Migration is a development challenge. About 184 million people—2.3 percent of the world’s population—live outside of their country of nationality, and almost half of them are in low- and middle-income countries. In this episode of The Development Podcast, we explore the conversation around migration, from global economic imbalances, demographic changes, and conflict, to the opportunities it can bring to people and host communities.

To unpack this and more, we speak to Xavier Devictor, the World Bank’s co-Director for this year’s World Development Report and four individuals, including two migrants in Colombia and the Philippines, who share their stories of success and survival outside of their home countries.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• Xavier Devictor, Co-Director, World Development Report 2023
• Paula Rossiasco, Senior Social Development Specialist, World Bank
• Alejandra Botero, Former Director, Nation Planning Department Colombia
• Alvin Ang, Professor in the Department of Economics, Ateneo de Manila University
• Dexibel Bravo, Venezuelan entrepreneur
• Angelito Castro, Philippine fish farmer

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:03] Colombia: Perspectives and stories from the ground

[09:58] Philippines: Perspectives and stories from the ground

[14:00] The state of migration around the world

[18:08] The role of governments and policy makers

[26:01] Closure and thanks for tuning in!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

The 2023 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings took place from April 10-16, amidst a backdrop of challenges: from stress in the banking sector, persistent inflation, rising debt, climate change and of course Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Addressing this instability, and looking to a future free from poverty, was at the heart of the discussions which involved dozens of contributors from across the globe.

In this latest episode of The Development Podcast, we draw on some of the highlights from that week, hearing from various speakers who attended our events and how they look to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Listen on to hear from:  World Bank Group President David Malpass, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Senior World Bank Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, Senegal's Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, H.E. Oulimata Sarr, Save the Children UK CEO Gwen Hines, and Founder of the grassroots organization, We Love Reading, Rana Dajani. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• David Malpass, World Bank Group President
• Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director 
• Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior World Bank Managing Director
• Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General
• H.E. Oulimata Sarr, Senegal's Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation
• Gwen Hines, Save the Children UK CEO 
• Rana Dajani, Founder of the grassroots organization, We Love Reading

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:38] Complex challenges facing the global economy and a vision for the future

[10:09] Accelerating development in an age of global crisis

[14:31] Human capital to accelerate the green transition

[17:02] Cash transfers and other practical investments in children

[20:35] The importance of investment in the next generation

[22:31] Closure and thanks for tuning in!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

What impact does unpaid care work have on women's economic prospects and growth? How can we support these everyday superheroes? In this episode of The Development Podcast, we explore the economics around this issue, whether women are tending to children or the elderly. What goes into this often invisible workload, and how do the burdens these women carry affect their every day lives?  

We draw from recent findings of this year’s 2023 Women, Business, and the Law report and also speak with three guests: Laura Rawlings, Lead Economist for the World Bank’s Gender Group, Nguyen Thi Kieu Trang (KT), Marketing and Communications Manager with CARE International in Vietnam, and Jyoti Macwan, General Secretary at the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and former tobacco worker, who share their insights and own experiences in the struggles women continue to face today but also steps women—and men—can take in the fight for gender equality. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• Laura Rawlings, Lead Economist for the World Bank’s Gender Group. "A lot of the disproportionate distribution of unpaid work and lack of access to affordable quality care is one of the key constraints impacting female labor force participation."
• Nguyen Thi Kieu Trang (KT), Marketing and Communications Manager with CARE International in Vietnam. "The prejudice about the unpaid care work is changing. Men taking care of more of their housework and share with their women more."
• Jyoti Macwan, General Secretary at the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). "So the childcare centers were started in the villages, and that's how they [women in a tobacco-growing village in India] were able to go regularly to their workplaces."

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:29] Recent data about women's lives and livelihoods

[04:48] Visions from India: Struggles for women in the informal sector

[09:16] Visions from Vietnam: Women in rural areas and care workload

[11:21] Gender inequality: The importance of addressing unpaid care

[15:04] The impact of the pandemic around the world

[19:37] Closure and thanks for tuning in!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity,...

In this episode of The Development Podcast, we mark one year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and explore the depth and breadth of fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) around the world. What are the spillover effects of war as we see increased displacement of populations, high energy and food prices, shocks to natural disasters and more? And what is the World Bank Group’s position and long-term strategy on FCV, and how can we begin to tackle some of these challenges we face head on? 

Axel Van Trotsenburg, the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, the Honorable John Dabi, Deputy Commissioner of South Sudan Commission for Refugees Affairs, Fidel Saad, Save the Children Lebanon’s Food Security, Livelihoods and Social Protection Technical Advisor, and Lara, a Ukrainian refugee living in Oxford, talk to us on these issues and more. 

