exact":"Latin America & Caribbean, LCR","masterconttype":"Brief","node_id":"f5e307762b854ad0fbd662f1b3a86ff38e89b00c","wn_title":"LAC AI Accelerator: An AI-Enabled Region","wn_desc":"Advancing AI adoption in Latin America and the Caribbean  1 - What is the LAC AI Acelerator? The LAC AI Accelerator is a regional initiative that aims to foster the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) use cases, especially agentic AI use cases, across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries. The initiative will identify high‑potential use cases through an open call and support proponent teams in rigorously validating them. In doing so, the accelerator equips governments with evidence to decide whether to scale AI solutions with long‑term financing or to discontinue them. Lessons from the accelerator will be shared across the ecosystem to enable replication and scaling of effective AI use cases. The initiative envisions empowered governments in LAC to harness AI to innovate in service delivery, promote a more efficient government, design data driven policy, and, ultimately, foster an inclusive digital economy. The LAC AI Accelerator is the first iteration of what is expected to become an annual challenge led by the World Bank. Each iteration will be built on learnings from the previous cohorts and will include an increasingly more comprehensive toolbox of support mechanisms for the use cases. 2 - What is the value of participating in the LAC AI Accelerator? The accelerator will deliver assistance to the proposing teams, called the Digital Service Teams, throughout the design and testing of the AI solutions. The engagement will consist of the following: Institutional maturity assessment: deep-dive evaluation of the proposing organization’s AI readiness, adoption and strategic positioning. This assessment will help the organization understand its current capabilities, identify gaps and define a roadmap for scaling AI initiatives effectively and responsibly. Strategic advisory: expert guidance on selecting the most appropriate AI models. Technical mentorship: hands-on companionship throughout the lifecycle of the pilot to troubleshoot issues as they arise and to test the use case. The World Bank Group and its strategic partners will not provide hardware nor software (including computing power, data and sandbox environments), therefore, all hardware and software will have to be put in by the Digital Service Team. Specialized trainings to strengthen skills for AI-solutions deployment and to improve knowledge on AI fundamentals, data governance, and ethical principles to ensure safe implementation. Members of teams that participate in courses will receive a Certificate of Completion from the World Bank Group. Trainings will be tailored for policymakers and technical staff. Networking and knowledge sharing opportunities. During the World Bank Digital Summit, the selected teams will be able to showcase their use cases, thereby expanding the visibility of their innovations and their opportunities for collaboration. The teams will have access to other types of World Bank Group online and in-person events.3 - What are the direct beneficiaries of the LAC AI Accelerator? The accelerator is open to teams from public or private sector entities, civil society organizations and Academia, all throughout the LAC region, interested in using AI to improve: Category 1 – Digital government services (e.g., through AI agents with which citizens and businesses can interact and make transactions using natural language) Category 2 – Public sector efficiency (e.g., through automated processing, simplification, and case management for Back-office optimization) Category 3 – Policy design and delivery (e.g., through AI-assisted simulation of the potential impact of policy choices, such as subsidies, regulations or social programs, before implementation) Applicant teams can use the Agentic State Vision Paper to guide the definition of their use cases. Participating teams should be multi-disciplinary, with experts who understand both the technology and the specific development problem they are trying to solve. It is recommended that proposals target one of the World Bank Group’s five priority sectors: infrastructure, agribusiness, health, manufacturing, and tourism. However, alignment with these sectors is not mandatory, and proposals from any domain that fit within the three eligible categories are welcome. Participating teams must have the support of a public digital authority (national, state or local level) and will have to submit a commitment letter signed by the head of the relevant authority. Support may come from a consortium of public authorities within the same country or among different LAC countries; in this case, there will be more than one sponsoring organization and commitment letter.4 - How will the Digital Service Teams  be  selected?  All Digital Service Teams will have to send the following documents to the address lacaiaccelerator_worldbank.org@worldbank.org: The institutional commitment letter, that is, the letter signed by the head of the public digital authority that backs the Digital Service Team. Use the letter templates available on the right of this page. The use case proposal document, that is, the record that describes the use case proposal, the problem it is trying to solve and the readiness of its AI solution. It should also include considerations for AI suitability and data, and a sustainability and scalability plan. Use the document templates available on the right of this page.The privacy notice through which the applicant consents to share personal information about himself/herself and the Digital Service Team members with the World Bank. Use the templates available on the right of this page. Proposals will be evaluated by the LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee, composed of a representative from each of the partner organizations, as well as experts from the World Bank Group’s Digital & AI VP.5 - What are the next steps for the LAC AI Accelerator? Here is the calendar of the regional initiative: Milestone Date Call for proposals February 16, 2026 Reception of applications & eligibility screening From February 16, 2026, to March 20, 2026 Announcement of selected use casesSelection will be conducted by the LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee.For those proposals that have not been selected, an email indicating why will be sent. March 30, 2026 On boarding to training April 6, 2026 Monthly follow-up sessions April 10, 2026 May 8, 2026 June 5, 2026 July 3, 2026 August 7, 2026 September 4, 2026 Closing ceremony September 7, 2026 Publication of the Annual Report and use cases presentation World Bank Digital SummitOctober 2026 Knowledge sharing:The AI use cases will be stored in the AI Use Case and Knowledge Platform, developed through a collaboration among seven Multilateral Development Banks.The LAC AI Accelerator will produce an Annual Report featuring key lessons learned, best practices, and policy design and pilot evaluation recommendations. The report will serve as a regional reference and will be disseminated to policy makers and the international development community.Selected AI use cases will be showcased in regional and global forums, reinforcing the potential of AI to drive inclusive and sustainable development in LAC. For any additional questions, interested parties can contact the organizing team by email at  lacaiaccelerator_worldbank.org@worldbank.org.6 – Frequently Asked Questions Q1: What is the expected maturity level of the submitted use cases? The LAC AI Accelerator is open to AI use cases at a wide range of maturity levels, from early-stage technology concepts to fully deployed systems operating under monitored conditions. What matters most is that the Digital Service Team provides a comprehensive description of the proposed solution and a candid assessment of organizational readiness, covering dimensions such as connectivity, compute capacity, digital public infrastructure, data availability, skills, and risk management. The Accelerator's support is calibrated to meet teams where they are. Q2: The initiative emphasizes agentic AI, but the eligibility categories are broadly defined. Are purely non-agentic AI solutions eligible, or is there a minimum threshold of “agenticity” that proposals must meet? The Accelerator prioritizes solving real development challenges with the most appropriate technology. While the initiative has a particular focus on agentic AI use cases, evaluation will place greater weight on the quality and clarity of the problem statement, the proposed solution, and the organization’s readiness (across policy, skills, infrastructure, and data) than on whether the solution is strictly agentic. Q3: What specific criteria does the LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee use to evaluate and rank proposals? Proposals are assessed by the Governance Committee against five weighted criteria:Impact & Relevance: Does the solution address a significant development challenge and have the potential to reach a meaningful number of people?Data & AI Fit: Is AI, and specifically agentic AI, the right approach for this problem? Does the team demonstrate readiness in terms of policy, infrastructure, data, and skills?Feasibility & Team: Does the proposal present a realistic plan that a multidisciplinary team can execute within a six-month agile cycle?Safety & Responsibility: Does the solution protect data privacy, mitigate bias, and follow a “do no harm” approach?Sustainability & Scale: Is the solution designed to outlast the pilot phase and be replicable in other contexts or countries? Q4: What type of public digital authority must back the AI use case? Any public authority with competencies in digital matters is eligible to provide institutional backing, regardless of whether it operates at the municipal, state, or national level. The key requirement is that the authority issues a formal Institutional Commitment Letter, signed by its head, confirming political support for the use case and nominating a focal point to engage with the Accelerator throughout the process.7 – Selected proposals The LAC AI Accelerator supports 18 AI solutions across 12 countries in the region: Country Name of the AI solution Description Colombia Agente de IA para una Oferta de Servicio a la Ciudadanía Inteligente y Anticipativa para Bogotá Built for the Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá D.C. in Colombia, this AI agent is integrated into the district portal bogota.gov.co and connects public information with service delivery while orchestrating various key tasks within the citizen services system. Trinidad and Tobago AI-Enabled Digital Public Services and Decision Intelligence Platform Developed for Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, this AI-driven platform integrates predictive analytics and data tools to support government decision-making and strengthen public health system resilience and preparedness against climate-related disasters. Chile Copiloto IA para recuperación automática de cupos liberados por cancelación en confirmación de horas Deployed for the Municipalidad de Puente Alto in Chile, this AI co-pilot automatically detects cancelled or freed primary healthcare appointment slots and reassigns them to waiting patients using rule-based agentic automation, while providing dashboards to track recovered capacity and operational performance. Argentina DINO EMPRENDE: Agente de Inteligencia Artificial para el Acompañamiento al Emprendimiento Femenino Integrated into Chubut Province’s existing DINO bot in Argentina, this AI agent assists women entrepreneurs with personalized guidance on formalization, financing, training, and commercialization, while generating dashboards to support evidence-based public policy decisions. Chile Ecosistema Integral de IA para Búsqueda, Cribado, Extracción, Síntesis y Consulta de Evidencia Clínica To be deployed for the Ministerio de Salud of Chile, this AI-powered hybrid multi-model system automates the screening, extraction, and analysis of scientific literature (using NLP, RAG, and automated GRADE generation) to support technical health professionals in accelerating the biennial update of Clinical Practice Guidelines, reducing manual review burden while keeping human validation at the center of the process. Panama Empleo 3.0: AI-Powered Public Workforce Development Platform Integrated into an employment platform for Panama City’s Municipality, this AI system matches candidates to job postings, provides personalized career coaching with skills gap analysis, and offers labor market forecasting and program effectiveness tools to municipal decision-makers. Brazil Fiscalização Inteligente de Contratos Complexos Built for the Governo do Estado do Espírito Santo in Brazil, this AI system autonomously audits government contracts for regulatory compliance, generates risk alerts, and classifies invoices and deliverables by risk level to support contract oversight officials across the state executive branch. Brazil Framework para Autoavaliação de Impacto Ético em Inteligência Artificial Developed for Brazil’s Secretaria de Governo Digital, this AI governance tool guides federal public servants through a structured ethical self-assessment questionnaire to diagnose adherence to ethical principles and generate improvement recommendations for AI solutions developed or procured by federal agencies. Uruguay Gobernanza de tecnologías emergentes: marco de valoración y sostenibilidad aplicado al Asistente Ciudadano Implemented for the Intendencia de Montevideo in Uruguay, this decision intelligence process evaluates and pilots technological evolution options for the city’s citizen service virtual assistant, assessing agentic AI models using evidence on performance, privacy, sustainability, and public value. Peru Iñatech: Tecnología de Soporte Designed for local governments in the Department of Amazonas of Peru, this AI-powered predictive and prescriptive system (integrated into a mobile app) analyzes users’ mobility data to recommend and personalize ergonomic orthopedic devices made from Amazonian bamboo and 3D printing, with the objective of improving affordable access to mobility aids for elderly people and individuals with disabilities in rural communities. Mexico Laboratorio UX/UI/AI en México para servicios digitales: Caso Chatbot “Xoli” Created for the Agencia Digital de Innovación Pública of Mexico City, this LLM-based multilingual chatbot provides automated, geolocated information on cultural events, activities, and tourism services to residents and visitors. Turks and Caicos National Health Insurance Board Agentic AI Treatment Abroad Program Case Manager Pilot Designed for the National Health Insurance Board of the Turks and Caicos Islands, this agentic AI application orchestrates and manages end-to-end Treatment Abroad Program cases with human oversight. St. Vincent and the Grenadines One Stop Vincy Gov AI Concierge Deployed for the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this AI-powered concierge integrated into the national digital portal processes natural language queries to provide citizens with general information and personalized service status updates based on user identification. Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic Operating System for Agentic Government This AI solution is an open-source AI platform developed for the governments of Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic that enables citizens to access and complete public service procedures through a single natural language interface while coordinating workflows across government institutions. Colombia Proyecto CEREBRO: Inteligencia Artificial para la Gobernanza Macroeconómica Developed for the Alcaldía Municipal de Palmira in Colombia, this generative AI platform combines Colombia’s DSGE PATACON macroeconomic model with advanced AI to help governments simulate economic scenarios, evaluate fiscal and monetary policy impacts, and recommend optimal policy actions in real time. Uruguay Resumen del Paciente Developed for AGESIC and Uruguay’s Ministerio de Salud Pública, this AI solution automatically summarizes a patient’s full electronic health record, including chronic conditions, medications, allergies, and key procedures, to help physicians quickly access the most relevant clinical information within a standard 10-minute consultation. Argentina Sistema de Inteligencia Artificial para la Optimización Predictiva del Servicio de Salud Municipal Deployed for the Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Mendoza in Argentina, this AI-powered predictive system forecasts patient demand, appointment no-shows, and resource needs at municipal health centers to support operational staff in optimizing scheduling and medical resource allocation. Mexico Ventanilla Digital: IA para la Eficiencia Gubernamental en Baja California Built for the Agencia Digital del Estado de Baja California in Mexico, this AI-powered digital platform simplifies and digitalizes citizen-government interactions by reducing bureaucracy and improving public service efficiency through no-code technology, digital identity, and integrated e-government tools.","master_recent_date":"2026-06-02T21:20:00Z","short_description":"The LAC AI Accelerator is a regional initiative that aims to foster the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) use cases, especially agentic AI use cases, across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries.","desc":"Advancing AI adoption in Latin America and the Caribbean  1 - What is the LAC AI Acelerator? The LAC AI Accelerator is a regional initiative that aims to foster the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) use cases, especially agentic AI use cases, across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries. The initiative will identify high‑potential use cases through an open call and support proponent teams in rigorously validating them. In doing so, the accelerator equips governments with evidence to decide whether to scale AI solutions with long‑term financing or to discontinue them. Lessons from the accelerator will be shared across the ecosystem to enable replication and scaling of effective AI use cases. The initiative envisions empowered governments in LAC to harness AI to innovate in service delivery, promote a more efficient government, design data driven policy, and, ultimately, foster an inclusive digital economy. The LAC AI Accelerator is the first iteration of what is expected to become an annual challenge led by the World Bank. Each iteration will be built on learnings from the previous cohorts and will include an increasingly more comprehensive toolbox of support mechanisms for the use cases. 2 - What is the value of participating in the LAC AI Accelerator? The accelerator will deliver assistance to the proposing teams, called the Digital Service Teams, throughout the design and testing of the AI solutions. The engagement will consist of the following: Institutional maturity assessment: deep-dive evaluation of the proposing organization’s AI readiness, adoption and strategic positioning. This assessment will help the organization understand its current capabilities, identify gaps and define a roadmap for scaling AI initiatives effectively and responsibly. Strategic advisory: expert guidance on selecting the most appropriate AI models. Technical mentorship: hands-on companionship throughout the lifecycle of the pilot to troubleshoot issues as they arise and to test the use case. The World Bank Group and its strategic partners will not provide hardware nor software (including computing power, data and sandbox environments), therefore, all hardware and software will have to be put in by the Digital Service Team. Specialized trainings to strengthen skills for AI-solutions deployment and to improve knowledge on AI fundamentals, data governance, and ethical principles to ensure safe implementation. Members of teams that participate in courses will receive a Certificate of Completion from the World Bank Group. Trainings will be tailored for policymakers and technical staff. Networking and knowledge sharing opportunities. During the World Bank Digital Summit, the selected teams will be able to showcase their use cases, thereby expanding the visibility of their innovations and their opportunities for collaboration. The teams will have access to other types of World Bank Group online and in-person events.3 - What are the direct beneficiaries of the LAC AI Accelerator? The accelerator is open to teams from public or private sector entities, civil society organizations and Academia, all throughout the LAC region, interested in using AI to improve: Category 1 – Digital government services (e.g., through AI agents with which citizens and businesses can interact and make transactions using natural language) Category 2 – Public sector efficiency (e.g., through automated processing, simplification, and case management for Back-office optimization) Category 3 – Policy design and delivery (e.g., through AI-assisted simulation of the potential impact of policy choices, such as subsidies, regulations or social programs, before implementation) Applicant teams can use the Agentic State Vision Paper to guide the definition of their use cases. Participating teams should be multi-disciplinary, with experts who understand both the technology and the specific development problem they are trying to solve. It is recommended that proposals target one of the World Bank Group’s five priority sectors: infrastructure, agribusiness, health, manufacturing, and tourism. However, alignment with these sectors is not mandatory, and proposals from any domain that fit within the three eligible categories are welcome. Participating teams must have the support of a public digital authority (national, state or local level) and will have to submit a commitment letter signed by the head of the relevant authority. Support may come from a consortium of public authorities within the same country or among different LAC countries; in this case, there will be more than one sponsoring organization and commitment letter.4 - How will the Digital Service Teams  be  selected?  All Digital Service Teams will have to send the following documents to the address lacaiaccelerator_worldbank.org@worldbank.org: The institutional commitment letter, that is, the letter signed by the head of the public digital authority that backs the Digital Service Team. Use the letter templates available on the right of this page. The use case proposal document, that is, the record that describes the use case proposal, the problem it is trying to solve and the readiness of its AI solution. It should also include considerations for AI suitability and data, and a sustainability and scalability plan. Use the document templates available on the right of this page.The privacy notice through which the applicant consents to share personal information about himself/herself and the Digital Service Team members with the World Bank. Use the templates available on the right of this page. Proposals will be evaluated by the LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee, composed of a representative from each of the partner organizations, as well as experts from the World Bank Group’s Digital & AI VP.5 - What are the next steps for the LAC AI Accelerator? Here is the calendar of the regional initiative: Milestone Date Call for proposals February 16, 2026 Reception of applications & eligibility screening From February 16, 2026, to March 20, 2026 Announcement of selected use casesSelection will be conducted by the LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee.For those proposals that have not been selected, an email indicating why will be sent. March 30, 2026 On boarding to training April 6, 2026 Monthly follow-up sessions April 10, 2026 May 8, 2026 June 5, 2026 July 3, 2026 August 7, 2026 September 4, 2026 Closing ceremony September 7, 2026 Publication of the Annual Report and use cases presentation World Bank Digital SummitOctober 2026 Knowledge sharing:The AI use cases will be stored in the AI Use Case and Knowledge Platform, developed through a collaboration among seven Multilateral Development Banks.The LAC AI Accelerator will produce an Annual Report featuring key lessons learned, best practices, and policy design and pilot evaluation recommendations. The report will serve as a regional reference and will be disseminated to policy makers and the international development community.Selected AI use cases will be showcased in regional and global forums, reinforcing the potential of AI to drive inclusive and sustainable development in LAC. For any additional questions, interested parties can contact the organizing team by email at  lacaiaccelerator_worldbank.org@worldbank.org.6 – Frequently Asked Questions Q1: What is the expected maturity level of the submitted use cases? The LAC AI Accelerator is open to AI use cases at a wide range of maturity levels, from early-stage technology concepts to fully deployed systems operating under monitored conditions. What matters most is that the Digital Service Team provides a comprehensive description of the proposed solution and a candid assessment of organizational readiness, covering dimensions such as connectivity, compute capacity, digital public infrastructure, data availability, skills, and risk management. The Accelerator's support is calibrated to meet teams where they are. Q2: The initiative emphasizes agentic AI, but the eligibility categories are broadly defined. Are purely non-agentic AI solutions eligible, or is there a minimum threshold of “agenticity” that proposals must meet? The Accelerator prioritizes solving real development challenges with the most appropriate technology. While the initiative has a particular focus on agentic AI use cases, evaluation will place greater weight on the quality and clarity of the problem statement, the proposed solution, and the organization’s readiness (across policy, skills, infrastructure, and data) than on whether the solution is strictly agentic. Q3: What specific criteria does the LAC AI Accelerator Governance Committee use to evaluate and rank proposals? Proposals are assessed by the Governance Committee against five weighted criteria:Impact & Relevance: Does the solution address a significant development challenge and have the potential to reach a meaningful number of people?Data & AI Fit: Is AI, and specifically agentic AI, the right approach for this problem? Does the team demonstrate readiness in terms of policy, infrastructure, data, and skills?Feasibility & Team: Does the proposal present a realistic plan that a multidisciplinary team can execute within a six-month agile cycle?Safety & Responsibility: Does the solution protect data privacy, mitigate bias, and follow a “do no harm” approach?Sustainability & Scale: Is the solution designed to outlast the pilot phase and be replicable in other contexts or countries? Q4: What type of public digital authority must back the AI use case? Any public authority with competencies in digital matters is eligible to provide institutional backing, regardless of whether it operates at the municipal, state, or national level. The key requirement is that the authority issues a formal Institutional Commitment Letter, signed by its head, confirming political support for the use case and nominating a focal point to engage with the Accelerator throughout the process.7 – Selected