World Bank | The Development Podcast

The International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group 2024 Annual Meetings marked a turn of the page to the next phase of our mission: Ensuring job creation—and employment—are not the byproduct of our projects but an explicit aim of them.  

In this latest episode of The Development Podcast, we draw on some of the highlights from the Annual Meetings, as well as announcements on creating a new eco-system for agribusiness and boosting economic opportunities for more women. 

We hear from Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group; Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance for Zambia; Mabouba Diagne, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Livestock in Senegal; Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of the ONE Campaign; Sandra Ablamba Johnson, Minister and Secretary General at the Presidency of Togo; Adebayo Olawale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance; and Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex. 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:33] World Bank's evolution process towards a bigger, better Bank

[04:35] Agriculture and food as an engine of sustainable growth and jobs

[08:17] Accelerating women’s economic opportunities

[11:58] Jobs creation, International Development Association, World Bank Group scorecard

[15:03] IDA21 replenishment

[17:51] Highlights and announcements

[21:04] Cooperation between the Global North and the Global South

[23:03] Climate change and COP29

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

The World Bank 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.

As the old saying goes, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. But of course, what you measure is important too. In this episode of The Development Podcast, we explore how the World Bank Group aims to strengthen its impact with a slimmed-down and focused scorecard.

We’ll hear how the scorecard will better measure and track results, as well as identify areas for improvement. We’ll get to the heart of what it means to measure results, why it matters and how it has gained traction across the development community. We also get snapshots from two projects: one in Mozambique and one in Jordan. Listen now! 

Featured voices

• Ed Mountfield, Vice President, Operations Policy and Country Services, World Bank
• Lu Shen, Director, Results Management and Aid Effectiveness Division Strategy, Policy, and Partnerships Department, Asian Development Bank
• Voices from development projects in Mozambique and Jordan

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:57] Impact on development projects: Voices from Mozambique and Jordan

[06:51] Introducing the World Bank Group scorecard

[09:53] Scorecard: Measurement, results, and transparency

[14:46] What is impact and why is it important? Targets and SDGs

[17:36] Alignment in measuring impact across all the MDBs: The case of the Asian Development Bank

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

The World Bank 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.

Creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet has been the vision and mission of the World Bank Group since October 2023. But what does it mean for people and planet? We’ve just wrapped up our series of podcasts exploring these crucial questions, and in this episode we bring you some of the highlights from the last year. We take you on a journey around the world from Samoa to Nepal and hear from youth activists, refugees, entrepreneurs, development partners and leaders from the World Bank Group. 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:42] Tackling the climate crisis

[05:59] How can we better support refugees?

[11:01] What is a green job?

[14:34] The journey towards gender equality

[17:29] Forests: How can we prosper in harmony with nature?

[20:15] Visions of a young World Bank staff member

Featured Voices

• Abdullahi Mire, winner of the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 
• Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank
• Anubha Shukla, Vice President, D2R, Husk Power 
• Cristián Samper, Managing Director and leader of Nature Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund 
• Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund 
• Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme  
• Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR 
• Manoj Sinha, CEO of Husk Power 
• Maryse Mbonyumutwa, CEO of Pink Mango and Founder of Asantii 
• Nancy Karambo Riungu, a Kenyan entrepreneur and expert tailor working directly with refugees 
• O’Neall Massamba, Transport Unit - Western and Central Africa, World Bank Group 
• Tulshi Suwal, a Nepalese conservationist 
• Valerie Hickey, Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy, the World Bank 
• Xavier Devictor, Co-Director of the 2023 World Development Report 

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

The World Bank 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.

Does artificial intelligence amount to a dystopian nightmare for the developing world, eliminating jobs and confirming the worse biases across societies? Or could it lead the way to a brighter future, helping to solve critical development issues?  We explore the ways in which artificial intelligence is being used across the globe at a grassroots level in India, Papua New Guinea – as well as get the big picture. Join The Development Podcast!