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• Axel Van Trotsenburg, the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations. "The human suffering that we are seeing in many countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) settings are calling out for solidarity."
• Honorable John Dabi, Deputy Commissioner of South Sudan Commission for Refugees Affairs. "The whole area is prone to climate change and it's also prone to conflict. So you either become displaced because of the conflict or because of the climate change."
• Fidel Saad, Save the Children Lebanon’s Food Security, Livelihoods and Social Protection Technical Advisor. "There's the food security crisis, but there's also the employment crisis. There's an education crisis in Lebanon and we've seen an increased number of cases of child protection, meaning children engaged in labor."
• Lara, a Ukrainian refugee. "We didn't know where to move. We knew only that I take my kid, I take my 70-year-old mom and we're crossing the border. Where? We didn't know where."  

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:20] Fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) settings

[03:50] The case of Lara, a Ukrainian refugee living in Oxford, UK

[08:16] South Sudan: Food security, climate change, conflict, and displacement

[11:22] The case of Lebanon and FCV settings

[14:05] Global overlapping crises and their impact

[15:25] Conflict in fragile settings and middle-income countries

[17:37] The support from the World Bank Group

[21:04] Closure and thanks for tuning!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The

The recently released January edition of this year’s Global Economic Prospects report warns that the global economy is dangerously close to a recession, with worldwide economic output projected to be just 1.7% in 2023. While the outlook for all economies is quite grim, the edition takes a special focus on the plight of 37 small states—countries with a population of 1.5 million or less—that are already vulnerable to shocks stemming from the pandemic, climate change, disruptions to tourism and more.

In this episode of The Development Podcast, we speak with three guests: Dana Vorisek, senior economist and one of the lead report authors of the Global Economic Prospects report; the Hon. Tiofilusi Tiueti, Minister for Finance and Tonga World Bank Governor; and Anna Kay, a female-owned restauranteur in Jamaica, who share their insights and experiences to the impacts of a worsening global economy on already vulnerable states. 

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• Dana Vorisek, Senior Economist, World Bank Group. "The main reason small states were really hard hit by COVID was tourism. People were fearful of traveling, but also these countries shut their borders for a long time."
• Hon. Tiofilusi Tiueti, Minister for Finance and Tonga World Bank Governor. "The impact of climate change is obviously reflected on the frequency and intensity of a natural disaster, which further impacted our primary sector for economic development."
• Anna Kay, a female-owned restauranteur in Jamaica. "We can't get a lot of the things that we used to get, brands that we used to get before, or supplies that we used to get. The biggest thing is the cost of things."

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:29] Insights from the Global Economics Prospects Report

[03:51] Visions from the Caribbean: The case of Jamaica

[08:18] Visions from the Pacific: The case of Tonga

[13:56] Characteristics, challenges and vulnerabilities of small states

[18:44] Closing and thanks for tuning in!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

The past twelve months have been turbulent for the global economy. Conflict, inflation, food supply crises and the long tail of the Covid-19 pandemic have caused shockwaves across the world. In this episode of The Development Podcast we speak to World Bank Group chief economist Indermit Gill, and take stock of the last twelve months, while looking ahead to 2023. Indermit explains why forecasts at the start of the year were wrong, and why he remains optimistic for the coming year. We also reflect on one of the biggest stories of 2022, food prices. We get an update from Egyptian baker and restaurant owner Dareen Akkad. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Senior Vice President for Development Economics: "I think that the last two years will become a case study of how the world forgot Economics 101, and I think it was because of fear, it was because of the disease, it was because of the war, but it was also because of impatience, and I'm hoping that 2023 will not be part of this case study."
• Dareen Akkad, Egyptian baker and restaurant owner : "The businesses that survive are those that are able to change and adapt. We've already made plans to create food that is completely locally sourced."

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:23] Putting 2022 in context

[02:31] What were we expecting 2022 to look like in January?

[03:47] The economic impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

[05:02] Are we looking at a recession next year that's getting worse?

[06:47] Policy steps being taken

[09:28] Monetary tightening, raising interest rates, subsidies, inflation

[16:07] Stories of people's lives

[17:30] Inflation and food security: Visions from a pizza baker in Cairo

[19:42] Closing and thanks for tuning in!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and other crises have dealt the biggest setback to global poverty reduction in decades. 2020 alone saw the largest one-year increase in extreme poverty since global monitoring began. In this episode of The Development Podcast, we comb through the recent Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report (PSPR) to understand what’s happening, where and why.  

Ruth Hill, a lead economist at the World Bank discusses the actions governments can take to help correct course. We also get a snapshot of just how hard the last few years have been for many people, such as Sonia Cifuentes in Bogota, Colombia, and how cash transfers helped her when she needed support to cover the basics for herself and her children. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Featured Voices

• Ruth Hill, Lead Economist, Global Unit of the Poverty and Equity Global Practice, World Bank. "There's evidence that households which receive cash transfers are more likely to have their kids in school. And that has a long run impact on household welfare."
• Sonia Cifuentes, Colombian citizen benefited from a cash transfer program: "If I hadn't had access to those transfers, I would've had to have found someone to give me a donation because I had to feed my children."