proposals The LAC AI Accelerator supports 18 AI solutions across 12 countries in the region: Country Name of the AI solution Description Colombia Agente de IA para una Oferta de Servicio a la Ciudadanía Inteligente y Anticipativa para Bogotá Built for the Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá D.C. in Colombia, this AI agent is integrated into the district portal bogota.gov.co and connects public information with service delivery while orchestrating various key tasks within the citizen services system. Trinidad and Tobago AI-Enabled Digital Public Services and Decision Intelligence Platform Developed for Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, this AI-driven platform integrates predictive analytics and data tools to support government decision-making and strengthen public health system resilience and preparedness against climate-related disasters. Chile Copiloto IA para recuperación automática de cupos liberados por cancelación en confirmación de horas Deployed for the Municipalidad de Puente Alto in Chile, this AI co-pilot automatically detects cancelled or freed primary healthcare appointment slots and reassigns them to waiting patients using rule-based agentic automation, while providing dashboards to track recovered capacity and operational performance. Argentina DINO EMPRENDE: Agente de Inteligencia Artificial para el Acompañamiento al Emprendimiento Femenino Integrated into Chubut Province’s existing DINO bot in Argentina, this AI agent assists women entrepreneurs with personalized guidance on formalization, financing, training, and commercialization, while generating dashboards to support evidence-based public policy decisions. Chile Ecosistema Integral de IA para Búsqueda, Cribado, Extracción, Síntesis y Consulta de Evidencia Clínica To be deployed for the Ministerio de Salud of Chile, this AI-powered hybrid multi-model system automates the screening, extraction, and analysis of scientific literature (using NLP, RAG, and automated GRADE generation) to support technical health professionals in accelerating the biennial update of Clinical Practice Guidelines, reducing manual review burden while keeping human validation at the center of the process. Panama Empleo 3.0: AI-Powered Public Workforce Development Platform Integrated into an employment platform for Panama City’s Municipality, this AI system matches candidates to job postings, provides personalized career coaching with skills gap analysis, and offers labor market forecasting and program effectiveness tools to municipal decision-makers. Brazil Fiscalização Inteligente de Contratos Complexos Built for the Governo do Estado do Espírito Santo in Brazil, this AI system autonomously audits government contracts for regulatory compliance, generates risk alerts, and classifies invoices and deliverables by risk level to support contract oversight officials across the state executive branch. Brazil Framework para Autoavaliação de Impacto Ético em Inteligência Artificial Developed for Brazil’s Secretaria de Governo Digital, this AI governance tool guides federal public servants through a structured ethical self-assessment questionnaire to diagnose adherence to ethical principles and generate improvement recommendations for AI solutions developed or procured by federal agencies. Uruguay Gobernanza de tecnologías emergentes: marco de valoración y sostenibilidad aplicado al Asistente Ciudadano Implemented for the Intendencia de Montevideo in Uruguay, this decision intelligence process evaluates and pilots technological evolution options for the city’s citizen service virtual assistant, assessing agentic AI models using evidence on performance, privacy, sustainability, and public value. Peru Iñatech: Tecnología de Soporte Designed for local governments in the Department of Amazonas of Peru, this AI-powered predictive and prescriptive system (integrated into a mobile app) analyzes users’ mobility data to recommend and personalize ergonomic orthopedic devices made from Amazonian bamboo and 3D printing, with the objective of improving affordable access to mobility aids for elderly people and individuals with disabilities in rural communities. Mexico Laboratorio UX/UI/AI en México para servicios digitales: Caso Chatbot “Xoli” Created for the Agencia Digital de Innovación Pública of Mexico City, this LLM-based multilingual chatbot provides automated, geolocated information on cultural events, activities, and tourism services to residents and visitors. Turks and Caicos National Health Insurance Board Agentic AI Treatment Abroad Program Case Manager Pilot Designed for the National Health Insurance Board of the Turks and Caicos Islands, this agentic AI application orchestrates and manages end-to-end Treatment Abroad Program cases with human oversight. St. Vincent and the Grenadines One Stop Vincy Gov AI Concierge Deployed for the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this AI-powered concierge integrated into the national digital portal processes natural language queries to provide citizens with general information and personalized service status updates based on user identification. Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic Operating System for Agentic Government This AI solution is an open-source AI platform developed for the governments of Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic that enables citizens to access and complete public service procedures through a single natural language interface while coordinating workflows across government institutions. Colombia Proyecto CEREBRO: Inteligencia Artificial para la Gobernanza Macroeconómica Developed for the Alcaldía Municipal de Palmira in Colombia, this generative AI platform combines Colombia’s DSGE PATACON macroeconomic model with advanced AI to help governments simulate economic scenarios, evaluate fiscal and monetary policy impacts, and recommend optimal policy actions in real time. Uruguay Resumen del Paciente Developed for AGESIC and Uruguay’s Ministerio de Salud Pública, this AI solution automatically summarizes a patient’s full electronic health record, including chronic conditions, medications, allergies, and key procedures, to help physicians quickly access the most relevant clinical information within a standard 10-minute consultation. Argentina Sistema de Inteligencia Artificial para la Optimización Predictiva del Servicio de Salud Municipal Deployed for the Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Mendoza in Argentina, this AI-powered predictive system forecasts patient demand, appointment no-shows, and resource needs at municipal health centers to support operational staff in optimizing scheduling and medical resource allocation. Mexico Ventanilla Digital: IA para la Eficiencia Gubernamental en Baja California Built for the Agencia Digital del Estado de Baja California in Mexico, this AI-powered digital platform simplifies and digitalizes citizen-government interactions by reducing bureaucracy and improving public service efficiency through no-code technology, digital identity, and integrated e-government tools.","date":"2026-06-02T21:20:00Z","contenttype":"Brief"},"_d45059db9248e80b8b303cebd53034c025d9a2c4":{"id":"d45059db9248e80b8b303cebd53034c025d9a2c4","title":"Turning Destinations into Opportunity: Supporting More than a Million Jobs in Indonesia","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2026/05/29/turning-destinations-into-opportunity-supporting-more-than-a-million-jobs-in-indonesia"},"count":"Indonesia","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/projects-operations/results/2026/05/29/turning-destinations-into-opportunity-supporting-more-than-a-million-jobs-in-indonesia","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Results","originating_unit":"East Asia and Pacific, EAP","originating_unit_exact":"East Asia and Pacific, EAP","masterconttype":"Results","node_id":"d45059db9248e80b8b303cebd53034c025d9a2c4","wn_title":"Turning Destinations into Opportunity: Supporting More than a Million Jobs in Indonesia","wn_desc":"Development Challenge The Indonesia Tourism Development Project (ITDP, 2018–2024) improved tourism infrastructure, strengthened institutions, enhanced local economic participation, and attracted private investment. It benefited over 5.4 million people, certified 84,000 professionals, and helped 40 villages achieve sustainable tourism boosting Indonesia’s tourism sector and local economies.  The World Bank Group Approach The World Bank's engagement in Indonesia's tourism sector was driven by: (i) integrated, multi-sectoral solutions addressing the full range of tourism challenges, from infrastructure to policy reform; (ii) global expertise and best practices draw from successful tourism development models in countries such as Morocco and the Philippines; and, (iii) the ability to leverage private investment through policy reforms and targeted infrastructure improvements. Critically, while infrastructure investments created direct construction jobs, the project’s deeper impact came from catalyzing private sector engagement — multiplying job creation across hotels, restaurants, tour operations, and local supply chains in ways that infrastructure spending alone could not achieve.  The project was also complemented by an IFC initiative - the Indonesia Investment Climate Competitive Sectors and Competition (ICCSC), funded by the Multi‑Donor Cooperation Instrument for Inclusive Policy (MCICP), financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO))  – which provided advisory, regulatory, and technical support to the government to improve the business environment and attract sustained private investment.  ResultsEmployment effect: (1) The project created 44,000 jobs directly and indirectly and had impact on 1.15 million jobs (including the induced impact due to better infrastructure and better income); (2) Job retention after skill competency certification increased by 7 percent; (4) Job uptake for new employees after skill competency certification increased by 13 percent.Access to services: About 5.4 million beneficiaries across six destinations gained improved access to tourism infrastructure and services (well over the target of 3.5 million). Infrastructure upgrades included water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, roads, and non-motorized transport, enhancing competitiveness, sustainability, and visitor experience.Certification and ratings: Forty villages achieved sustainable tourism certification, and more than 3,600 businesses received higher ratings on travel agency websites for improved service and quality.Local economic linkages: Over 84,000 individuals (48 percent female) completed tourism competency certification; over 20,000 businesses established an online presence; more than 18,000 participants (52 percent women) joined tourism awareness programs.Private investment: US$874 million was attracted to selected tourism destinations.  Contribution to WBG Targets and Jobs  More and better jobs: The Indonesia Tourism Development Project supported approximately 40,000 direct and indirect jobs, with the total employment impact, including induced effects, reaching around 1.15 million jobs. It strengthened labor market outcomes by increasing job retention among certified workers by 7 percent and raising new employment uptake by 13 percent following skills certification. Beyond employment, investments in tourism-related infrastructure and services—including roads, sanitation, and public facilities—directly benefited an estimated 5.4 million people, improving access to services, living conditions, and the sustainability of tourism destinations.  Beneficiary ","master_recent_date":"2026-05-29T10:57:40Z","short_description":"The Indonesia Tourism Development Project (ITDP, 2018–2024) improved tourism infrastructure, strengthened institutions, enhanced local economic participation, and attracted private investment.","desc":"Development Challenge The Indonesia Tourism Development Project (ITDP, 2018–2024) improved tourism infrastructure, strengthened institutions, enhanced local economic participation, and attracted private investment. It benefited over 5.4 million people, certified 84,000 professionals, and helped 40 villages achieve sustainable tourism boosting Indonesia’s tourism sector and local economies.  The World Bank Group Approach The World Bank's engagement in Indonesia's tourism sector was driven by: (i) integrated, multi-sectoral solutions addressing the full range of tourism challenges, from infrastructure to policy reform; (ii) global expertise and best practices draw from successful tourism development models in countries such as Morocco and the Philippines; and, (iii) the ability to leverage private investment through policy reforms and targeted infrastructure improvements. Critically, while infrastructure investments created direct construction jobs, the project’s deeper impact came from catalyzing private sector engagement — multiplying job creation across hotels, restaurants, tour operations, and local supply chains in ways that infrastructure spending alone could not achieve.  The project was also complemented by an IFC initiative - the Indonesia Investment Climate Competitive Sectors and Competition (ICCSC), funded by the Multi‑Donor Cooperation Instrument for Inclusive Policy (MCICP), financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO))  – which provided advisory, regulatory, and technical support to the government to improve the business environment and attract sustained private investment.  