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December 1, 2006
HIGHLIGHTS FULL CONTENTS 
FEATURE PACKAGE - EAST ASIA UPDATE
 East Asia Posts Solid Growth While Bracing for A Global Downturn
East Asian economies are expected to register their fifth consecutive year of strong growth in 2006, backed up by a substantial decline in poverty, according to the Bank's latest East Asia Update. But on the horizon, growth rates in Transition Economies and Newly Industrialized Economies are expected to slow, reflecting a likely weakening in US growth in 2007 and a consequent drop in exports from East Asia. The Update shows that growth in the countries of Emerging East Asia is likely to reach around 8 percent in 2006, the second strongest pace in the five-year long economic expansion underway in the region.
Story | Press release | Multimedia interviews | Full report | More regional data Special focus: Investing in Young People (197k pdf)
This edition of the East Asia Update also has a special focus on the 450 million youth in the region and discusses the challenge of how to prepare this group to become the drivers of future growth. It notes the high and rising return to higher skills and the importance of connecting school and work.
Website: The World Bank and Youth in East Asia & Pacific
FEATURE PACKAGE - WORLD AIDS DAY 2006
A look at East Asia & Pacific and beyond
An estimated 2.3 million adults and children now live with HIV/AIDS in the East Asia and Pacific region. Transport and AIDS - The Case of China
The infrastructure network has been shown to be one of the main “transmitters” for HIV/AIDS. For the past 18 months the World Bank has conducted an intensive HIV/AIDS education and testing program under the Hubei Shiman Expressway Project.
Story | HIV/AIDS in East Asia & Pacific
AIDS Treatment Is a Lifetime Commitment—But Who Will Pay? Video - The Need for Vision to Deal with HIV/AIDS
Zackie Achmat, possibly South Africa's most influential AIDS activist, explains what people should be thinking of as they mark World Aids Day this year. Quiz - What do you know about World AIDS Day?
Slideshow - Fighting AIDS
In Vietnam, a Season for Flu
Even though the spread of Avian Influenza in Vietnam is currently under control, there are no signs of complacency about the disease. Read about how the World Bank and the Government of Vietnam are preparing for future outbreaks of avian flu.
Nam Theun 2 Hydro Project Gains Momentum
The Bank released the latest semi-annual update on the implementation status of the Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric project in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, prepared jointly with the Asian Development Bank. The update reports overall satisfactory progress since the last update was issued in March of 2006. Nam Theun 2 is a US$1.45 billion, 1,070 megawatt hydropower project that aims to generate revenues for poverty reduction efforts and environmental protection.
Press release | Slideshow | Frequently Asked Questions | Report (127k pdf) | All about the project
Airwaves are Helping Communities to Recover and Rebuild in Aceh and Nias
Two years after the tsunami, rehabilitation and reconstruction is slowly changing the face of devastated areas in Aceh including Meunasah Kedee village in Aceh Besar. Not only have new houses appeared on the scenes of destruction, so have schools, a meunasah (community building) and a health center. What makes the village special though, is its new radio station.
“This radio has helped us heal by giving us something to do after the tsunami,” says Adi, 25, head of MKe radio. There's also hope to facilitate a two way dialogue between communities and aid organizations.
New World Bank Vice President for East Asia & Pacific Visits China on First Trip
The World Bank’s new Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Region, Mr. James Adams, has started his first visit to China. Mr. Adams said the main objective of his visit was to learn from China’s development experience, and discuss how this experience can be shared with other countries.
High Price Tag for Weak Environmental Governance
With many developing countries losing 4 to 8 percent of GDP annually due to environmental degradation, strengthening the management of water, forests, fisheries, wildlife and other natural resources is vital to these countries’ overall wealth, according to the latest "Environment Matters," an annual Bank publication. Bank estimates reveal that corrupt and illegal practices related to logging, fisheries and biodiversity amount to an estimated $30 billion in losses per year -- roughly equal to the total Bank Group commitments in 2005. The East Asia and Pacific Region lending portfolio has focused on projects that address pollution management and environmental health and water resource management. At least 11 percent of the portfolio supports strengthening environmental policies and institutions.
Press release | Environment Matters site | East Asia & Pacific perspective (439k pdf)
“Motorbike Clinic” launched in Hanoi to raise air pollution awareness
A significant first-ever initiative called the “Motorbike Clinic Program”, which aims to raise awareness of the public and motorcycle owners on air pollution caused by in-use motorcycles, took place recently in Hanoi.
“Good air quality means also quality of life. The Motorbike Clinic program is a first step in fighting the air pollution caused by motorcycles and raising the awareness of owners to reduce the emission of their motorbike through regular Inspection and Maintenance,” said Mr. Vu Van Hau, Director of Hanoi Department for Natural Resources Environment and Housing (DONREH).
