Confronting Poverty in Iraq

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 9780821385630
Total Pages : 112 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (856 download)

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Book Synopsis Confronting Poverty in Iraq by : World Bank

Download or read book Confronting Poverty in Iraq written by World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2011-01-10 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report provides the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of Iraqi income and expenditure in several decades. The report makes extensive use of the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey, the first nationwide income and expenditure survey since 1988. IHSES data is complemented income and expenditure data from a wide range of other measures of living standards, allowing us to analyze living standards in a holistic way. The analysis presented here was performed with two main goals first, to inform the Government s Poverty Reduction Strategy; and second, to serve as a baseline for future assessments of changes in living standards and the identification of critical issues for deeper examination. Iraqi living standards have two unusual characteristics. First, they have fallen over the past generation. Second, they feature surprisingly little inequality. These characteristics are both rooted in Iraq s recent history of authoritarian government, war, military occupation, insurgency, and civil strife leading to infrastructure destruction and population displacement. There have been few opportunities for individuals to prosper from professional or entrepreneurial activities. Decades of neglected investment have resulted in deterioration of social services and economic infrastructure. Consequently, individuals have lacked capabilities to prosper and an investment climate conducive to prosperity. School enrollment and life expectancy have declined. Extremely low returns to education reflect the combination of poor educational quality and lack of employment opportunities. In terms of economic infrastructure, access to reliable electricity and water, and even access to paved roads are low, are further reflections of decades of neglect. While the upper end of the distribution has been pulled down by a lack of opportunities, the lower end has been supported by direct government provision of food. The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides 85 percent of food needs. While PDS has been useful as a safety net for the poor and the vulnerable, the system is expensive, inefficient, and fiscally risky. Indeed, PDS food rations account for a far greater share of public spending than does education or health. Going forward, Iraq faces two main challenges. First, although Iraq does not have to develop from scratch, it faces a formidable challenge in re-development. Second, a shift by the Government is required from direct provision of basic subsistence toward investment in human capacities. The Government can provide an enabling environment through investments in economic infrastructure and services to business and citizens, thus allowing the population to make productive use of education and their own labor. Both challenges are now being taken up by the Poverty Reduction Strategy, which articulates a detailed set of required actions and outlines priorities for government spending.

Confronting Poverty

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Author :
Publisher : SAGE Publications
ISBN 13 : 1544358881
Total Pages : 174 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (443 download)

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Book Synopsis Confronting Poverty by : Mark Robert Rank

Download or read book Confronting Poverty written by Mark Robert Rank and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2020-12-16 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Confronting Poverty is a text that introduces students to the dynamics of poverty and economic hardship in the U.S. It address four fundamental question: 1) What is the nature, prevalence, and characteristics of poverty; 2) Why does poverty exist; 3) What are the effects and consequences of poverty upon individuals and the wider society; and 4) How can poverty be reduced and alleviated? In clear and engaging writing, Confronting Poverty provides students with the most up-to-date research and thinking regarding American poverty and inequality. It includes the many insights of the author’s 30 years of writing and teaching on the subject. It is designed to be used as either a primary or secondary text in a wide range of courses across academic disciplines. In addition, Confronting Poverty makes use of an innovative companion website developed by the author. The focal point of the website is an interactive tool, called the Poverty Risk Calculator, that has been constructed with hundreds of thousands of case records extracted from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data set. The website also includes a discussion guide on various aspects of poverty along with many other interactive links and activities (short documentary films, video interviews and lectures, interactive data sources, research briefs, magazine and newspaper articles). Each chapter includes an on-line activity from the companion website for students to engage in, resulting in a dynamic learning experience.