ResultsEmployment effect: (1) The project created 44,000 jobs directly and indirectly and had impact on 1.15 million jobs (including the induced impact due to better infrastructure and better income); (2) Job retention after skill competency certification increased by 7 percent; (4) Job uptake for new employees after skill competency certification increased by 13 percent.Access to services: About 5.4 million beneficiaries across six destinations gained improved access to tourism infrastructure and services (well over the target of 3.5 million). Infrastructure upgrades included water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, roads, and non-motorized transport, enhancing competitiveness, sustainability, and visitor experience.Certification and ratings: Forty villages achieved sustainable tourism certification, and more than 3,600 businesses received higher ratings on travel agency websites for improved service and quality.Local economic linkages: Over 84,000 individuals (48 percent female) completed tourism competency certification; over 20,000 businesses established an online presence; more than 18,000 participants (52 percent women) joined tourism awareness programs.Private investment: US$874 million was attracted to selected tourism destinations.  Contribution to WBG Targets and Jobs  More and better jobs: The Indonesia Tourism Development Project supported approximately 40,000 direct and indirect jobs, with the total employment impact, including induced effects, reaching around 1.15 million jobs. It strengthened labor market outcomes by increasing job retention among certified workers by 7 percent and raising new employment uptake by 13 percent following skills certification. Beyond employment, investments in tourism-related infrastructure and services—including roads, sanitation, and public facilities—directly benefited an estimated 5.4 million people, improving access to services, living conditions, and the sustainability of tourism destinations.  Beneficiary ","date":"2026-05-29T10:57:40Z","contenttype":"Results"},"_c564a776b2f39cabdc7d02e4dd15f60a800c55c3":{"id":"c564a776b2f39cabdc7d02e4dd15f60a800c55c3","title":"Making Water Work in Mozambique for Economic Growth, People, Food and the Planet","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/05/28/making-water-work-in-mozambique-for-economic-growth-people-food-and-the-planet"},"count":"Mozambique","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/feature/2026/05/28/making-water-work-in-mozambique-for-economic-growth-people-food-and-the-planet","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Feature Story","originating_unit":"Africa, AFR","originating_unit_exact":"Africa, AFR","masterconttype":"Feature Story","node_id":"c564a776b2f39cabdc7d02e4dd15f60a800c55c3","wn_title":"Making Water Work in Mozambique for Economic Growth, People, Food and the Planet","wn_desc":" Mozambique’s economy is profoundly water dependent, and water is a primary driver of the economy. More than half of gross value added, over 90% of exports, and 84% of jobs depend on water‑related sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, transport, and industry. Yet in one of Africa’s most water‑rich countries, water has become a binding constraint to growth, jobs, and human development. This paradox lies at the heart of Mozambique’s development challenge and its opportunity. Despite abundant rivers and rainfall, Mozambique faces economic water scarcity, driven by limited storage infrastructure and weak distribution networks. Floods and droughts already cost the country an estimated 6.7% of GDP every year, while 58% of the population is exposed to climate risks. Structural vulnerabilities compound the challenge: more than half of freshwater originates upstream, beyond Mozambique’s borders, and over 86% of national storage is concentrated in a single dam–Cahora Bassa. Climate change amplifies each of these risks. The issue is not water availability, but the infrastructure, institutions, and financing needed to manage water reliably and equitably.Water as an engine for jobs and inclusive growth Water security is not just about pipes, dams, or treatment plants. It is about people, productivity, and jobs. Around two‑thirds of Mozambicans have access to basic water services, but less than 40% benefit from basic sanitation. These gaps undermine health and nutrition, disrupt school attendance, and reduce labor productivity, with disproportionate impacts on women, girls, and the poorest households. New analysis from the Mozambique Water Security Diagnostic shows that change is within reach. With the right mix of investment and reform, water can become a platform for job creation, economic growth, and resilience. The Diagnostic estimates that every $1 million invested in urban water infrastructure can generate $1.2 million in discounted returns, and every dollar invested in water and sanitation adds $0.82 to GDP. Achieving this transformation, however, will require an estimated $14.3 billion by 2030 across water supply and sanitation, water resources management, irrigation, and hydropower. To unlock this potential, the Diagnostic highlights four priorities:securing water resources,delivering equitable servicesstrengthening climate resiliencemobilizing diversified, sustainable financing. As the World Bank Group launches Water Forward, a global push to turn water systems into drivers of jobs and prosperity, Mozambique stands at a decisive moment to translate analysis into results at scale.Delivering results through water and sanitation reform Mozambique is already demonstrating that water security reform can deliver tangible and lasting results. World Bank–supported projects, including the Rural and Small Towns Water Security Project, the Mozambique Urban Water Security Project, the Regional Climate Resilience Project (RCRP), and the Mozambique Urban Sanitation Project show how combining infrastructure with institutional reform can expand services, strengthen resilience, and support jobs and growth. In underserved provinces such as Nampula and Zambézia, where water coverage in small towns once stood at just 25%, new and rehabilitated water systems are expanding affordable access, including through solar‑powered mini‑systems. Investments in these systems are generating local jobs during construction, and for operations and maintenance. The resilience dividend is already visible: when Cyclone Freddy struck in 2023, project-supported systems enabled the rapid restoration of water services to 115,000 people and improved sanitation for 88,000, helping communities recover faster.  Urban sanitation investments through the projects have also delivered results. Thousands of poor households in Quelimane and Tete gained access to improved sanitation facilities, while major sewerage works in Maputo, including rehabilitation of the Infulene Wastewater Treatment Plant, strengthened the capital’s sanitation backbone. Across cities, nearly 163,700 students, including 87,600 girls, now benefit from safer school sanitation, which in turn is supporting education, dignity, and human capital development. Beyond infrastructure, the most enduring impact comes from stronger systems and institutions. Provincial and district authorities now receive resources directly through a Block Grant mechanism, improving planning, accountability, and service delivery. The Urban Water Security Program is supporting the rollout of ten newly created provincial water and sanitation companies, alongside targeted investments to reduce water losses, boost energy efficiency, and expand digital systems. Together, these reforms strengthen utility performance, financial sustainability, and the ability to attract private capital. Building resilience to climate extremes is equally critical. Through the RCRP, investments are improving the safety of existing dams, enabling increased water storage, and rehabilitating dikes systems to protect productive and inhabited areas. The project also helps prepare the country for developing much-needed new storage through technical design, alongside support for legal reforms and capacity building.Mobilizing finance for water at scale On May 19, 2026, Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo launched the ProAguas Water Security Compact 2026 - 2036, designed to address the country’s water sector challenges. Findings from the Water Security Diagnostic helped inform the development of the compact. The Diagnostic makes clear that closing the country’s water security gap is less a question of ambition than of how finance is mobilized and sustained. Public resources will remain essential, but they will not be sufficient on their own. Unlocking larger and more stable flows of capital requires reforms to strengthen the sector’s financial and institutional foundations, including updating raw water tariffs to better reflect costs, improving revenue collection, and building utilities’ creditworthiness while protecting vulnerable users. Clearer asset ownership, predictable regulation, and a strong pipeline of bankable projects are also critical to attract private participation through well‑structured public–private partnerships, particularly in bulk water supply, urban services, and sanitation. Together, these measures can shift Mozambique’s water sector away from fragmented, project‑by‑project financing toward a model that rewards performance, supports long‑term maintenance, and enables investment at scale while preserving affordability and equity. Water already underpins Mozambique’s economy, but the evidence now shows that with targeted investments and sustained reforms, it can do far more: create jobs, strengthen human capital, and build resilience.","master_recent_date":"2026-05-28T17:22:00Z","short_description":"Discover how Mozambique is turning water into a driver of jobs, growth, and resilience through bold investments, reforms, and a new 10-year compact.","desc":" Mozambique’s economy is profoundly water dependent, and water is a primary driver of the economy. More than half of gross value added, over 90% of exports, and 84% of jobs depend on water‑related sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, transport, and industry. Yet in one of Africa’s most water‑rich countries, water has become a binding constraint to growth, jobs, and human development. This paradox lies at the heart of Mozambique’s development challenge and its opportunity. Despite abundant rivers and rainfall, Mozambique faces economic water scarcity, driven by limited storage infrastructure and weak distribution networks. Floods and droughts already cost the country an estimated 6.7% of GDP every year, while 58% of the population is exposed to climate risks. Structural vulnerabilities compound the challenge: more than half of freshwater originates upstream, beyond Mozambique’s borders, and over 86% of national storage is concentrated in a single dam–Cahora Bassa. Climate change amplifies each of these risks. The issue is not water availability, but the infrastructure, institutions, and financing needed to manage water reliably and equitably.Water as an engine for jobs and inclusive growth Water security is not just about pipes, dams, or treatment plants. It is about people, productivity, and jobs. Around two‑thirds of Mozambicans have access to basic water services, but less than 40% benefit from basic sanitation. These gaps undermine health and nutrition, disrupt school attendance, and reduce labor productivity, with disproportionate impacts on women, girls, and the poorest households. New analysis from the Mozambique Water Security Diagnostic shows that change is within reach. With the right mix of investment and reform, water can become a platform for job creation, economic growth, and resilience. The Diagnostic estimates that every $1 million invested in urban water infrastructure can generate $1.2 million in discounted returns, and every dollar invested in water and sanitation adds $0.82 to GDP. Achieving this transformation, however, will require an estimated $14.3 billion by 2030 across water supply and sanitation, water resources management, irrigation, and hydropower. To unlock this potential, the Diagnostic highlights four priorities:securing water resources,delivering equitable servicesstrengthening climate resiliencemobilizing diversified, sustainable financing. As the World Bank Group launches Water Forward, a global push to turn water systems into drivers of jobs and prosperity, Mozambique stands at a decisive moment to translate analysis into results at scale.Delivering results through water and sanitation reform Mozambique is already demonstrating that water security reform can deliver tangible and lasting results. World Bank–supported projects, including the Rural and Small Towns Water Security Project, the Mozambique Urban Water Security Project, the Regional Climate Resilience Project (RCRP), and the Mozambique Urban Sanitation Project show how combining infrastructure with institutional reform can expand services, strengthen resilience, and support jobs and growth. In underserved provinces such as Nampula and Zambézia, where water coverage in small towns once stood at just 25%, new and rehabilitated water systems are expanding affordable access, including through solar‑powered mini‑systems. Investments in these systems are generating local jobs during construction, and for operations and maintenance. The resilience dividend is already visible: when Cyclone Freddy struck in 2023, project-supported systems enabled the rapid restoration of water services to 115,000 people and improved sanitation for 88,000, helping communities recover faster.  