Locust swarms are ravaging crops and pastureland, destroying food and vegetation and jeopardizing food security across Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of South Asia. Without action, the locust population could grow 400 times larger by June 2020 and spread to new areas, disrupting food supply, upending livelihoods and requiring substantial resources to address. The World Bank estimates that in Africa alone, more than 90 million hectares of cropland and pasture are at risk and damages and losses could amount to as much as US$9 billion in coming years.  Join us as we discuss this important issue with two World Bank staff: Melissa Williams, Senior Rural Development Specialist & Afrah Alawi Al-Ahmadi, Senior Social Protection Specialist. Ask your questions now!  Related Links:  Locust Crisis World Bank Response Blog: The Locust Plague: Fighting a Crisis within a Crisis Website: Food Security at the World Bank Group  

The coronavirus pandemic is seriously limiting social interactions around the globe. Will such measures defeat the virus in dense urban areas? We asked Sameh Wahba, the World Bank's Global Director for Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land.

Agenda available here Cities are places of opportunity: 80% of global GDP is created in cities, helping hundreds of millions lift themselves out of extreme poverty. Over recent decades, cities have become a magnet for talent, investment, and for youth seeking a prosperous future.  The promise offered by cities is driving unprecedented population growth, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, 4 billion people - more than half the global population - live in cities. By 2030, two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities, and a third of the world’s population will be housed in cities with 1 million or more inhabitants.  Rapid urbanization at this scale presents unparalleled challenges. The increasing population density, shocks from environmental pressures, growing infrastructure demands, and the increased expectations from residents and visitors to deliver services that improve their quality of life will all need to be met – at a sustainable cost. To meet the needs of a rapidly growing, younger, digitally savvy population, we ...

Join us as we launch the WBG Adaptation and Resilience Action Plan and find out how the strategic direction and actions laid out in the Plan will help us support clients meet development objectives while responding to the mounting impacts of a changing climate.

After a moment of silence for the victims of the recent disasters in Sulawesi & Lombok, Jusuf Kalla, Indonesia’s Vice President opened the High-level Dialogue on Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance in Indonesia. He shared how the country has had a long history in managing and responding to disasters but stressed the need to be aware of the fiscal risks. Kalla added that this event was an opportunity to share experiences and discuss potential solutions to disaster risk financing and insurance.   A short video played showing how Indonesia is prone to nine different types of disasters and also presented the country’s National Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance strategy. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, World Bank Group’s Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, acted as moderator and opened the panel by introducing World Bank President Jim Kim. He expressed condolences to Indonesia for the recent disasters and emphasized that the country was incredibly resilient. Kim added that under the government’...

Risk management is fundamental for Latin America and the Caribbean. Incidents of natural disasters have tripled since 1970 and with climate change, their intensity and the frequency are going to increase. But natural disasters are not the only risk these countries face. Economic shocks and abrupt swings in commodity prices can also have a devastating effect in the population, especially on the most vulnerable. In Thursday’s conversation on Protecting Latin America and the Caribbean’s Future Against Risks, Jorge Familiar, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean was joined by a panel of leading financial experts and policymakers including Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup Latin America; Paraguay Minister of Finance Lea Giménez; Chief Executive of the State Development Bank of Brazil BNDES, Dyogo Henrique de Oliveira; President of Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission CNBV, Bernardo Gonzalez; and the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Timothy Antoine. During the discussion, panelists agreed that the ...

From severe flooding in South Asia, record-breaking hurricanes in the Caribbean and violent earthquakes in Mexico, to heavy rain and landslides in Sierra Leone – recent disasters have left a trail of devastation across the globe. With more infrastructure likely to be built in the next 20 years than the last two millennia, leaders from the private sector and policy makers will gather on the International Day for Disaster Reduction to explore how we can make these investments more resilient. Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group, will deliver a keynote address. This event is hosted by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery GFDRR), and is part of the ongoing Resilience Dialogue series, which promotes awareness and action for building resilience.

What will it take for the small island states of the Caribbean to become more resilient and sustainable following the recent hurricanes? Join us live on October 13 at 5:00 pm, as we discuss this and other topics with Timothy Antoine, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.