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:37] Understanding the data behind the Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report

[07:28] Visions from Bogota, Colombia: Vulnerability and cash transfer programs

[11:10] The meaning behind poverty

[12:42] 2020 saw the biggest setback to global poverty in decades

[14:36] Measuring poverty: Methodology and research

[15:33] Progress made in ending poverty over the last few decades

[17:05] The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty reduction efforts

[19:40] Increase in poverty in different regions of the world

[20:35] Public policies to counter poverty trends

[21:37] Subsidies and cash transfer programs

[25:37] Closing and thanks for tuning in!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

This year’s World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings took place against the backdrop of a series of overlapping crises threatening catastrophic consequences for the poor. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and conflict were the focus for delegates who gathered at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC. In this special edition of The Development Podcast we’ll bring you some of the key moments from this year’s sessions. Leaders, experts, and activists discussed how best to respond to the multiple overlapping crises facing developing countries and how to work together to build a resilient future. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction to the Annual Meetings

[02:12] Addressing multiple crises in an era of volatility

[12:02] Food and fuel crises

[19:09] Inclusive growth and financial inclusion

[24:07] Financing the low-carbon, resilient transition

[27:01] Human capital and education

[33:30] Support to Ukraine

[36:21] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured Voices

• Anne Tvinnereim, Norway's Minister of International Development. "Due to the fertilizer crisis, in one season, we will not produce enough food in the world to feed everyone. Now, that's an unprecedented situation."
• Augustine Mayabi, Deputy Director in Kenya's Ministry of ICT Innovation and Youth Affairs. "There is need to reskill. Even the youth who are informal and self-employment, some of them could not have gone to school."
• David Malpass, President, World Bank Group. "We have to work so fast now to create space for the climate problems that are facing many of the developing countries most."
• Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. "Meeting Ukraine's needs will require a unified and coordinated effort, but together the G7, the international financial institutions and all of Ukraine's partners can help Ukraine win this war."
• Karima Ola, LeapFrog Investments Partner. "We can't talk about inclusive growth without talking about climate, because then path to net zero is one which impacts different people differently."
• Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund. "I actually am heartbroken to see the world again, witnessing increasing poverty, increasing hunger and malnutrition."
• Lawrence Summers, President Emeritus and Professor of Harvard University. "There has not been a moment when there was so great an opportunity to invest resources on a large scale in promoting the development of the countries where the vast majority of the world's population lived."
• Makhtar Diop, IFC Managing Director. "Of the the main roadblocks is how do we make sure that we bridge the funds that are available in the private market, the private capital, with the investment needs?."
• Mostafa Terrab, OCP Group Chairman and CEO. "What's visible today has been revealed by a crisis, but it's based on a long-term situation which is a great imbalance between production of fertilizer and what the world needs."
• Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation. "One very important message is that climate and development should not be seen as separate objectives. They need to...

Our warming world needs to wean itself away from fossil fuels, but closing coal mines can impact jobs and communities. How can we ensure people and communities are at the center of the transition away from coal? In this episode of The Development Podcast, we hear about the challenges and opportunities involved in this important transition.

We get the view from some Indian women benefiting from new green jobs, hear from new solar panel owners, and from Reema Nanavaty, director of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).

We also hear from World Bank experts Elizabeth Ruppert Bulmer, Lead Economist with the Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice, and Rachel Perks, Senior Mining Specialist with the Energy & Extractives Global Practice. They explain why this task can’t be left to future generations to fix, and how phasing out coal can mean new opportunities for communities and jobs. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:36] Trends with coal production in recent years

[06:54] Visions of India moving away from coal

[11:53] Just transition, coal, and climate change

[14:02] What's behind turning off coal

[15:55] Progress made around the world

[17:12] The impact of closing down coal mines

[21:05] Transitions and new livelihoods and opportunities

[22:54] Historical perspective and lessons learned

[24:40] Stakeholder engagement and consultations

[26:39] Land repurposing

[29:03] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured Voices

• Elizabeth Ruppert Bulmer, Lead Economist, Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice, World Bank: "There are a whole slew of jobs that will be needed in that renewable energy space. A lot of these coal mining jobs are taken up by people who aren't youth, and then youth are struggling to find some alternative."
• Rachel Perks, Senior Mining Specialist, Energy & Extractives Global Practice, World Bank: "We also have to be very sensitive that these are communities that have been dependent on their livelihoods and their identities for generations. Now we're asking them to reimagine, in fact, what their entire community is going to look like."
• Reema Nanavaty, Director of India’s Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA): "You create a nurturing economy, generate greener livelihoods, and that is what exactly is just transition."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast 

The world is grappling with a sharp deceleration in growth, coupled with rising inflation. Are we experiencing so-called stagflation, what does that mean for people, and what can we learn from comparable situations in the past?

In this episode of The Development Podcast, World Bank forecasting expert Franziska Ohnsorge, Manager of the Prospects Group, one of the lead authors of the Global Economics prospect Report; and debt expert Marcello Estevão Global Director of the World Bank Group's Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment global practice give the big picture on stagflation. While Enrique Cárdenas, a Mexican economist and economic historian, explains what it felt like to experience stagflation during the so-called “lost decade” of the 1980s. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:45] What is stagflation? When did we see it last? Are we in stagflation right now?