More Bank news atwww.worldbank.org/news Back to top
Bank Report Says China's Short-Term Macro Challenges Are Manageable
The Bank’s China Quarterly Update says the country's policymakers remain understandably concerned about overinvestment that triggered the mid-year tightening measures, but China’s main short term macro imbalance is an external one: the surging trade surplus. GDP growth slowed to 10.4 percent in the third quarter, from 11.3 percent in the second quarter, after tightening measures reduced investment growth. Exports continue to outpace imports by a large margin, so slowing domestic demand was partly offset by rising contributions of trade to GDP growth, while the current account surplus reached new highs.
More - China Quarterly Update, November 2006 (189k pdf)
Early childhood education and development in Indonesia : an investment for a better life
The report identifies priorities for expanding effective and sustainable early childhood services targeted to children in the first six years of life. The first section explains how expanding services for young children can help to alleviate inequities in human development outcomes. A second section presents the current situation of the early childhood education and development sub-sector in Indonesia and emerging issues. The final section sets forth recommendations.
More Bank publications and reports atwww.worldbank.org/reference
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Small Grants Program in the Philippines
The Small Grants Program supports activities related to civic engagement by providing small grants administered through World Bank Country Offices. A thematic focus is adopted each year to complement the Bank program in the Philippines. For fiscal year 2007, the theme is Social Accountability.
See details on who can apply, what activities are supported, what size are the grants and how to apply. The deadline for the Philippines program is January 31, 2007. Philippines Gets Two Grants to Better Help the Poor
The Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development signed two grant agreements totaling almost US$700,000. The grants will strengthen the implementation of the department's KALAHI-CIDSS project and prepare the National Sector Support for Social Welfare and Development Reform Project. Both grants are funded by the Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Fund which is administered by the Bank.
New Project Information Documents:
Indonesia - Third Development Policy Loan
Philippines - National Program Support for the Second Mindanao Rural Development Project
Vietnam - Rural Distribution
Indonesia - Infrastructure Reconstruction Financing Facility
Philippines - First Development Policy
Vietnam - Mekong Transport Infrastructure Development
China - Micro and Small Enterprise Finance Document
Vietnam - Demonstration of PCB Management and Disposal Document
More information on Bank projects atwww.worldbank.org/projects
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Fourth International Conference on Avian Influenza
December 6-8
Bamako, Mali
The Fourth International Conference on Avian Influenza aims to a)provide new insights into Avian Influenza disease development around the world and review progress recorded after the Beijing and Vienna Conferences; b)provide latest information on strategies and forms of compensation, vaccination, with reference to the major technical meetings' recommendations; and c) foster integrated national strategies coordinated at regional and global levels.
Human Rights Day 2006
December 10 - Global
The theme for this year's Human Rights Day is "fighting poverty as a matter of obligation, not of charity." The UN High Commission for Human Rights says that poverty is probably the gravest human rights challenge in the world. Yet, poverty is still rarely seen through the lens of human rights. Many ingredients go into making poverty, but factors like discrimination, unequal access to resources, and social and cultural stigmatization have always characterized it. It says these “factors” constitute the denial of human rights and human dignity.
More development-related events atwww.worldbank.org/events Back to top
Opening - Summer Internship Program
The Internship Program is open to students who are nationals of the Bank's member countries. The goal of this Internship Program is to offer successful candidates an opportunity to improve their skills as well as the experience of working in an international environment. To be eligible for the Program, candidates must possess an undergraduate degree and already be enrolled in a full-time graduate study program pursuing a Master's degree or PhD with plans to return to school in a full-time capacity. Generally, successful candidates have completed their first year of graduate studies or are already into their PhD programs. The application period for the Summer Internship Program begins on December 1. Opening - Senior (Alternative) Energy Specialist
The Asia Alternative Energy Program, focused on introduction of environmentally sustainable technologies for off-grid and grid-connected renewable energy as well as energy efficiency applications in Asia, seeks candidates with expertise in design, preparation, appraisal and supervision of renewable energy and/or energy efficiency energy projects or project components. Minimum requirements include at least eight years of professional energy experience, specific experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency, academic qualifications at master's level or above, and knowledge of broader energy sector issues, including energy economics, climate change and carbon trading. Applications should be submitted by December 11. For a full list of open positions and scholarships, visitwww.worldbank.org/jobs Back to top
Foreign Direct Investment Web Sites Launched
Two new Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Web sites combine information on investment opportunities with political risk assessments and details on development policy. PRI-Center provides information on political or noncommercial investment risks, as well as ratings for 160 countries, research, tools, directories, news and events. FDI.net offers information on specific foreign direct investment opportunities, business and legal environments. It also provides up-to-the-minute feeds on news and events, links to investment promotion agencies and location consultants, quick-search by sector and/or country, cases studies and sources of investment finance for 175 countries.
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The Bank classifies a country according to the wealth of its population. Middle-income countries are defined as having a per capita income of between US$1,025 and US$6,055 for fiscal 2007, which may qualify them to borrow from the Bank. Countries having higher per capita incomes may also borrow from the Bank under special circumstances or as part of a strategy to graduate from using the Bank’s services. Low income countries with a per capita income of less than US $1,025 usually do not qualify for Bank loans unless they are creditworthy low-income countries. Low income countries are eligible to receive no or low interest loans and grants from the World Bank’s International Development Association. More
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