Confronting Poverty

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Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 0815704356
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (157 download)

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Book Synopsis Confronting Poverty by : Susan E. Rice

Download or read book Confronting Poverty written by Susan E. Rice and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-06-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Former Brookings Senior Fellow Susan E. Rice spearheads an investigation of the connections between poverty and fragile states and the implications for American security. Coedited by Rice and former Brookings colleagues Corinne Graff and Carlos Pascual, Confronting Poverty is a timely reminder that alleviating global poverty and shoring up weak states are not only humanitarian and economic imperatives, but key components of a more balanced and sustainable U.S. national security strategy. Rice elucidates the relationship between poverty, state weakness, and transnational security threats, and Graff and Pascual offer policy recommendations. The book's overarching conclusions highlight the need to invest in poverty alleviation and capacity building in weak states in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty, fragility, and transnational threats. Confronting Poverty grows out of a project on global poverty and U.S. national security that Rice directed at Brookings from 2002 through January 2009, before she became U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations.

The Political Economy of Iraq

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Author :
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1789906075
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (899 download)

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Book Synopsis The Political Economy of Iraq by : Gunter, Frank R.

Download or read book The Political Economy of Iraq written by Gunter, Frank R. and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-15 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second edition of The Political Economy of Iraq is as comprehensive and accessible as the first with updated data and analysis. Frank R. Gunter discusses in detail how the convergence of the ISIS insurgency, collapse in oil prices, and massive youth unemployment produced a serious political crisis in 2020. This work ends with a discussion of key policy decisions that will determine Iraq’s future. This volume will be a valuable resource for anyone with a professional, business, or academic interest in the post-2003 political economy of Iraq.

Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464802955
Total Pages : 175 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review by : The World Bank

Download or read book Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review written by The World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2014-08-26 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Public Expenditure Review (PER) provides an integrated perspective on Iraq’s need to provide better public service delivery, while maintaining macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline. The achievement of these objectives unfolds within a challenging context of revenue volatility, the need to diversify the economy, weak accountability mechanisms, and residual conflict. Reflecting these challenges, key socio-economic developmental indicators are stalled or even declining despite rapid growth in public spending. Indeed, the review shows that growth in spending has not been matched by absorptive capacity, let alone improved outcomes. The difficult task of constructing the fiscal institutions to embed the practices of good economic management remains a work-in-progress. The PER is one component of World Bank assistance to the government to improve public expenditure policy and management. The challenge for the Iraqi authorities in the years ahead will be to turn oil revenues into sustained welfare improvements. Macroeconomic stability alone is not enough to address social and economic development issues and to avoid a resource curse. Iraq’s oil wealth alone cannot generate sustainably high living standards for the majority of its population. Economic diversification is an imperative—both to create jobs and to promote income-generating opportunities for the Iraqi population. The key challenges for the authorities therefore are (i) to remove constraints to non-hydrocarbon economic activities; (ii) to ensure the efficient use of oil revenue; and (iii) to restrain the growth of current spending (in particular wage bill and subsidies) to free up resources for public investment, while maintaining essential safety nets and social support for the poor and disadvantaged. Public investment management is a crosscutting capability that is needed to meet Iraq’s development objectives. The government has the opportunity to take concrete steps now. The PER proposes approaches and actions to better use Iraq’s oil revenues by shifting to a save and invest via curbing inefficient spending and redirecting resources to public investment and basic services. As economic growth prospects are favorable in the medium-term, the Iraqi government has the opportunity to lay the foundations of a broadly diversified economy, with a reasonable footprint that provides decent public services and security while facilitating adequate economic freedom. Senior policy makers at the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and line ministries are the primary audience of this work.

Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464802947
Total Pages : 175 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review by :