[06:42] Visions from Mexico, the 15th largest economy in the world

[11:47] Global economy: How significant is the slowdown right now

[13:09] How real is the risk of stagflation?

[14:57] Central banks and interest rates... and stagflation

[17:24] Impacts for average people in emerging markets and developing economies

[19:19] How can stagflation lead to debt crises?

[23:31] What is creating this toxic mix of slow growth and inflation?

[24:59] Recommendations for governments to promote growth and tame inflation

[29:21] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured Voices

• Franziska Ohnsorge, Manager of the Prospects Group, World Bank: "Stagflation, weak growth and high inflation, is something that really hurts the lower income households particularly hard."
• Marcello Estevão, Global Director of the World Bank Group's Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice: "The debt overhang can be dismantled, if governance improved debt management procedures and public expanding while strengthening the living environment for debt contracting."
• Enrique Cárdenas, Mexican economist and economic historian: "Not every income was indexed to inflation and therefore those who weren't suffered even more because they couldn't cope with inflation as it evolves."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The...

The world is facing rising food prices that are hitting poor and developing countries hardest. Even before COVID-19 reduced incomes and disrupted supply chains, chronic and acute hunger were on the rise due to factors, including conflict, socio-economic conditions, natural hazards, climate change and pests. 

The disruption caused by the war in Ukraine has added to price pressures, with costs likely to remain high for the foreseeable future and expected to push millions of additional people into acute food insecurity.

In this episode of The Development Podcast, World Bank Food and Agriculture Global Practice Manager Julian Lampietti explains the challenges and discusses some of the solutions. And we hear from a pizza restaurant owner in Cairo who is struggling with the rising cost of bread. Listen now!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:32] What's happening in terms of agriculture and food in the world right now

[06:47] Visions from Cairo: Food costs, supply chains, local business... and pizza

[13:08] A human catastrophe? Food price crisis related to the war in Ukraine

[14:21] Availability issues, people's access to food, or the production of food?

[18:05] Food prices: How the situation could evolve in the short term

[19:22] Lessons learnt from previous food price crisis

[24:07] Investments in agricultural and food technologies

[27:45] How the World Bank is responding to this crisis

[29:32] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured voices

• Julian Lampietti, Manager for Agriculture & Food Global Practice, World Bank Group: "The war in Ukraine just accelerated what was already happening, we have this food system that feeds us and it's wonderful but it's also destroying the planet as it does that. And it's getting more and more unstable."
• Dareen Akkad, restaurant owner in Cairo, Egypt: "One of the ways that we have to plan is to find products that we can create that rely less heavily on imports and more so on locally grown ingredients or let's say even if it's locally processed ingredients."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for...

Putting people first through investing in human capital – the knowledge, skills, and health that people need to achieve their potential – is critical for sustainable, inclusive growth and poverty reduction. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to leave generations behind and exacerbate inequalities. Health impacts, setbacks to nutrition, the early years and learning, job losses and expanding gender gaps must be addressed with urgency. Countries have stepped up in innovative ways to put people first through building, protecting, and utilizing human capital – with support from the World Bank and partners. However – ambition, innovation, and sustained support are needed to recover human capital losses and strengthen recovery. Investing in people consistently and providing opportunities for all to achieve their potential can yield economic dividends – and help bring greater stability in a challenging global context.

During the 2022 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings, leaders, innovators and change-makers shared how investments in human capital can not only change lives for individuals, but also create more inclusive and equitable societies. Listen to the Spring Meetings highlights in a special series of The Development Podcast.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:38] Tanzania's education system

[05:13] Tanzania's investment in health

[08:28] Tanzania: Challenges in education and health

[13:35] Tackling learning poverty

[17:36] Special considerations from a gender and fragility context

[19:07] Impacts of the pandemic on young people

[23:50] The value of investing in people

[28:10] Equipping young people for the jobs of the future

[29:32] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured voices

• Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of United Republic of Tanzania: "In some societies, the herd keepers, the livestock keepers, they prefer their kids to go for herding rather than going to school. We had to educate the parents to accept sending their kids to school."
• David R. Malpass, President, World Bank Group: "Men are part of the problem [gender-based violence] and have to be educated and brought forward along."
• Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General: "Even if you had connectivity, teachers were not prepared to teach, and learners were not prepared to learn, even though we thought we had them connected."
• Mari Pangestu, Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank: "This accelerated learning recovery really needs a focus, in terms of the programs that we need to design, the teachers that we need to train, to be able to have the tools and resources to address this."
• Malala Yousafzai, Co-Founder of Malala Fund: ""We know that when children enroll into schools, there's also the issue of what they learn in their classrooms. So it's the access to education, but also the quality of education that are important."
• Beatrice Mahuru, Founder & CEO, GLaD Ltd and B&WE Ltd: "Conflict resolution is definitely one of those soft skills that's required, both to manage workplace conversations, as well as their communities back at home."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data,...

