Twenty percent of women in Eastern Europe and 18 percent in Central Asia have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The multilayered crises of climate, conflict, and the COVID…

Carolina Sánchez-Páramo, Varalakshmi Vemuru, Sanan Isaba Zaman |

The World Bank is committed to working with all our stakeholders to end gender-based violence (GBV). The time has come to break the silence surrounding GBV in Central Asia, increase awareness, and…

Tatiana Proskuryakova |

A sudden shaking. Crushing sounds. Cars honking. People running out onto the streets... This scene may seem like the opening of a blockbuster superhero movie, but it is actually what happened on…

Zuzana Stanton-Geddes, Martina Vojković, Sunčica Pleština |

Natural disasters affect close to 3 million Central Asians annually, almost half of whom live in Uzbekistan. And these are more than just statistics; the reality is that people die, lose loved…

Lilia Burunciuc |

At the height of summer, the air conditioner is your best friend. But what do you do when blistering hot summer days become more frequent and intense? That’s increasingly the case in many European…

Solene Dengler, Anita Ellmauer-Klambauer, Zuzana Stanton-Geddes |

Simultaneously a health crisis, social crisis, and economic crisis, COVID-19 is laying bare how well cities are planned and managed. Its impact is showing the extent to which each city is able to…

Sameh Wahba, Jan Vapaavuori |

Opened State Archives reveal how decisions taken by the government in 1977 have created a legacy of weakened buildings in Bucharest, exacerbating its high earthquake risk.

Alanna Simpson, Antonios Pomonis, Emil-Sever Georgescu |

A recent reform to the Marriage Law overhauled these discriminatory provisions, granting spouses equal rights to manage and dispose of marital property. In other countries, however, inequality…

Nisha Arekapudi, Nayda L. Almodóvar-Reteguis |

Two years since its inception, the Romania Disaster Risk Management Community continues to form partnerships and friendships that can strengthen Romania’s future. This community has even informed…

Alexandra Calin |

Moldova frequently experiences severe weather events such as storms, floods, extreme temperatures and droughts. And, due to climate change, it is projected that the country will face more extreme…

Daniel Kull |