Featured Voices

• Christine Zhenwei Qiang, Global Director, Digital Transformation, World Bank Group
• Naomi Longa, Seawomen of Melanesia, Papua New Guinea;  
• Fred Munene, “Farm with Fred” farmer and YouTuber, Kenya;  
• Snehal Joshi, Principal, Shikha Academy, India; 
• Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink, Director of Product Impact at Google; 
• Petra Molnar, Harvard Faculty Associate, lawyer, anthropologist, and author

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:59] Artificial intelligence to protect the coral reefs in Papua New Guinea

[05:50] Artificial intelligence in educational settings in India

[07:36] Artificial intelligence, agriculture, and youth in Kenya

[09:05] How is AI already being used in the developing world and expansion ahead

[11:49] What are the ethical considerations to keep in mind

[13:58] Jobs: Artificial intelligence and labor market

[16:11] Programs and partnerships where AI is taking the lead: The case of Google

[20:35] How AI is currently being used in the context of refugees

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

The World Bank 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.

Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate of 10 million hectares each year and about 12% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to deforestation and forest degradation. But nature provides the foundation for inclusive growth, jobs, food security, ecosystems and human wellbeing. So, what are the economics of biodiversity and how can we achieve growth whilst protecting forests?

Join The Development Podcast on a trip around the globe from Nepal to Costa Rica as we hear from: Dr Tulshi Suwal, a Nepalese conservationist; Valerie Hickey, the Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank; Florita Jimenez Martinez, Community Leader in Costa Rica; and Cristián Samper, Managing Director and leader of Nature Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund.

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

Featured Voices

• Valerie Hickey, the Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank
• Cristián Samper, Managing Director and leader of Nature Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund
• Florita Jimenez Martinez, Community Leader in Costa Rica
• Dr Tulshi Suwal, a Nepalese conservationist

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:55] The relationship between people and the forests in Nepal

[07:07] The link between ecosystems and economic growth

[12:50] How the World Bank works on biodiversity

[16:05] Protecting the forests: Visions from a community leader in Costa Rica

[19:05] Partnerships to preserve biodiversity in forests: Bezos Earth Fund

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

The World Bank 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 2024 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings took place from April 11-18. The focus for this year was on how the World Bank Group can turn its vision – of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet – into real impact. This includes becoming a better Bank – one that is faster, more effective, and more ambitious. 

In this latest episode of The Development Podcast, we draw on some of the highlights from the week. We hear from Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization; Svenja Schulze, Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany; Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance for Zambia; Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health, Nigeria; Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of Axian Group; Reverend Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World; and Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex. 

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

Featured Voices

• Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group
• Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization
• Svenja Schulze, Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany
• Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance for Zambia
• Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health, Nigeria
• Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of Axian Group
• Reverend Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World
• Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:45] World Bank Group: Turning an ambitious vision into impact

[07:16] Scaling up energy solutions and investments

[09:38] Expanding quality and affordable healthcare services

[13:03] In focus: International Development Association (IDA)

[17:41] World Bank's reforms, its vision, and the road ahead

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

The World Bank 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.

As the world celebrates International Womens Day, we take a look at where we are on the march towards gender equality. How big is the gender gap and what would happen if we closed it? What are some stumbling blocks along this journey? And how can international organizations like the World Bank Group and IMF help achieve more progress?  

Find out the answers to these questions and more as we speak with Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Prime Minister of Togo; Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Tea Trumbic,  World Bank Manager for the Women, Business and the Law project and Maryse Mbonyumutwa - CEO of Pink Mango and Founder of Asantii as they answer these questions and more on this month’s limited series episode of The Development Podcast.