Trade can be an effective catalyst for growth and development. However, the growing use of market-distorting subsidies undermines the multi-lateral, rules-based trading system that has promoted trade liberalization and global growth in the past. At a time when the global economy is coping with multiple shocks, including the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supply chain disruptions to food and other goods, governments are increasingly turning to subsidies for relief. But the costs can be very high, in terms of public spending and distorted incentives for investment and consumption. How can international cooperation help create a fairer trading system for countries at all income levels?

During the 2022 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings, the heads of the four key global economic policy institutions—the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)—discussed the importance of trade and global cooperation for overcoming current challenges and implications of subsidies for markets and poor countries. They called for more transparency and proactive measures to reduce their harm, especially for the largest and most distortive subsidies. Listen to the Spring Meetings highlights in a special series of The Development Podcast.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:54] Subsidies, trade, and international cooperation

[06:19] National self-interest vs. globalization

[08:34] The end of an era of globalization?

[11:28] Measurement of agricultural subsidies

[13:40] Subsidy and economic policy in a crisis mode

[18:03] Tackling subsidies: Politically expedient vs sensible things

[24:42] Transparency, access to information, collaboration

[26:34] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured voices

• David R. Malpass, President of the World Bank Group: "We need to find a way to have trade that occurs in an efficient way to get the gains for the people around the world. It's going to help the poorest people the most."
• Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund: "I worry most about multiple shocks simultaneously hitting us and our proven, inability to deal with more than one crisis at one time."
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization: "This globalization, this multilateral trading system that has been built, it's a global public good. It took time to build it. And it has lifted more than a billion people out of poverty."
• Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: "It is about having a level playing field, making sure that resources are allocated to where they can have the most beneficial economic impact for everyone and subsidies really distorted that greatly."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Don't miss an episode! Listen and subscribe for free on your

By 2030, up to two-thirds of the world's extreme poor could live in fragility, conflict, and violence settings, so without addressing the challenges in these economies, we will not succeed in our mission to eradicate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. The disturbing trend of rising and compounding crises points to an urgent need for the international community to come together and develop new and innovative approaches to support countries facing conflict and fragility.

During the 2022 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings, we discussed how to stay engaged during times of crisis and meet the challenges in new and innovative ways, along with our partners. World leaders came together to discuss how to best build resilience & manage uncertainty. Listen to the Spring Meetings highlights in a special series of The Development Podcast.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:15] The case of Yemen: Crises, challenges, and solutions

[06:03] How Colombia has been addressing the refugee crisis from neighboring Venezuela

[10:15] How the international community can come together to assist the most vulnerable

[19:44] How the private sector can play an essential role

[28:14] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured voices

• Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, Prime Minister, Yemen: "Unprecedented times need unprecedented actions. The response of the crisis determine how we can build back better after the crisis. So the response should be unique."
• Alejandra Botero, Director General, Department of Planning, Colombia: "If we're going to promise to give them all the services so that they can be part of the social system, health, schools, everything, you have to have a plan to integrate the migrants at all these sectors."
• Axel van Trotsenburg, Managing Director of Operations, World Bank: "Our estimate shows that extreme poverty will be concentrated in fragility, conflict, and violence settings in the next couple of years; so if we want to stop that trend, we have to invest."
• Hervé Ndoba, Minister of Finance and Budget, Central African Republic: "When we're facing fragility, the fiscal space is very reduced and we have to find solutions in order to increase this fiscal space. We have started the cleanup of the public financing."
• Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF: "Roughly 425 million children right now are living in conflict zones. These children are living in places where the compounding of the challenges requires a compounding of the responses."
• Makhtar Diop, Managing Director, IFC: "We need to be persistent enough to convince the private sector to invest in a fragile country, but also we need to think about how the private sector can help mitigate the risk of working in this context."
• Donald Kaberuka, Chairman and Managing Partner, SouthBridge: "These small businesses, what you call the informal sector, unfortunately are actually the ones able to provide the daily jobs which people need."
• Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, Founder of Landmark Hotels & 17 Ventures: "Looking at the multiple crises that we are facing as humanity, it shows that the public sector and private sector and civil society need to work together...

The connection between development and climate change is increasingly clear: delivering on these together will require large-scale low-carbon and resilient investments. It will also require approaches that tackle the political economy of the low-carbon transition and help communities build long-lasting resilience to climate change. What are the investments needed to achieve a green, resilient and sustainable future? How can we unlock private finance for climate action? How are countries stepping up to the challenge?