Download or read book Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2014-08-22 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Republic of Iraq Public Expenditure Review: Toward More Efficient Spending for Better Service Delivery provides an integrated perspective on how Iraq needs to provide better public service delivery while maintaining macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline. These goals exist amid a challenging context of revenue volatility, the need to diversify the economy, weak accountability mechanisms, and residual conflict. Reflecting these challenges, key socioeconomic developmental indicators are stalled or are even declining despite rapid growth in public spending. Growth in spending has not been matched by absorptive capacity, let alone improved outcomes. The difficult task of encouraging fiscal institutions to embed practices of good economic management remains a work in progress. The task for Iraqi authorities will be to turn oil revenues into sustained welfare improvements. Macroeconomic stability alone is not enough to address social and economic development issues and to avoid a 'resource curse'. Economic diversification is imperative for the goals of creating jobs and promoting income-generating opportunities for the Iraqi population. In the years ahead, Iraqi government authorities will have the following key challenges: - to remove constraints to nonhydrocarbon economic activities, - to ensure the effi cient use of oil revenue, and - to restrain the growth of current spending to free up resources for public investment, while maintaining essential safety nets and social support for the poor and disadvantaged. Senior policymakers at the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, and line ministries have the opportunity to take concrete steps now. As economic growth prospects are favorable in the medium term, the Iraqi government needs to lay the foundations of a broadly diversified economy and to provide decent public services and security while facilitating adequate economic freedom.

The Reconstruction of Iraq after 2003

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464813914
Total Pages : 134 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis The Reconstruction of Iraq after 2003 by : Hideki Matsunaga

Download or read book The Reconstruction of Iraq after 2003 written by Hideki Matsunaga and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2019-05-20 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning in 2003, diverse and significant actors, both domestic and international, engaged in reconstruction activities in Iraq. The total budget committed to Iraq’s reconstruction was unprecedented among postconflict operations mobilized by the international community. Despite the vast sums of money spent, and the implementation of its many projects and programs, the donors and the Iraqi people view the reconstruction efforts in Iraq in a negative light. The Reconstruction of Iraq after 2003: Learning from Its Successes and Failures focuses on the period between 2003 and 2014—that is, after the United States†“led invasion and overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime, and before the sudden rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh. This book assesses several dimensions of Iraq’s reconstruction. First, it considers the response of key international actors, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the United States, and other bilateral donors—specifically, the European Union, Japan, and the United Kingdom—as well as nongovernmental organizations. Second, it analyzes the process and results of the reconstruction of key sectors (electricity, oil, education, and health), and the interventions geared to institution building and governance reform. Pursuing effective reconstruction within the context of conflict and fragility is a formidable challenge because of the uncertain, fluid, and complex environment. Based on the experience in Iraq, how can the international community support the effectiveness and durability of reconstruction? This book identifies lessons in seven areas and offers four recommendations for international and domestic actors and citizens engaged in reconstruction activities. The Reconstruction of Iraq after 2003 is important reading for development practitioners and policy makers who are or will be engaged in reconstruction efforts in fragile and conflict-affected environments.

The Fallout of War

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Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464816158
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis The Fallout of War by : The World Bank

Download or read book The Fallout of War written by The World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2020-10-23 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The people of the Mashreq have seen more than their share of deaths, economic losses, and instability over the past decade. As the decade-long conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic created new challenges and worsened the existing ones, economic activity declined, labor markets deteriorated, and poverty increased. These trends would overwhelm even the most advanced economies in the world. The Fallout of War: The Regional Consequences of the Conflict in Syria identifies the impact of the Syrian conflict on economic and social outcomes in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. It combines a large number of data sources, statistical approaches, and a suite of economic models to isolate the specific impact of the Syrian conflict from that of global and regional factors, and it explicitly analyzes the mechanisms through which such an impact is manifested. The analysis suggests that a persistent short-termism in policy making has so far propagated the shock emanating from the Syrian conflict, which led to costly and ineffective service provision, lost economic opportunities, and underfunded programs. The report advocates for a fundamental shift from the short-term mitigation policies to a medium-term regional strategy to address pertinent structural problems. Moreover, as the countries in the Mashreq look toward recovery, a policy approach that takes into account the region’s interconnectedness and seeks to build on it provides better prospects for the people. Such a regional approach that addresses cross-boundary issues—including migration, trade, and infrastructure—will require local, regional, and international commitments.