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

Featured Voices

• Gita Gopinath , First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund  
• Tea Trumbic, World Bank Manager for the Women, Business and the Law project 
• Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Prime Minister of Togo 
• Maryse Mbonyumutwa, CEO of Pink Mango and Founder of Asantii 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[04:35] Making progress on equal opportunity legislation: The case of Togo

[06:10] Visions from Rwanda: Women's empowerment and entrepreneurship

[10:12] Main insights from the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law report

[16:24] IMF: How international institutions are supporting women's rights and inclusion

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

The World Bank 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 transition away from fossil fuels could create as many as 30 million ‘green’ jobs in clean energy and low-emissions technologies by 2030. So what is a ‘green job’? How can countries and companies support jobs that benefit people and the planet? And how can young people prepare for green jobs of the future? 

Find out the answers to these questions and more as we speak with Ashish Khanna, Practice Manager, Energy and Extractives, West and Central Africa, World Bank; Manoj Sinha, CEO, Husk Power; Anubha Shukla, Vice President, D2R, Husk Power; and Nidhi Pant, a 2023 winner of the UK’s Earthshot Prize and Co-Founder of S4S Technologies as they share their personal stories and examples on why investing in renewable energy is crucial in the fight to create world free of poverty on a livable planet.   

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

Featured Voices

• Ashish Khanna, Practice Manager, Energy and Extractives, West and Central Africa, World Bank
• Manoj Sinha, CEO, Husk Power
• Anubha Shukla, Vice President, D2R, Husk Power
• Nidhi Pant, a 2023 winner of the UK’s Earthshot Prize and Co-Founder of S4S Technologies

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:49] Case study: S4S Technologies, green jobs and value chains

[07:27] Case study: Husk Power Systems, gender, renewable power industry, green transition and jobs

[11:28] Personal story: Starting a career and a business in the renewable energy sector

[15:10] Nigeria and the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy (DARES) Program

[19:11] The link between green jobs and renewable energy

[20:03] DARES Nigeria project: Access to electricity and green jobs

[22:43] Business models: The role of the local community in terms of innovation

[24:41] Overlapping crisis: Green jobs as a part of the recovery to create stability in the world

[26:26] Closure

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

The World Bank 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.

Forced displacement is a development challenge, not only a humanitarian concern. As of September 2023, 114 million people were displaced, and this number continues to grow as conflict and insecurity rise across the globe. Most refugees are hosted by developing countries, and the issues around support and integration of refugee communities are often deeply political.

In this episode— the second in our special series on how to end poverty on a livable planet—we're asking the question: How can we better support the world’s growing number of refugees and their host communities? What economic benefits can refugee integration bring to societies?

Tune in to hear the real-life experience of Abdullahi Mire, winner of the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, who grew up in one of the largest refugee camps in the world and is now a champion of refugee education; and Nancy Karambo Riungu, a Kenyan entrepreneur working with refugees. We also get insights from the UN Refugee Agency’s Raouf Mazou and The World Bank’s Xavier Devictor on how humanitarian agencies, development institutions and the private sector can better support refugees. Stay with us until the end of the episode to catch the reading of a poem by Kinshasa- born, British poet JJ Bola, who reflects on life as a refugee.

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

Featured Voices

• Xavier Devictor, the World Bank’s Co-Director of the 2023 World Development Report
• Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR
• Abdullahi Mire, winner of the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award
• Nancy Karambo Riungu, a Kenyan entrepreneur and expert tailor working directly with refugees. 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:24] Abdullahi Mire, the recipient of the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award

[08:41] Rethinking responses to refugees: The role of education

[11:07] Global Refugee Forum: Drivers of forced displacement

[12:41] Climate crisis, refugees, impact on host countries

[16:52] The impact of refugees from an economic perspective

[18:25] How the World Bank supports refugees and host communities

[22:00] Success stories in terms of durable solutions for refugees

[23:59] Benefits that the private sector can bring to refugees and host communities

[27:13] Visions from an entrepreneur in Kakuma who's working with refugees

[31:48] Closing remarks from Xavier Devictor (World Bank) and Raouf Mazou (UNHCR)

[33:22] Poem by Kinshasa-born British poet and writer, JJ Bola

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

The World Bank 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 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) comes at the heels of the hottest year in human history. Our newest episode of The Development Podcast delves into the impact of the climate crisis and urgent solutions to address it. This episode marks the launch of our new limited series on how to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. Over the next 5 episodes, we’ll explore critical issues affecting planet, people and prosperity.