During the 2022 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings, we explored the actions that are needed to create enabling environments, leverage different pools of capital at the right time, for specific needs, while involving communities and bringing them along in the global low-carbon, resilient transition. World leaders came together to discuss how to best build resilience & manage uncertainty. Listen to the Spring Meetings highlights in a special series of The Development Podcast.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:10] COP27 & Egypt: Creating meaningful solutions for the future

[07:56] How to make climate finance tangible and action-oriented

[15:20] Private capital in supporting climate action

[23:27] Transitioning economies, transforming climate

[26:04] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured voices

• Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Arab Republic of Egypt: "We cannot think about climate as separate from the development process of the country."
• Rhian-Mari Thomas, Chief Executive, Green Finance Institute: "We clearly need that enabling policy and regulatory frameworks in country, as well as the mechanisms to improve credit worthiness so that we can secure both local and international funds."
• Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, London School of Economics: "We have to put in place a big transition and we have to do it now, and of course, exiting coal, moving away from coal. That will involve a great deal of investment, but we're going to have to adapt."
• Mari Pangestu, Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank: "Another realism that we are facing today the Ukraine war and its impact on high energy prices and increased concerns around energy security. How can we move forward to continue accelerating the energy transition?"
• Makhtar Diop, Managing Director, IFC: "We are hearing very much from the private sector about green taxonomy. People want to know when they invest to support a fight against climate change, that is really targeted to activities which are related to that."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Don't miss an episode! Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform.

Tell us what you think of our podcast 

The COVID-19 pandemic sent advanced and developing economies into starkly divergent paths—with advanced economies expected to recover fully by 2023 and developing economies expected to lag for years to come. Developing economies have nevertheless embraced innovative digital solutions that are enabling economic transformation and putting them on a path toward green, resilient, and inclusive growth.

Private and public investment in digital solutions is bringing critical services to the poorest, creating jobs, strengthening small and medium businesses, enabling trade and services, and building resilience to shocks. At the same time, more than half the developing world remains digitally unconnected, and risks around privacy and cybersecurity are growing worldwide.

During the 2022 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings, we explored how countries can boost growth, productivity, inclusion and resilience as they recover by embracing private sector innovation coupled with enabling government policy. World leaders came together to discuss how to best build resilience & manage uncertainty. Listen to the Spring Meetings highlights in a special series of The Development Podcast.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:48] The progress in Rwanda’s digital journey

[12:45] Addressing the divides and opening digital opportunities

[26:04] Closure and thanks for tuning!

Featured voices

• Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda: "A major challenge continues to be the insufficient reach of fibre optic cables in rural areas. This means that the majority of Africa's population does not have access to high-speed internet."
• Michael Miebach, Chief Executive Officer, Mastercard: "Where is my data? Is my data safe? Where's my money? Is my money safe? If I have it under the mattress, I can see it, I can feel it. If it's somewhere in an app, I'm not quite sure."
• Omobola Johnson, Senior Partner, TLcom Capital: "Most of these tabletop entrepreneurs, most of these businesses are women, and they have been largely excluded from this digital economy. But there is one way of including them."
• David R. Malpass, President of the World Bank Group: "There are now so many services being provided across the internet, that it pays for the investments that countries are making."

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Don't miss an episode! Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WBG-IMF SPRING MEETINGS 2022

Preparing for future crises and strengthening international cooperation are essential to deliver a resilient recovery and a better...

Around the world 178 countries either have laws that hinder women’s economic inclusion, or lack laws that foster it. That translates to 2.4 billion women of working age who don’t have equal economic opportunities as men. And while the number of countries that score well in the World Bank’s Women, Business, and the Law research has risen, on average women globally have just three-quarters of the legal rights of men. What are the obstacles to achieving economic inclusion for women? And where is progress being made? Tea Trumbic, Program Manager for the Women, Business and the Law project in the World Bank’s Development Economics vice-presidency, joins the Development Podcast with the latest. ‘It is shocking that in 2022 we are still seeing so many discriminatory laws that hold women back,’ said Tea Trumbic for The Development Podcast. Listen now this episode!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:13] Background on the 2022 Women, Business and the Law Report

[07:29] The case of Gabon in making progress towards gender equality

[11:07] Economic rights of women vs. men

[12:40] Difference between kind of legal equality and equality and practice

[13:32] The importance of childcare as an indicator

[15:03] The provision of child varying from country to country

[16:43] Ensuring quality of childcare provision

[18:05] The obstacles to childcare

[19:26] Is there a model of childcare provision?

[20:30] The regional scorecard for Sub-Saharan in Africa

[24:03] The expected gap in lifetime earnings between men and women

[25:07] Closure and thanks for tuning!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

How could crypto technologies change the international development sector? The World Bank’s Global Director of Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation, Jean Pesme, discusses how blockchain could revolutionize aspects of economic development from trade to remittances. Also, we explore the promise and the pitfalls of this increasingly popular technology. ‘The less intermediaries you have, the easier it is to do it. The more the costs are going to go down, the more transparency you could have, using the data mechanism,’ said Jean Pesme on cross-border remittances. Listen now this episode of The Development Podcast!

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:04] Basics on crypto technologies: Key definitions and data

[06:41] How crypto technologies are benefiting international development

[07:53] What impact could blockchain technologies have on remittance payments?

[09:40] Fees, transparency, and competition

[11:14] The trade challenges that blockchain could help with

[12:51] How do cryptocurrencies factor into international development?

[16:12] What are the climate implications?

[18:18] Pitfalls that people should be aware of when it comes to cryptocurrency

[20:26] Trustability, identity, and the architecture of the different assets

[21:06] Crypto technologies: the most potential going forward

[22:16] Closure and thanks for tuning!