Handbook on Social Protection Systems

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Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1839109114
Total Pages : 777 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (391 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook on Social Protection Systems by : Schüring, Esther

Download or read book Handbook on Social Protection Systems written by Schüring, Esther and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-27 with total page 777 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exciting and innovative Handbook provides readers with a comprehensive and globally relevant overview of the instruments, actors and design features of social protection systems, as well as their application and impacts in practice. It is the first book that centres around system building globally, a theme that has gained political importance yet has received relatively little attention in academia.

Historical Dictionary of the World Bank

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Publisher : Scarecrow Press
ISBN 13 : 0810878658
Total Pages : 455 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Historical Dictionary of the World Bank by : Sarah Tenney

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of the World Bank written by Sarah Tenney and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2013-10-30 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the World Bank shows the substantial progress the Bank has made, this mainly through the dictionary section with concise entries on its component institutions, related organizations, its achievements in various fields, some of the major projects and member countries, and its various presidents. The introduction explains how the Bank works while the chronology traces the major events over nearly 70 years. Meanwhile, the list of acronyms reminds us just who the main players are. And the bibliography directs readers to useful internal documentation and outside studies.

Arab Sustainable Development Report

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Author :
Publisher : United Nations
ISBN 13 : 9210584686
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (15 download)

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Book Synopsis Arab Sustainable Development Report by : United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

Download or read book Arab Sustainable Development Report written by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and published by United Nations. This book was released on 2016-10-03 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In September 2015, Governments worldwide adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 wide-ranging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using the SDGs as a thematic reference, the report examines progress on securing human dignity and well-being in the Arab countries and what is needed to achieve sustainable development in this region in turmoil. It also looks at the complex factors shaping the region: the occupation of Palestinian and other Arab lands; ongoing conflicts; governance, human rights and institutional deficits; and shortcomings in terms of financing, science and technology, trade and statistical capacity. The report stresses that urgent action is needed at the national and regional levels, and that integrated, long-term and evidence-based planning and investments that address the root causes of instability in the region are indispensable for achieving the SDGs.

Confronting Inequality

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Author :
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231527616
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)

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Book Synopsis Confronting Inequality by : Jonathan D. Ostry

Download or read book Confronting Inequality written by Jonathan D. Ostry and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-08 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inequality has drastically increased in many countries around the globe over the past three decades. The widening gap between the very rich and everyone else is often portrayed as an unexpected outcome or as the tradeoff we must accept to achieve economic growth. In this book, three International Monetary Fund economists show that this increase in inequality has in fact been a political choice—and explain what policies we should choose instead to achieve a more inclusive economy. Jonathan D. Ostry, Prakash Loungani, and Andrew Berg demonstrate that the extent of inequality depends on the policies governments choose—such as whether to let capital move unhindered across national boundaries, how much austerity to impose, and how much to deregulate markets. While these policies do often confer growth benefits, they have also been responsible for much of the increase in inequality. The book also shows that inequality leads to weaker economic performance and proposes alternative policies capable of delivering more inclusive growth. In addition to improving access to health care and quality education, they call for redistribution from the rich to the poor and present evidence showing that redistribution does not hurt growth. Accessible to scholars across disciplines as well as to students and policy makers, Confronting Inequality is a rigorous and empirically rich book that is crucial for a time when many fear a new Gilded Age.

The Economics of Iraq

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Author :
Publisher : Grosvenor House Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1999824121
Total Pages : 580 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (998 download)

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Book Synopsis The Economics of Iraq by : Amer K. Hirmis

Download or read book The Economics of Iraq written by Amer K. Hirmis and published by Grosvenor House Publishing. This book was released on 2018-03-12 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meticulously researched and written by Dr Amer K. Hirmis the book takes readers 6000 years back to early Mesopotamian polity, culture, and religious codes which shaped the economy, and continue to shape much of the body of Iraq's polity, economy and society today. Economic inefficiency, inequality and lack of sufficient employment are common threads that run throughout Mesopotamian/Iraqi economic history. The persistence of poverty, high unemployment, conscious discrimination against women, and a polity dictating blind allegiance and obedience from the subjects to the ruler, denied the Iraqis achieving economic development, the ultimate aim of which is the sustained improvement of the well-being of the people. Even when economic growth was attained, it was desperately non-inclusive. With a novel approach to economic development, this book examines Iraq's economy over the past 100 years. It establishes the historical roots in the consumption patterns, nature of the producers, the economic structure, trade, monetary and fiscal policy and resource allocation. In all these areas the echoes from the ancient past are striking. The principles of Sumerian taxes are still applied in present-day Iraq. The book proposes a set of conditions, which will need to be created for Iraq to achieve economic development and functional democracy, in the distant future.