Today, we turn our attention to the planet as we speak with three high-profile guests about climate change. We'll also hear from a climate advocate in Samoa and other youth activists. Join us as we speak to Her Excellency, Hon. Fiamē Naomi Mata'Afa, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Samoa on how the fallout of climate change impacts Small Island Developing States; Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on emissions reduction and climate solutions; the World Bank’s Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations, on the Bank’s role in climate action; and Brianna Fruean, a young climate advocate from Samoa who shares her own experiences.

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

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome: Introducing the topic and speakers

[02:37] Climate activism: Voices from Samoa

[08:41] Samoa: Climate crisis, infrastructure challenges, role of women, challenges ahead, COP28

[16:49] Climate activism: Voices from Ghana

[18:06] UNEP: Scaling the challenge, greenhouse gas emissions, urgent actions and investments, climate game changers

[25:59] Climate activism: Voices from Egypt

[26:56] World Bank: Climate game changers, financing climate action, Country Climate Development Reports, hope on the horizon

[33:06] Climate activism: Voices from Chile and Samoa

[34:43] Closure and thanks for tuning in!

Featured Voices

• Her Excellency, Hon. Fiamē Naomi Mata'Afa, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Samoa
• Inger Andersen, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director
• Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations, World Bank
• Brianna Fruean, Climate Change Advocate, Samoa

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

The World Bank 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 Annual Meetings took place from October 9-15 in Marrakech, Morocco, and unveiled the Bank’s bold new vision: creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet. Events and discussions highlighted this new mission, highlighting an expansion in financial capacity, stronger partnerships, deeper engagement with the private sector, and finding more efficient processes. 

In this special edition episode of The Development Podcast, we draw on some of the highlights from that week and share more about the institution’s new mission and vision. Listen on to hear from: World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Senior World Bank Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde, Zanzibar’s Minister of State for Finance and Planning Saada Salum, UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Bill Winters, and Ethiopian entrepreneur Kidus Asfaw. 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:01] A new playbook to tackle the intertwined global challenges

[08:33] What it will take to achieve ending poverty on a livable planet

[10:24] Tanzania: Education for all, empowering its female population, investment in the blue economy

[13:18] The importance of partnerships and the impact of COVID-19 and climate change on children

[18:29] Private sector: How can finance be sustainable?

[21:12] How businesses are piloting exciting climate solutions

[23:04] 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

The World Bank 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.

Multiple shocks – from COVID-19 to climate change, conflict, crop disease – are crippling food systems, leading to higher food prices and growing hunger.  Up to 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, and projections show that in 2030, over 600 million people will still struggle to feed their families. The way we produce food is also harmful for the planet, generating unsustainable levels of pollution and waste. What can we do to fight the global food crisis, especially in the most vulnerable regions? What are the World Bank and its partners doing to address this issue and what solutions have worked on the ground?

To answer these questions, on this episode of The Development Podcast we speak to: Gladys Wanja, a Kenyan mother and entrepreneur on the struggles she faces putting food on the table; Valerie Guarnieri, the World Food Programme’s Assistant Executive Director for Programme and Policy Development on how the Nobel-prize winning organization responds to dire emergencies; Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, NASA Harvest’s Africa Program Director and Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland on solutions in space technology, and Martien van Nieuwkoop, the World Bank’s Global Director for Agriculture and Food on what the Bank is doing to address the food crisis.