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

On this edition of the Development Podcast from the World Bank Group, Raka Banerjee and Paul Blake examine one of the biggest challenges facing the global community today: Climate Change.

“If we don’t tackle climate change, over 130 million people will be pushed into poverty over the next 10 years and entire economies will be held hostage to the worst impacts,” says World Bank Manager for Advisory and Operations in the Climate Group, Genevieve Connors.

First up, Raka reviews what we know about climate change and what’s at stake.

We then speak to Carolina Schmidt, Chile’s Minister of the Environment, about the threats her country is facing and what her government is doing to address them.

Finally, we speak to Gen Connors about the World Bank Group’s new agenda on addressing climate adaptation and mitigation over the next decade.

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

"The situation that we see right now is absolutely unacceptable, because a large of the world remains unvaccinated and this is a danger for all of us," so warns Mamta Murthi, the World Bank's Vice President for Human Development.

Why are the poorest countries being left so far behind in the race to vaccinate populations? And what's being done to help? In the latest edition of The Development Podcast, we're examining these questions and more. 

From Addis Ababa, Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, Deputy Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, details how the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded across the African continent, and the steps being taken to increase vaccination rates.

Back in Washington, Murthi joins Raka Banerjee and Paul Blake to talk about global trends and the support that the World Bank Group is giving to countries and partners in the race to vaccinate the world against the coronavirus.

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PODCAST

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP

The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

Around the world, some 70% of economic activity is taking place in the shadows – and no, we’re not talking about drug smuggling or other illegal commerce. 

In this edition of The Development Podcast, the team takes a deep dive into a new analysis that has revealed that the informal sector – firms and workers outside the line of sight of governments in emerging market and developing economies – accounts for about a third of GDP and more than 70 percent of employment.    

From Cidade Estrutural – one of the poorest neighborhoods in Brasília, Brazil – we hear from Abadia Teixeira de Jesus, who has spent her life climbing out of the economic shadows and into formal employment – only to be knocked back into informality by COVID-19.   

Back in Washington, Raka and Paul speak with Franziska Ohnsorge, the manager of the World Bank’s Prospects Group, about her new book, The Long Shadow of Informality, and what these stunning datapoints mean for the long-term development goals of emerging market and developing economies.  

About the Development Podcast: 

The World Bank’s Development Podcast takes you on a journey around the world of international development, revealing the latest data, research, and solutions to reduce global poverty and achieve a sustainable future.

In our first episode of 2021, we invited an all star panel of development experts - including UNICEF’s Henrietta Fore, economist and author Dambisa Moyo, Save the Children’s Kevin Watkins, and the World Bank’s Axel van Trotsenburg - to share what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what’s next when it comes to the COVID-19 response. 

“COVID has been a big setback and particularly a setback for the poorest countries. But I think there are some opportunities that we can build on into the future.” World Bank Group President, David Malpass on his hopes for 2021.

In a special year end edition of The Development Podcast, President Malpass and Interim MD and COO of the IFC, the Bank’s private sector arm, look back on 2020 and examine the path to a resilient recovery in 2021.

“I really do hope that as we come out of this, we can think about a resilient recovery that's about greater equality.” Stephanie von Friedeburg explains how the pandemic has laid bare global inequalities.

“Even by the standards of systemic crises, this is a once in a century, global – truly global – crisis,” explains Carmen Reinhart, the World Bank’s newly-appointed Chief Economist, about the pandemic-led economic downturn.

In a special appearance on The Development Podcast, Reinhart and World Bank Group President David Malpass give us their perspective on the health of the global economy and what they believe a path to recovery looks like.

“More-so than the 2008 crisis,” according to Malpass, “this one is really hitting the poor, hitting the developing countries. It’s not only a financial crisis, but it’s a true deep, deep economic crisis.”

Plus: Pabsy Mariano joins hosts Paul Blake and Raka Banerjee to preview this year’s entirely virtual World Bank Group – IMF Annual Meetings and details how you can participate from home.

Show notes:

-Read Carmen and Vincent Reinhart’s article, “The Pandemic Depression”, in Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-08-06/coronavirus-depression-global-economy

-Get the latest on the 2020 World Bank Group – IMF Annual Meetings and plan to participate: http://live.worldbank.org

On the latest edition of The Development Podcast, we explore the gender dynamics at play during the COVID-19 pandemic with the World Bank’s Global Director for Gender, Caren Grown.

“It turns out actually that the pandemic is not gender neutral,” Grown tells us, explaining that women and girls face distinct risks including increased exposure to the virus on health care front lines, potentially larger impacts to their livelihoods during lockdowns, as well as heightened risk of domestic violence.

As always you can send us your questions and comments: TheDevelopmentPodcast@WorldBank.org

Developing countries are under tremendous strain while attempting to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. 

To try and free-up resources so that they can better protect lives and livelihoods, the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund in April called on creditors to allow lower income countries to suspend their bilateral debt service payments and focus resources on responding to the pandemic. The plan – called the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) – was taken up by G20 Finance Ministers.