Urban sanitation investments through the projects have also delivered results. Thousands of poor households in Quelimane and Tete gained access to improved sanitation facilities, while major sewerage works in Maputo, including rehabilitation of the Infulene Wastewater Treatment Plant, strengthened the capital’s sanitation backbone. Across cities, nearly 163,700 students, including 87,600 girls, now benefit from safer school sanitation, which in turn is supporting education, dignity, and human capital development. Beyond infrastructure, the most enduring impact comes from stronger systems and institutions. Provincial and district authorities now receive resources directly through a Block Grant mechanism, improving planning, accountability, and service delivery. The Urban Water Security Program is supporting the rollout of ten newly created provincial water and sanitation companies, alongside targeted investments to reduce water losses, boost energy efficiency, and expand digital systems. Together, these reforms strengthen utility performance, financial sustainability, and the ability to attract private capital. Building resilience to climate extremes is equally critical. Through the RCRP, investments are improving the safety of existing dams, enabling increased water storage, and rehabilitating dikes systems to protect productive and inhabited areas. The project also helps prepare the country for developing much-needed new storage through technical design, alongside support for legal reforms and capacity building.Mobilizing finance for water at scale On May 19, 2026, Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo launched the ProAguas Water Security Compact 2026 - 2036, designed to address the country’s water sector challenges. Findings from the Water Security Diagnostic helped inform the development of the compact. The Diagnostic makes clear that closing the country’s water security gap is less a question of ambition than of how finance is mobilized and sustained. Public resources will remain essential, but they will not be sufficient on their own. Unlocking larger and more stable flows of capital requires reforms to strengthen the sector’s financial and institutional foundations, including updating raw water tariffs to better reflect costs, improving revenue collection, and building utilities’ creditworthiness while protecting vulnerable users. Clearer asset ownership, predictable regulation, and a strong pipeline of bankable projects are also critical to attract private participation through well‑structured public–private partnerships, particularly in bulk water supply, urban services, and sanitation. Together, these measures can shift Mozambique’s water sector away from fragmented, project‑by‑project financing toward a model that rewards performance, supports long‑term maintenance, and enables investment at scale while preserving affordability and equity. Water already underpins Mozambique’s economy, but the evidence now shows that with targeted investments and sustained reforms, it can do far more: create jobs, strengthen human capital, and build resilience.","date":"2026-05-28T17:22:00Z","contenttype":"Feature Story"},"_e0737adddb278daec2b7c2d0b9ce7a79a389a6ce":{"id":"e0737adddb278daec2b7c2d0b9ce7a79a389a6ce","title":"Empowering Ethnic Women In the Lao PDR","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/video/2026/05/28/empowering-ethnic-women-in-the-lao-pdr"},"count":"Lao PDR","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/video/2026/05/28/empowering-ethnic-women-in-the-lao-pdr","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Video","originating_unit":"Health Nutrition and Population, HNP","originating_unit_exact":"Health Nutrition and Population, HNP","masterconttype":"Video","node_id":"e0737adddb278daec2b7c2d0b9ce7a79a389a6ce","wn_title":"Empowering Ethnic Women In the Lao PDR","wn_desc":"NA","master_recent_date":"2026-05-28T16:11:00Z","short_description":"The Lao PDR Remote Ethnic Women's Empowerment initiative has given 3,250 village facilitators life-saving skills in nutrition, and maternal and child health","desc":"The Lao PDR Remote Ethnic Women's Empowerment initiative has given 3,250 village facilitators life-saving skills in nutrition, and maternal and child health","date":"2026-05-28T16:11:00Z","contenttype":"Video"},"_a9fe5d1c7798304a8ea35b304b85547adf585ab9":{"id":"a9fe5d1c7798304a8ea35b304b85547adf585ab9","title":"Building Ethiopia’s Logistics Future: From Bottlenecks to Flow","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/05/28/building-ethiopia-s-logistics-future-from-bottlenecks-to-flow"},"count":"Ethiopia","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/feature/2026/05/28/building-ethiopia-s-logistics-future-from-bottlenecks-to-flow","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Feature Story","originating_unit":"Africa, AFR","originating_unit_exact":"Africa, AFR","masterconttype":"Feature Story","node_id":"a9fe5d1c7798304a8ea35b304b85547adf585ab9","wn_title":"Building Ethiopia’s Logistics Future: From Bottlenecks to Flow","wn_desc":" On the outskirts of Modjo, roughly an hour away from Addis Ababa, rows of shipping containers fill a busy yard, stacked in orderly lines and waiting to be moved. Nearby, wide paved roads lead through newly built areas with open yards, warehouses, and truck lanes. This is a logistics system that is changing. The Modjo Dry Port has long served as the main entry point for goods coming into Ethiopia from the Port of Djibouti. However, as the country’s trade volume has increased, the system has come under pressure, resulting in delays, congestion, and higher costs which frequently affect the businesses that depend on the port for the movement of their goods. Elizabeth Getahun is the General Director of Panafric, a freight forwarding company in Addis Ababa. According to her, “Efficient logistics is about planning and coordination—getting goods to move at the right time and at the lowest possible cost.” When coordination is weak, delays occur.","master_recent_date":"2026-05-28T14:51:29Z","short_description":"See how Modjo Dry Port's expansion is slashing processing times by 70%, easing trade flows, and powering Ethiopia's export-driven growth.","desc":" On the outskirts of Modjo, roughly an hour away from Addis Ababa, rows of shipping containers fill a busy yard, stacked in orderly lines and waiting to be moved. Nearby, wide paved roads lead through newly built areas with open yards, warehouses, and truck lanes. This is a logistics system that is changing. The Modjo Dry Port has long served as the main entry point for goods coming into Ethiopia from the Port of Djibouti. However, as the country’s trade volume has increased, the system has come under pressure, resulting in delays, congestion, and higher costs which frequently affect the businesses that depend on the port for the movement of their goods. Elizabeth Getahun is the General Director of Panafric, a freight forwarding company in Addis Ababa. According to her, “Efficient logistics is about planning and coordination—getting goods to move at the right time and at the lowest possible cost.” When coordination is weak, delays occur.","date":"2026-05-28T14:51:29Z","contenttype":"Feature Story"},"_1c727a66e6de1d97a25f2e8418a2682c1a0a2573":{"id":"1c727a66e6de1d97a25f2e8418a2682c1a0a2573","title":"Thailand’s Next Growth Chapter:    Valuing Nature to Power a More Competitive Economy","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/05/28/thailand-s-next-growth-chapter-valuing-nature-to-power-a-more-competitive-economy"},"lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/feature/2026/05/28/thailand-s-next-growth-chapter-valuing-nature-to-power-a-more-competitive-economy","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Feature Story","originating_unit":"Environment & Natural Resources, ENV","originating_unit_exact":"Environment & Natural Resources, ENV","masterconttype":"Feature Story","node_id":"1c727a66e6de1d97a25f2e8418a2682c1a0a2573","wn_title":"Thailand’s Next Growth Chapter:    Valuing Nature to Power a More Competitive Economy","wn_desc":"A vision grounded in Thailand’s strengths  From global tourism to value-added manufacturing, Thailand is aiming for more resilient growth. It is demonstrating the possibilities for protecting the country’s rich natural assets while boosting competitiveness, employment, and the livelihoods of the coastal fishing communities, smallholder farmers, and rural households who depend on those assets more directly. Yet in 2018, natural capital, like agricultural land, forests, coasts, and minerals, represents 11 percent of Thailand’s total per capital wealth, down from 21 percent in 2005, as two decades of rapid growth have resulted in trade-offs leading to resource depletion and climate risks that threaten economic productivity, financial sector resilience and vulnerable communities. Thailand’s national strategies and the Bio-Circular-Green economic model seek to reconcile this, pivoting toward data-driven resource management and long-term competitiveness.  Scaling up climate and nature finance will play a key role.  According to the Thailand Country Climate and Development Report, Thailand will need an additional USD 219 billion in climate‑related investments over the next 25 years, equivalent to about 2.4 percent of cumulative GDP. Public resources alone will not be sufficient to meet this challenge. The financial sector—especially banks— will play a decisive role in mobilizing private capital at the scale and speed required.The GPS partnership: enhancing Thailand’s resilient growth and development  The World Bank’s Global Program on Sustainability (GPS) helps governments and markets integrate nature into decisions by supplying high-quality data, analytics, and tools that enrich a country’s understanding of natural capital’s contribution toward a sustainable economic model. In Thailand, GPS-aligned support is focused on: (i) strengthening sustainable finance (for example, policy dialogue, technical assistance and knowledge sharing on taxonomy implementation in the financial sector); and (ii) expanding decision-useful evidence on natural capital to inform policy and regulatory approaches that integrate nature into the financial sector.From data to action: where nature and policy meeFinancing the transition. Complementing the country’s Sustainable Financing Framework and sustainability bond issuances, Thailand has implemented key actions to strengthen the overall sustainable finance ecosystem. Since 2023, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has required banks to assess climate-related financial risks and offer sustainable financial products. For example, through the BOT-supported “Financing the Transition” program, eight commercial banks are now offering financial products tailored to SME’s green transformation needs, including factory upgrades, clean technology adoption, and the shift to lower-carbon operations in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. The Thailand Taxonomy has also been launched as a reference tool to standardize asset classification and support green and transition finance, with many follow-up capacity building efforts for taxonomy implementation in the financial sector including a webinar supported by GPS. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and climate risk disclosure in listed companies’ annual reports, aligned with recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Water and climate resilience priorities. Thailand’s upcoming Country Partnership Framework FY2027-2032 emphasizes building resilience to climate change and improving water resources management.  It focuses on managing flood and drought risks, which significantly affect agriculture and tourism—two of the country’s major economic sectors. To address these issues, the World Bank is also supporting the government on its ambitious Chao Phraya River Flood Risk Mitigation Program. The World Bank has also partnered with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office and 43 public-private stakeholders to establish a Multi-Stakeholder Water Platform for the EEC region, to advance sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient water management. By integrating the development and growth agenda, these efforts help align investment and policy with long-term resilience.Sustainable ocean resources. Thailand is developing a national Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework, with World Bank Group technical engagement and support from its multi-donor PROBLUE Trust Fund, to balance conservation, coastal livelihoods, and growth. Ongoing dialogue on blue finance aims to mobilize capital for integrated seascape management and coastal resilience, connecting ocean health to economic opportunity.Building institutions for the long term  Progress rests on institutions and collaboration. In Thailand, this includes regulators, economic agencies and planning bodies, natural resource agencies, the statistical and academic communities, and financial institutions that generate and use data. Recent work to improve corporate ESG reporting, develop taxonomy, and strengthen ESG integration in public and private finance are laying the groundwork for durable, system-wide uptake. On the ocean agenda, Thailand’s MSP framework, anchored in the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and supported by cross-government coordination, provides the institutional backbone for a coherent, multi-sector approach to managing and sustainably financing coastal and marine assets.  ","master_recent_date":"2026-05-28T13:51:17Z","short_description":"The World Bank’s Global Program on Sustainability (GPS) helps governments and markets integrate nature into decisions by supplying high-quality data, analytics, and tools that enrich a country’s understanding of natural capital’s contribution toward a sustainable economic model. In Thailand, GPS-aligned support is focused on: (i) strengthening sustainable finance (for example, policy dialogue, technical assistance and knowledge sharing on taxonomy implementation in the financial sector); and (ii) expanding decision-useful evidence on natural capital to inform policy and regulatory approaches that integrate nature into the financial sector.","desc":"A vision grounded in Thailand’s strengths  From global tourism to value-added manufacturing, Thailand is aiming for more resilient growth. It is demonstrating the possibilities for protecting the country’s rich natural assets while boosting competitiveness, employment, and the livelihoods of the coastal fishing communities, smallholder farmers, and rural households who depend on those assets more directly. Yet in 2018, natural capital, like agricultural land, forests, coasts, and minerals, represents 11 percent of Thailand’s total per capital wealth, down from 21 percent in 2005, as two decades of rapid growth have resulted in trade-offs leading to resource depletion and climate risks that threaten economic productivity, financial sector resilience and vulnerable communities. Thailand’s national strategies and the Bio-Circular-Green economic model seek to reconcile this, pivoting toward data-driven resource management and long-term competitiveness.  Scaling up climate and nature finance will play a key role.  According to the Thailand Country Climate and Development Report, Thailand will need an additional USD 219 billion in climate‑related investments over the next 25 years, equivalent to about 2.4 percent of cumulative GDP. Public resources alone will not be sufficient to meet this challenge. The financial sector—especially banks— will play a decisive role in mobilizing private capital at the scale and speed required.The GPS partnership: enhancing Thailand’s resilient growth and development  The World Bank’s Global Program on Sustainability (GPS) helps governments and markets integrate nature into decisions by supplying high-quality data, analytics, and tools that enrich a country’s understanding of natural capital’s contribution toward a sustainable economic model. In Thailand, GPS-aligned support is focused on: (i) strengthening sustainable finance (for example, policy dialogue, technical assistance and knowledge sharing on taxonomy implementation in the financial sector); and (ii) expanding decision-useful evidence on natural capital to inform policy and regulatory approaches that integrate nature into the financial sector.From data to action: where nature and policy meeFinancing the transition. Complementing the country’s Sustainable Financing Framework and sustainability bond issuances, Thailand has implemented key actions to strengthen the overall sustainable finance ecosystem. Since 2023, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has required banks to assess climate-related financial risks and offer sustainable financial products. For example, through the BOT-supported “Financing the Transition” program, eight commercial banks are now offering financial products tailored to SME’s green transformation needs, including factory upgrades, clean technology adoption, and the shift to lower-carbon operations in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. The Thailand Taxonomy has also been launched as a reference tool to standardize asset classification and support green and transition finance, with many follow-up capacity building efforts for taxonomy implementation in the financial sector including a webinar supported by GPS. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and climate risk disclosure in listed companies’ annual reports, aligned with recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Water and climate resilience priorities. Thailand’s upcoming Country Partnership Framework FY2027-2032 emphasizes building resilience to climate change and improving water resources management.  It focuses on managing flood and drought risks, which significantly affect agriculture and tourism—two of the country’s major economic sectors. To address these issues, the World Bank is also supporting the government on its ambitious Chao Phraya River Flood Risk Mitigation Program. The World Bank has also partnered with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office and 43 public-private stakeholders to establish a Multi-Stakeholder Water Platform for the EEC region, to advance sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient water management. By integrating the development and growth agenda, these efforts help align investment and policy with long-term resilience.Sustainable ocean resources. Thailand is developing a national Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework, with World Bank Group technical engagement and support from its multi-donor PROBLUE Trust Fund, to balance conservation, coastal livelihoods, and growth. Ongoing dialogue on blue finance aims to mobilize capital for integrated seascape management and coastal resilience, connecting ocean health to economic opportunity.Building institutions for the long term  Progress rests on institutions and collaboration. In Thailand, this includes regulators, economic agencies and planning bodies, natural resource agencies, the statistical and academic communities, and financial institutions that generate and use data. Recent work to improve corporate ESG reporting, develop taxonomy, and strengthen ESG integration in public and private finance are laying the groundwork for durable, system-wide uptake. On the ocean agenda, Thailand’s MSP framework, anchored in the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and supported by cross-government coordination, provides the institutional backbone for a coherent, multi-sector approach to managing and sustainably financing coastal and marine assets.  ","date":"2026-05-28T13:51:17Z","contenttype":"Feature Story"},"_4b5b8a5847229e43fcb94153efa08d053e73086e":{"id":"4b5b8a5847229e43fcb94153efa08d053e73086e","title":"Response to Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/factsheet/2026/05/27/ebola-outbreak-response-democratic-republic-of-congo-uganda"},"count":"Uganda,South Sudan,Rwanda,Burundi,Tanzania","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/factsheet/2026/05/27/ebola-outbreak-response-democratic-republic-of-congo-uganda","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Factsheet","originating_unit":"Health Nutrition and Population, HNP","originating_unit_exact":"Health Nutrition and Population, HNP","masterconttype":"Factsheet","node_id":"4b5b8a5847229e43fcb94153efa08d053e73086e","wn_title":"Response to Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda","wn_desc":"How is the World Bank Group responding to the Ebola Outbreak? The World Bank Group is responding swiftly to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. We are drawing on our investments in health preparedness — and the financing tools built specifically for moments like this — to help countries contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable communities. Our focus is on the people most at risk: the communities facing the outbreak, the health workers responding to it, and the governments working to contain it.Mobilizing financing and technical support Our immediate priority is to help ensure that financing and technical support can be mobilized rapidly to support frontline response efforts, reinforce health systems, and strengthen surveillance and cross-border preparedness.Frontline response support - Getting resources to the people responding to the outbreak, including for health workers, surveillance systems, and community engagement teams doing the hard work of containment on the ground.Health system reinforcement - Strengthening the local and national health systems that communities depend on — including laboratory capacity, referral pathways, and supply chains.Surveillance and cross-border preparedness - Supporting fast case detection and public health interventions that are the foundation of containment, including reinforcing preparedness in neighboring countries at risk of spread.Private sector capacity The World Bank Group is following up with private sector clients to assess the impact of the outbreak on operations, including access to routine healthcare and products, as well as the private sector’s capacity to scale up production and delivery of high-demand products such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), diagnostics, and specific treatment options.Supporting Impacted CountriesDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) The World Bank Group has been a long-term partner in building health emergency infrastructure in the country.A current project in DRC, the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience (HEPRR) Project, is financing the deployment of Ministry of Health specialists to the field, including epidemiologists, infection prevention and control experts, and risk communication teams. It is also supporting the deployment of diagnostic equipment and laboratory experts to expand testing capacity in Bunia.At the same time, a separate $555 million nutrition and health project is protecting the delivery of maternal, newborn and immunization services during the emergency across over 3,500 health facilities in the DRC.Through the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement (REDISSE) project, we helped establish the largest biosafety-level laboratory in Eastern DRC—now the central testing hub in the heart of the outbreak zone. The lab is fully operational and actively testing for Ebola. We are currently financing critical laboratory equipment in DRC to keep the lab fully operational through an existing health investment in the country.DRC's national response is being coordinated from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Kinshasa, which was rehabilitated four years ago with World Bank funding through REDISSE. A warehouse in the same building holds stockpiles of emergency supplies — pre-positioned for exactly this kind of crisis.Uganda The World Bank Group has supported Uganda through previous major outbreaks and is mobilizing funding to help contain this one. We are in close coordination with national authorities and partners to assess evolving needs on the ground and are discussing additional options to support the country’s response.Regional and cross-border preparedness Cross-border transmission is a serious concern given the movement of people, goods, and trade across this region. In South Sudan, the Ministry of Health has deployed surveillance teams to border areas and is working with WHO — contracted under an ongoing World Bank project — to strengthen preparedness and ramp up Ebola response activities. Other neighboring countries are also activating preparedness measures, and the WBG is supporting these efforts alongside governments and development partners.WBG Health Emergency Response ToolsCrisis Response Toolkit and Crisis Response Window These mechanisms allow countries to reallocate and access emergency financing more quickly in times of crisis. This outbreak underscores the importance of having these options pre-positioned.The Crisis Response Toolkit includes the Rapid Response Option, which allows countries to repurpose existing portfolio funds without new approvals; pre-arranged contingent financing; and catastrophe insurance mechanisms that mobilize private capital.The Crisis Response Window provides additional concessional financing for countries responding to major emergencies. We are actively exploring options under both mechanisms to support a robust response.The Pandemic Fund The Pandemic Fund, hosted by the World Bank, is the first multilateral financing mechanism dedicated specifically to strengthening pandemic preparedness and response capacity in low- and middle-income countries. The Fund is coordinating closely with countries as well as regional and international partners to support the rapid scale-up of surveillance, diagnostics, risk communications and community engagement, and other emergency response measures in affected regions of the DRC and Uganda, as well as neighboring countries, including Burundi and South Sudan. The Pandemic Fund has active projects in all affected countries and stands ready to scale up efforts to contain the outbreak and strengthen core health systems. An extraordinary meeting of the Fund’s Governing Board will be held this week to determine concrete measures, including the reprogramming of available resources to meet urgent needs.Commitment to Resilient Health Systems This outbreak is also a reminder of why resilient health systems matter. The World Bank Group is committed to reaching 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030 by mobilizing public and private sectors together—strengthening health financing, expanding the health workforce, scaling primary care, and boosting local manufacturing of medicines and supplies. That ambition requires resilient health systems that are strong enough to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies. One key initiative supporting this goal is the Africa Initiative for Medical Access and Manufacturing (AIM2030), a partnership led by the World Bank Group, the African Union Commission, governments, and partners to expand access to essential medicines and health products while building sustainable regional manufacturing capacity across Africa.Partners We are coordinating closely with governments across the region and with partners, including WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), Gavi, CEPI, and other partners. The Africa CDC, supported in part by World Bank funding, has been central to strengthening African countries' capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks, including this one.Stay Updated The situation is actively evolving. We are monitoring it closely and will continue to update this page as our response develops. For more information on the World Bank Group's health work, visit: