World Bank [to 2 May 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Increasing Food Security in Eurasia and Beyond through Shared Knowledge and Expertise
At the request of the Russian Government, the World Bank is providing technical assistance – through its Reimbursable Advisory Services – to help enhance the institutional capacity of the Eurasian Center for Food Security. This support includes helping the Center to articulate its vision, strategic development and overall mission – building primarily upon the needs of its four focus countries: Armenia, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.In addition, the World Bank is helping the Center to target partnerships and communities – through the development of a “knowledge center”, enhancement of research capabilities, support for collaborative research and educational programs, facilitation of international and regional workshops and conferences, and the establishment and expansion of food security networks of academics, technical experts and policy makers…
Date: April 30, 2015

World Bank Boosts Energy Supply to Support Regional Trade and Integration in West African Countries
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2015 − The World Bank Group’s Board of Directors today approved support for a regional transmission network to enable electricity trade among the western African countries of The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The US$200 million IDA* credit will finance the construction of transmission lines to connect the electrical networks of the four countries and ground wires equipped with fiber optic cables to improve public communications. The cost of electricity generation in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal is very high as a result of the region’s high dependence on expensive oil-based thermal generation. The Bank’s support of the OMVG Interconnection Project will help countries in West Africa to change the energy mix away from thermal generation by connecting them to more sustainable and cost-effective energy resources such as Guinea’s 6,000 MW of hydropower potential….
Date: April 29, 2015

Arab World Citizens Practicing Social Accountability for Improved Service Delivery
AMMAN, April 29, 2015 – Representatives from civil society organizations, governments, private sector and the media from the Arab world shared experiences about utilizing various tools to promote citizen engagement in their countries and discussed the role of citizens in holding governments accountable. The two-day regional conference, Social Accountability in the Arab World: From Theory to Practice, was sponsored by the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability – Arab World (ANSA-AW) and CARE International – Egypt with funding from the World Bank.“ The World Bank is keen on promoting a healthier citizen-state relationship and complimenting its support of service delivery by state actors with support for citizens to have a greater voice in defining their needs and in monitoring and providing feedback on the quality of services they are getting”, said Sima Kanaan, World Bank Lead Social Development Specialist.
Date: April 29, 2015

Africa: Benefits of Adapting Africa’s Infrastructure to Climate Change Outweigh the Costs
New report quantifies impacts of climate change on energy and water infrastructure, suggests adaptation options for investment plans, and provides suggestions to increase resilience now
WASHINGTON, DC, April 27, 2015—The impact of climate change on Africa’s water and energy infrastructure will be costly, according to a new World Bank report, prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and immediate action is needed to reduce these risks. Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Africa’s Infrastructure quantifies the impacts of climate change on hydropower and irrigation infrastructure and identifies adaptation options as well as recommendations for increasing climate resilience.Understanding the causes, addressing the effects of climate change and building climate-resilient infrastructure are central to our efforts to end poverty in Africa,” said Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President of the Africa Region.
Date: April 27, 2015

World Bank Group Offers Help to Nepal After Devastating Earthquake
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 26, 2015—The World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today offered Nepal the Bank Group’s immediate support to overcome the damage and loss of life after a devastating earthquake on Saturday. The Bank Group’s support could address Nepal’s financing needs or any other assistance required, including a loss and damage assessment, assistance for reconstruction efforts as well as mobilizing projects already on the ground to deal with the earthquake’s effects. The Bank Group is also offering assistance to the Governments of India and Bangladesh where there are also some fatalities….
Date: April 26, 2015