On this edition of the Development Podcast, we hear from the World Bank Group’s Global Director for Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment, Marcello Estevão, who answers our questions on how the program works and just how effective it has been.

And send us your questions and comments: TheDevelopmentPodcast@WorldBank.org

In recent years, remittances were on the rise, playing an increasingly important role in global development.  They eclipsed foreign aid in the ‘90s and surpassed foreign direct investment last year. Then COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns hit. 

Dilip Ratha, the World Bank’s Lead Economist for Migration and Remittances, tells us that he thinks there will be a 20% drop in those flows this year, as migrants struggle to find work. And that matters, he says, because many families depend on those funds for their basic needs.  

We also get the view from Manilla, from where Katrina Hontomin joins us to talk through how remittances shaped her life – from her early education to today. 

And Raka has the latest development data to help us make sense of the story. 

It all comes to you from the World Bank Group in Washington, DC and around the world! 

And as always, we welcome your feedback, questions, and ideas. Email us using TheDevelopmentPodcast@worldbank.org. 

Call it the “great lockdown”, the “coronavirus recession” or another moniker – whatever your label, the facts are clear: this unprecedented pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on the private sector.

While the full scale of the damage to companies and jobs is still being assessed, the International Finance Corporation’s Stephanie Von Friedeburg says: “developed country or a developing country, locking down an economy creates insolvency”.

“What we're going to see is a rise in unemployment and a loss of jobs. Liquidity issues at the firm level. And the longer the lockdown lasts, the more probability of insolvency”.

We hear from Stephanie about her plans to support the private sector during the COVID-19 response and recovery.

Plus, Raka runs us through the latest forecasts for the global economy from our colleagues behind the Global Economic Prospects.

All that and more from the World Bank Group in Washington, DC and around the world!

And as always, we welcome your feedback, questions, and ideas. Email us using TheDevelopmentPodcast@worldbank.org.

Millions of people’s food security and livelihoods are under threat from historic locust swarms that are decimating cropland in East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. As affected countries work to respond, experts tell the Development Podcast that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is complicating response efforts.

With the World Bank stepping up to support countries, we hear from two of the experts behind the $500 million (USD) program – Afrah Al-Ahmadi and Melissa Williams.

We also take a listener's question about the Bank's Young Professionals Program. Send your questions to TheDevelopmentPodcast@WorldBank.org.

It all comes to you from the World Bank in Washington, DC and around the world. Listen, rate, review and subscribe!

Show notes:

Behind the Mission: World Bank Young Professionals discuss their experience: https://live.worldbank.org/behind-mission-world-bank-group-young-professionals-program

The Young Professionals Program homepage: https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/careers/programs-and-internships/young-professionals-program

As healthcare workers continue to tirelessly fight the coronavirus, countries around the globe are starting to look towards recovery from the pandemic.

In a special interview David Malpass, the World Bank Group’s President, shares his thoughts on the crisis response so far and lays out his vision for the road ahead – how to promote economic growth, support the poorest, and sustain businesses and jobs.

The Group’s president shared his views on the unique risks and opportunities for developing countries as they look to mount a sustainable recovery.

“It's a double impact. They're vulnerable to the pandemic - to COVID-19 itself and people are dying in the countries,” Malpass said. “But then this added problem is they just don't have the resources and the capacity in order to protect their economies.”

“But we're moving to the to the next stage of designing programs that will maintain the economies and be ready as a recovery takes hold - we hope in the second half of 2020,” he said.

As the coronavirus has rapidly spread around the globe just about every aspect of life is being disrupted – not least education, which was already in crisis. That begs the question: How do we educate students during a pandemic?

We get the view from the World Bank’s Global Director for Education, Jaime Saavedra, who walks us through COVID-19’s impact schools, students, learning, and the solutions countries are implementing.

As students shift from the classroom to the living room, families are coming under strain and the digital divide is threatening to become an educational divide. We hear from two mothers in Colombia as they try to navigate the stress of working and now teaching at home.

It all comes to you from the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. Subscribe, listen, share, and review!

Update: This episode was recorded in early March and makes several references to the World Bank’s fast-track financing facility to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since recording, the value of that package has increased from $12bn to $14bn. The podcast may contain references to the earlier figure.

As coronavirus has rapidly spread around the globe – infecting more than 100,000 and killing more than 4,000 – healthcare systems and economies are coming under pressure. 

Of particular concern: Africa, where many healthcare systems are fragile and may struggle to provide care to the most severely-affected patients. For the latest, we get an on-the-ground view from Africa Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director Dr. Ahmed Ogwell – who has been traversing the continent helping countries prepare.  

In Washington, we hear from the World Bank Group’s Global Director for Health, Nutrition, and Population, Dr. Muhammed Pate, about an emergency support package the Bank has announced – valued at up to $12bn – to help countries preparing for or responding to the outbreak. 

And as always, we bring you the data driving this story. 

It all comes to you from the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. Subscribe, listen, share, and review!