World Bank HealthThe Pandemic FundThe World Bank in DRCThe World Bank in UgandaThe World Bank in South Sudan","master_recent_date":"2026-05-28T13:00:00Z","short_description":"The World Bank Group is mobilizing financing and technical support to help the DRC and Uganda contain the Ebola outbreak, reinforcing health systems, surveillance, and cross-border preparedness to protect vulnerable communities.","desc":"How is the World Bank Group responding to the Ebola Outbreak? The World Bank Group is responding swiftly to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. We are drawing on our investments in health preparedness — and the financing tools built specifically for moments like this — to help countries contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable communities. Our focus is on the people most at risk: the communities facing the outbreak, the health workers responding to it, and the governments working to contain it.Mobilizing financing and technical support Our immediate priority is to help ensure that financing and technical support can be mobilized rapidly to support frontline response efforts, reinforce health systems, and strengthen surveillance and cross-border preparedness.Frontline response support - Getting resources to the people responding to the outbreak, including for health workers, surveillance systems, and community engagement teams doing the hard work of containment on the ground.Health system reinforcement - Strengthening the local and national health systems that communities depend on — including laboratory capacity, referral pathways, and supply chains.Surveillance and cross-border preparedness - Supporting fast case detection and public health interventions that are the foundation of containment, including reinforcing preparedness in neighboring countries at risk of spread.Private sector capacity The World Bank Group is following up with private sector clients to assess the impact of the outbreak on operations, including access to routine healthcare and products, as well as the private sector’s capacity to scale up production and delivery of high-demand products such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), diagnostics, and specific treatment options.Supporting Impacted CountriesDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) The World Bank Group has been a long-term partner in building health emergency infrastructure in the country.A current project in DRC, the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience (HEPRR) Project, is financing the deployment of Ministry of Health specialists to the field, including epidemiologists, infection prevention and control experts, and risk communication teams. It is also supporting the deployment of diagnostic equipment and laboratory experts to expand testing capacity in Bunia.At the same time, a separate $555 million nutrition and health project is protecting the delivery of maternal, newborn and immunization services during the emergency across over 3,500 health facilities in the DRC.Through the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement (REDISSE) project, we helped establish the largest biosafety-level laboratory in Eastern DRC—now the central testing hub in the heart of the outbreak zone. The lab is fully operational and actively testing for Ebola. We are currently financing critical laboratory equipment in DRC to keep the lab fully operational through an existing health investment in the country.DRC's national response is being coordinated from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Kinshasa, which was rehabilitated four years ago with World Bank funding through REDISSE. A warehouse in the same building holds stockpiles of emergency supplies — pre-positioned for exactly this kind of crisis.Uganda The World Bank Group has supported Uganda through previous major outbreaks and is mobilizing funding to help contain this one. We are in close coordination with national authorities and partners to assess evolving needs on the ground and are discussing additional options to support the country’s response.Regional and cross-border preparedness Cross-border transmission is a serious concern given the movement of people, goods, and trade across this region. In South Sudan, the Ministry of Health has deployed surveillance teams to border areas and is working with WHO — contracted under an ongoing World Bank project — to strengthen preparedness and ramp up Ebola response activities. Other neighboring countries are also activating preparedness measures, and the WBG is supporting these efforts alongside governments and development partners.WBG Health Emergency Response ToolsCrisis Response Toolkit and Crisis Response Window These mechanisms allow countries to reallocate and access emergency financing more quickly in times of crisis. This outbreak underscores the importance of having these options pre-positioned.The Crisis Response Toolkit includes the Rapid Response Option, which allows countries to repurpose existing portfolio funds without new approvals; pre-arranged contingent financing; and catastrophe insurance mechanisms that mobilize private capital.The Crisis Response Window provides additional concessional financing for countries responding to major emergencies. We are actively exploring options under both mechanisms to support a robust response.The Pandemic Fund The Pandemic Fund, hosted by the World Bank, is the first multilateral financing mechanism dedicated specifically to strengthening pandemic preparedness and response capacity in low- and middle-income countries. The Fund is coordinating closely with countries as well as regional and international partners to support the rapid scale-up of surveillance, diagnostics, risk communications and community engagement, and other emergency response measures in affected regions of the DRC and Uganda, as well as neighboring countries, including Burundi and South Sudan. The Pandemic Fund has active projects in all affected countries and stands ready to scale up efforts to contain the outbreak and strengthen core health systems. An extraordinary meeting of the Fund’s Governing Board will be held this week to determine concrete measures, including the reprogramming of available resources to meet urgent needs.Commitment to Resilient Health Systems This outbreak is also a reminder of why resilient health systems matter. The World Bank Group is committed to reaching 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030 by mobilizing public and private sectors together—strengthening health financing, expanding the health workforce, scaling primary care, and boosting local manufacturing of medicines and supplies. That ambition requires resilient health systems that are strong enough to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies. One key initiative supporting this goal is the Africa Initiative for Medical Access and Manufacturing (AIM2030), a partnership led by the World Bank Group, the African Union Commission, governments, and partners to expand access to essential medicines and health products while building sustainable regional manufacturing capacity across Africa.Partners We are coordinating closely with governments across the region and with partners, including WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC), Gavi, CEPI, and other partners. The Africa CDC, supported in part by World Bank funding, has been central to strengthening African countries' capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks, including this one.Stay Updated The situation is actively evolving. We are monitoring it closely and will continue to update this page as our response develops. For more information on the World Bank Group's health work, visit: World Bank HealthThe Pandemic FundThe World Bank in DRCThe World Bank in UgandaThe World Bank in South Sudan","date":"2026-05-28T13:00:00Z","contenttype":"Factsheet"},"_63b94184872a48174222a035792bd76d9a0cbaf2":{"id":"63b94184872a48174222a035792bd76d9a0cbaf2","title":"Barbados Can Translate Strong Education Access into Skills for the Future, World Bank Group Review Finds","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/05/27/barbados-can-translate-strong-education-access-into-skills-for-the-future-world-bank-group-review-finds"},"count":"Barbados","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/press-release/2026/05/27/barbados-can-translate-strong-education-access-into-skills-for-the-future-world-bank-group-review-finds","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Press Release","originating_unit":"Latin America & Caribbean, LCR","originating_unit_exact":"Latin America & Caribbean, LCR","masterconttype":"Press Release","node_id":"63b94184872a48174222a035792bd76d9a0cbaf2","wn_title":"Barbados Can Translate Strong Education Access into Skills for the Future, World Bank Group Review Finds","wn_desc":" Bridgetown, Barbados, May 27, 2026: Barbados has built a solid track record  of investing in education, and it has a clear opportunity to ensure that investment translates into the skills students need in the world of work, according to a World Bank Education Public Expenditure Review released today during the launch of the Barbados Education Sector Transformation program. The review finds that Barbados allocates approximately 4.9 percent of GDP to education—broadly aligned with international benchmarks, and the education budget has remained relatively stable and protected during economic shocks. This has helped the country to achieve near-universal enrollment at the primary and secondary levels.  Yet, the system has struggled to translate that investment into workforce-relevant skills, with employers citing the quality of education and training as a key reason for skills shortages. Foundational skills deficits emerge as early as primary school. In 2023, around 30 percent of students did not demonstrate acceptable mathematics performance on end-of-primary national exams — and widen through secondary education.  According to the Barbados Ministry of Education Transformation: “This review reinforces the imperative of aligning educational investment with national development priorities and the evolving demands of the global economy. As we advance education transformation in Barbados, our commitment remains focused on building a more equitable, future-oriented, and resilient system that empowers every learner with the competencies required to compete and lead globally.” The review highlights opportunities to further strengthen equity within the education system, noting that academic performance correlates strongly with socioeconomic background as merit-based scholarships disproportionately benefit higher-income households. In 2017, 61 percent of scholarship funding went to students from the wealthiest quintile, while only 8 percent reached the poorest. Also identified were inefficiencies in resource use. Declining student-to-teacher ratios—driven by falling birth rates—have not translated into improved learning outcomes. At the same time, relatively high spending on tertiary education and rising costs from grade repetition in upper secondary point to opportunities to strengthen the efficiency and targeting of education spending. Introducing early diagnostic assessments and targeted remediation programs to address literacy and numeracy gaps and developing a comprehensive national teacher policy that strengthens professional development and includes performance incentives, are some of therecommendations the review makes. It also calls for expanding access to early childhood education by converting underutilized space in primary schools into nursery classrooms. The report recommends a systematic infrastructure investment strategy that introduces climate-resilient school upgrades. To enhance equity, the report calls for targeting support to students from lower-income households. The Barbados Education Sector Transformation program, recently approved by the Bank, will support Barbados in the implementation of many priority findings of the review. \"Barbados has built a strong foundation—near universal access to education and a committed teaching workforce. But translating that investment into the skills students need in a changing economy requires a sharper focus on quality, equity, and resilience,\" said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Director for the Caribbean. “The World Bank is pleased to support Barbados in this transformation.” The full report is available via the World Bank’s website.   Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: via https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/caribbean    Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldbankcaribbean   Learn more about the Ministry of Education Transformation: https://education.gov.bb/ Visit us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medtbarbados/","master_recent_date":"2026-05-27T15:41:00Z","short_description":"The review finds that Barbados allocates approximately 4.9 percent of GDP to education—broadly aligned with international benchmarks, and the education budget has remained relatively stable and protected during economic shocks. This has helped the country to achieve near-universal enrollment at the primary and secondary levels.","desc":" Bridgetown, Barbados, May 27, 2026: Barbados has built a solid track record  of investing in education, and it has a clear opportunity to ensure that investment translates into the skills students need in the world of work, according to a World Bank Education Public Expenditure Review released today during the launch of the Barbados Education Sector Transformation program. The review finds that Barbados allocates approximately 4.9 percent of GDP to education—broadly aligned with international benchmarks, and the education budget has remained relatively stable and protected during economic shocks. This has helped the country to achieve near-universal enrollment at the primary and secondary levels.  