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

Featured Voices

• Martien van Nieuwkoop, the World Bank’s Global Director for the Agriculture and Food Global Practice
• Valerie Guarnieri, the World Food Program’s Assistant Executive for Programme Director and Policy Development 
• Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, NASA Harvest’s Africa Program Director and Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland 
• Gladys Wanja, a Kenyan mother and small business owner 

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:46] What is food security and why the world is currently in a food crisis

[03:02] Voices from Kenya on food price volatility

[05:46] Voices from Central African Republic: boosting food production

[07:09] World Food Program: Providing emergency lifesaving food and cash assistance

[08:19] Impacts of famine and hunger beyond malnutrition

[09:30] Conflict is a driver of hunger

[10:38] Beyond emergency: Building resilience when it comes to food security

[14:13] Data for development: The role of satellites and NASA partnerships

[15:52] How food security issues are manifesting in East Africa

[17:28] The next frontier for using satellite data for food systems

[18:54] Voices from Egypt: Preparedness and resilience to future shocks

[20:00] What's needed to ensure longer term food security

[22:29] What the World Bank is doing to tackle food security

[25:19] 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

The World Bank 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.

Meet the International Development Association (IDA), the arm of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries—75 to be exact. It’s the largest single source of donor funds for basic services in these countries and aims to eliminate extreme poverty. IDA’s most recent replenishment, IDA20, resulted in a historic $93 billion financing package for IDA countries for fiscal years 2022-2025.

On this episode of The Development Podcast, we explore how IDA works across the world on a range of key development issues and priorities, with the help of some key partners. Join us as we speak with Dirk Reinermann, the World Bank’s Director of Development Finance who oversees IDA, Gregory Chen, Managing Director for the Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative, within BRAC International, and Maaria Henry, a Fisheries Protection Officer from the Republic of Kiribati in Micronesia, which sits at the forefront of the climate challenge. 

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

Featured Voices

• Dirk Reinermann, Director, IDA Mobilization & IBRD Corporate Finance, World Bank
• Gregory Chen, Managing Director, Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative, BRAC International
• Maaria Henry, Fisheries Protection Officer from Kiribati.

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:25] Story from the ground: Climate resilience and job prospects in Kiribati

[06:46] IDA: How it was created, how it works, where it gets its cash from?

[09:51] Partnerships: BRAC International, Bangladesh and IDA

[15:21] IDA's priorities and replenishments

[19:16] Partnerships: Maximizing financing for development

[22:15] IDA's greatest success stories

[24:17] 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

The World Bank 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 do we address climate change, reduce poverty, and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet? Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time, and no country is immune.

On this episode of The Development Podcast, we hone in on voices across Africa about the experience of climate change and how it intersects with poverty, and we hear from Richard Damania, World Bank’s Chief Economist for Sustainable Development in Washington, DC. Tune in as we speak with Cathy Kamamu, a farmer from Kenya, Professor Denis Aheto, Director of the Centre for Coastal Management in the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience, Roselyn Fosuah Adjei, Director of Climate Change for the Ghana Forestry Commission, and Richard Damania, Chief Economist for Sustainable Development at the World Bank. 

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

Featured Voices

• Richard Damania, Chief Economist for Sustainable Development, World Bank
• Roselyn Fosuah Adjei, Director of Climate Change for the Ghana Forestry Commission
• Professor Denis Aheto, Director, Centre for Coastal Management, Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience
• Cathy Kamanu, farmer from Kenya

Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:56] Visions from Kenya: Everyday effects of climate change on a farmer

[05:45] Data overview on the relationship between climate change and poverty

[07:21] Visions from Ghana: The impact of climate change for coastal communities

[10:08] Ghana: World Bank's Country Climate and Development Report

[11:55] Deforestation in Ghana: How to protect the natural landscape of countries?

[15:19] Addressing both climate change and poverty

[19:01] Detox Development: Repurposing environmentally harmful subsidies

[20:37] Hope (and concerns) on the horizon

[22:33] 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

The World Bank 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.

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

The World Bank 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

The World Bank 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

The World Bank 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.

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

The World Bank 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 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

The World Bank 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

The World Bank 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.