While MENA has made strides in improving women and girls’ health, much more needs to be done. Understanding the impact of conflict on women and girls is critical for designing both preventive…

Fadia Saadah, Sameera Al Tuwaijri |

Since COP27 in Egypt last year, the World Bank has been working hard to implement recommendations in our flagship Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDR).

Meskerem Brhane |

Our common future depends on water. We need water to eradicate poverty, promote green growth, and build more equitable societies. But climate change is exacerbating water scarcity and pollution,…

Saroj Kumar Jha |

Children in Lebanese public schools have experienced four consecutive disrupted academic years (2019-20 to 2022-23), receiving approximately 270 days of in-person teaching compared with the 600…

Adelle Pushparatnam, Igor Kheyfets, Hana El-Ghali, Nadine El Franji |

On May 15 this year, we were in Baghdad on what was a very special day for 350 primary education children. We had traveled north of the city with the World Bank education team for the opening…

Jaime Saavedra, Elisabeth Sedmik |

At the recent Global Forum on Transboundary Water Cooperation for Climate and Development hosted by the World Bank in Washington, D.C., River Basin Organizations (RBOs) from all continents came…

Saroj Kumar Jha, H. E. Mohamed Abdel Vetah |

High levels of marine and coastal pollution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) pose a severe threat to the region’s “blue economy,” which is a key lever for economic growth in the region.…

Kanako Hasegawa, Lamia Mansour, Dahlia Lotayef, Suiko Yoshijima, Andrea Kutter |

CIWA is exploring ways to better align its transboundary water cooperation efforts with biodiversity conservation goals, including identifying opportunities at the intersection of transboundary…

Piet Theron |

On July 28, 2022, temperatures in Baghdad reached a blistering 51.8°C (125.2F) – the hottest day Iraq has ever recorded. Such extreme weather events are bound to become more frequent in Iraq and…

Mounir Mahmalat, Ali Ahmad |

West and Central Africa faces compounding challenges including increased climate change impacts, such as prolonged drought and unpredictable rainy seasons causing flooding in the Sahel; high…

Jorge Trevino, Thierry Davy |