Yet, the system has struggled to translate that investment into workforce-relevant skills, with employers citing the quality of education and training as a key reason for skills shortages. Foundational skills deficits emerge as early as primary school. In 2023, around 30 percent of students did not demonstrate acceptable mathematics performance on end-of-primary national exams — and widen through secondary education.  According to the Barbados Ministry of Education Transformation: “This review reinforces the imperative of aligning educational investment with national development priorities and the evolving demands of the global economy. As we advance education transformation in Barbados, our commitment remains focused on building a more equitable, future-oriented, and resilient system that empowers every learner with the competencies required to compete and lead globally.” The review highlights opportunities to further strengthen equity within the education system, noting that academic performance correlates strongly with socioeconomic background as merit-based scholarships disproportionately benefit higher-income households. In 2017, 61 percent of scholarship funding went to students from the wealthiest quintile, while only 8 percent reached the poorest. Also identified were inefficiencies in resource use. Declining student-to-teacher ratios—driven by falling birth rates—have not translated into improved learning outcomes. At the same time, relatively high spending on tertiary education and rising costs from grade repetition in upper secondary point to opportunities to strengthen the efficiency and targeting of education spending. Introducing early diagnostic assessments and targeted remediation programs to address literacy and numeracy gaps and developing a comprehensive national teacher policy that strengthens professional development and includes performance incentives, are some of therecommendations the review makes. It also calls for expanding access to early childhood education by converting underutilized space in primary schools into nursery classrooms. The report recommends a systematic infrastructure investment strategy that introduces climate-resilient school upgrades. To enhance equity, the report calls for targeting support to students from lower-income households. The Barbados Education Sector Transformation program, recently approved by the Bank, will support Barbados in the implementation of many priority findings of the review. \"Barbados has built a strong foundation—near universal access to education and a committed teaching workforce. But translating that investment into the skills students need in a changing economy requires a sharper focus on quality, equity, and resilience,\" said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Director for the Caribbean. “The World Bank is pleased to support Barbados in this transformation.” The full report is available via the World Bank’s website.   Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: via https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/caribbean    Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldbankcaribbean   Learn more about the Ministry of Education Transformation: https://education.gov.bb/ Visit us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medtbarbados/","date":"2026-05-27T15:41:00Z","contenttype":"Press Release"},"_05282c0133bcb3ec2a298b38135493bcd499b681":{"id":"05282c0133bcb3ec2a298b38135493bcd499b681","title":"World Bank Group Helps Lesotho to Expand Energy Access and Economic Opportunity for Nearly 147,000 People","indextype":"cq5indextype","url":{"cData!":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/05/27/world-bank-group-helps-lesotho-to-expand-energy-access-and-economic-opportunity-for-nearly-147-000-people"},"count":"Lesotho","lang":"English","cqpath":"/content/wb-home/en/news/press-release/2026/05/27/world-bank-group-helps-lesotho-to-expand-energy-access-and-economic-opportunity-for-nearly-147-000-people","wcmsource":{"cdata!":"cq5"},"displayconttype":"Press Release","originating_unit":"Africa, AFR","originating_unit_exact":"Africa, AFR","masterconttype":"Press Release","node_id":"05282c0133bcb3ec2a298b38135493bcd499b681","wn_title":"World Bank Group Helps Lesotho to Expand Energy Access and Economic Opportunity for Nearly 147,000 People","wn_desc":" MASERU, May 27, 2026 — The World Bank Group is helping Lesotho bring reliable, affordable electricity to nearly 147,000 residents and businesses, reduce energy poverty, and create the conditions for stronger household incomes and private sector growth through a $50 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA). The Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Lesotho (ASCENT – Lesotho) project will deploy an integrated approach to electrification focusing on expanding the grid network in peri-urban, rural and highland areas and last mile electrification deploying standalone solar systems to reach underserved and remote populations. ASCENT–Lesotho is part of the broader regional ASCENT program, which aims to accelerate electricity access across Eastern and Southern Africa in line with Mission 300, a joint World Bank Group–African Development Bank initiative to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030. Despite significant progress in recent decades, the country continues to face challenges. Household electricity access has grown from 7% in 2004 to 59% in 2024, however at the current pace of roughly 4,000 new connections per year, the country may not meet its universal access goal by 2030, which requires more than 45,000 new connections annually. The gap is sharpest in rural areas, where only 43% of households have electricity compared to 84% in urban areas, and where many families still rely on kerosene, candles, and biomass for lighting and cooking. In response, ASCENT will expand grid connections across selected urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, with a focus on communities that have some of the lowest electrification rates in the country. For households that are unlikely to be reached by the grid in the near term, ASCENT will pilot innovative off-grid and distributed renewable energy solutions to ensure no community is left behind. The project will also deliver targeted technical assistance to support utility reform, strengthen national electrification planning, and promote the adoption of clean cooking which addresses both the structural and household-level barriers that have slowed progress toward universal energy access. Off-grid solar is critical to achieving universal energy access in Lesotho, providing a least-cost electrification option for households beyond the reach of the grid such as mountainous regions where grid extension is costly and technically complex. “Expanding access to reliable and sustainable electricity is critical to reducing energy poverty, improving household productivity, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises growth, and strengthening essential social services. Expanding energy access contributes to the country’s broader development agenda,” says Retselisitsoe Matlanyane, Minister of Finance and Development Planning for Lesotho. Lesotho’s National Energy Compact under Mission 300 serves as the government's roadmap to establish the regulatory, institutional, and financial conditions needed for energy access to be delivered and sustained over time. These commitments are being operationalized through ASCENT–Lesotho, which directly supports implementation of the National Energy Compact. “Lesotho possesses abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, which have the potential to surpass Lesotho’s energy needs. Harnessing these resources into transformational energy sources will ensure that every Mosotho has access to power,” says Dinara Djoldosheva, World Bank Country Representative for Lesotho. “This is a catalyst for job creation and private sector growth. The human cost of inadequate energy access falls disproportionately on women and girls and expanding electricity access will be an impactful intervention to reduce the energy burden in many households across Lesotho.” Beyond its direct investments, ASCENT Lesotho includes critical technical assistance to strengthen sector institutions, improve energy security, close the gender gap in energy access, and build market confidence laying the foundations for a sustainable and inclusive energy sector. Across its operations, the World Bank Group supports countries in creating more and better jobs by building the foundations for growth, strengthening private sector development, and mobilizing investment that expands economic opportunity. Contacts: World Bank Media Relations: press@worldbank.org","master_recent_date":"2026-05-27T13:12:00Z","short_description":"The World Bank Group is helping Lesotho bring reliable, affordable electricity to nearly 147,000 residents and businesses, reduce energy poverty, and create the conditions for stronger household incomes and private sector growth through a $50 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA).","desc":" MASERU, May 27, 2026 — The World Bank Group is helping Lesotho bring reliable, affordable electricity to nearly 147,000 residents and businesses, reduce energy poverty, and create the conditions for stronger household incomes and private sector growth through a $50 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA). The Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Lesotho (ASCENT – Lesotho) project will deploy an integrated approach to electrification focusing on expanding the grid network in peri-urban, rural and highland areas and last mile electrification deploying standalone solar systems to reach underserved and remote populations. ASCENT–Lesotho is part of the broader regional ASCENT program, which aims to accelerate electricity access across Eastern and Southern Africa in line with Mission 300, a joint World Bank Group–African Development Bank initiative to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030. Despite significant progress in recent decades, the country continues to face challenges. Household electricity access has grown from 7% in 2004 to 59% in 2024, however at the current pace of roughly 4,000 new connections per year, the country may not meet its universal access goal by 2030, which requires more than 45,000 new connections annually. The gap is sharpest in rural areas, where only 43% of households have electricity compared to 84% in urban areas, and where many families still rely on kerosene, candles, and biomass for lighting and cooking. In response, ASCENT will expand grid connections across selected urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, with a focus on communities that have some of the lowest electrification rates in the country. For households that are unlikely to be reached by the grid in the near term, ASCENT will pilot innovative off-grid and distributed renewable energy solutions to ensure no community is left behind. The project will also deliver targeted technical assistance to support utility reform, strengthen national electrification planning, and promote the adoption of clean cooking which addresses both the structural and household-level barriers that have slowed progress toward universal energy access. Off-grid solar is critical to achieving universal energy access in Lesotho, providing a least-cost electrification option for households beyond the reach of the grid such as mountainous regions where grid extension is costly and technically complex. “Expanding access to reliable and sustainable electricity is critical to reducing energy poverty, improving household productivity, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises growth, and strengthening essential social services. Expanding energy access contributes to the country’s broader development agenda,” says Retselisitsoe Matlanyane, Minister of Finance and Development Planning for Lesotho. Lesotho’s National Energy Compact under Mission 300 serves as the government's roadmap to establish the regulatory, institutional, and financial conditions needed for energy access to be delivered and sustained over time. These commitments are being operationalized through ASCENT–Lesotho, which directly supports implementation of the National Energy Compact. “Lesotho possesses abundant renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, which have the potential to surpass Lesotho’s energy needs. Harnessing these resources into transformational energy sources will ensure that every Mosotho has access to power,” says Dinara Djoldosheva, World Bank Country Representative for Lesotho. “This is a catalyst for job creation and private sector growth. The human cost of inadequate energy access falls disproportionately on women and girls and expanding electricity access will be an impactful intervention to reduce the energy burden in many households across Lesotho.” Beyond its direct investments, ASCENT Lesotho includes critical technical assistance to strengthen sector institutions, improve energy security, close the gender gap in energy access, and build market confidence laying the foundations for a sustainable and inclusive energy sector. Across its operations, the World Bank Group supports countries in creating more and better jobs by building the foundations for growth, strengthening private sector development, and mobilizing investment that expands economic opportunity. Contacts: World Bank Media Relations: press@worldbank.org","date":"2026-05-27T13:12:00Z","contenttype":"Press Release"},"facets":{}}}