The Political Economy of Rural Poverty

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134953364
Total Pages : 331 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (349 download)

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Book Synopsis The Political Economy of Rural Poverty by : M. Riad El-Ghonemy

Download or read book The Political Economy of Rural Poverty written by M. Riad El-Ghonemy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-05-10 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the use of wide-ranging case studies the author clearly illustrates the impact of schemes intended to re-allocate land in developing countries. Concluding that land reform can play a major part in stimulating rural economies this book explores the extent to which such policies can successfully reduce poverty and increase agricultural growth.

Confronting Saddam Hussein

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197610773
Total Pages : 369 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (976 download)

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Book Synopsis Confronting Saddam Hussein by : Melvyn P. Leffler

Download or read book Confronting Saddam Hussein written by Melvyn P. Leffler and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Based on a unique set of interviews and British and American documents, this book examines the motives for the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, examines the decision-making inside the Bush administration, and assesses the reasons for the chaotic, bloody, and costly occupation. The attack on America on 9/11 by al Qaeda terrorists transformed the thinking and actions of Bush and his top advisers. Bush conceived the administration's response. Fear, power, and hubris shaped his approach - fear of another attack; pride in American values; and confidence in America's ability to effectuate change. Worried about another attack on American soil - this time with biological or chemical weapons - Bush turned his attention to Iraq because of Saddam Hussein's history with weapons of mass destruction and because of his record of aggression, brutality, and duplicity. To achieve his goals, the American president embraced a strategy of coercive diplomacy. If Iraq faced a military threat, Bush hoped Hussein would open his country to inspections, relinquish his alleged weapons of mass destruction, flee, or be toppled. When Hussein admitted inspectors yet remained obstructive, Bush denounced the dictator's defiance and believed America's credibility was at stake. Without resolving the ambiguities and inconsistencies in his strategy of coercive diplomacy and failing to assess the consequences of an invasion or to plan effectively for its many contingencies, Bush ordered U.S. troops to invade Iraq. Friction and acrimony within the administration turned the occupation into a tragedy, the consequences of which we are still living with"--

The Crisis of Rural Poverty and Hunger

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136754466
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (367 download)

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Book Synopsis The Crisis of Rural Poverty and Hunger by : M. Riad El-Ghonemy

Download or read book The Crisis of Rural Poverty and Hunger written by M. Riad El-Ghonemy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2007-04-26 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: M. Riad El-Ghonemy argues that if current trends in government-led and market based land reforms persist the rural poor population in developing countries will continue to rise.Based on nearly half a century of academic and field research this valuable work presents compelling evidence on persistent rural poverty, hunger and increased inequality in

Basic Services for All in an Urbanizing World

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317672836
Total Pages : 327 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

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Book Synopsis Basic Services for All in an Urbanizing World by : United Cities and Local Governments

Download or read book Basic Services for All in an Urbanizing World written by United Cities and Local Governments and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-07-25 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: UCLG’s Third Global Report on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD III) examines basic service provision and the current state-of-play of the local governance of basic services around the world. Basic Services for All in an Urbanizing World examines the enormous challenge of ensuring the universal provision of basic services in a world that is being shaped by rapid global urbanization, climate change, and economic, social and technological transformation. The world’s urban population is predicted to reach 5 billion people within the next 20-30 years. The report analyses the conditions necessary for local governments to provide these new urban residents with quality basic services. Water, sanitation, waste management, transport and energy are essential, not only for the preservation of human life and dignity, but also in driving economic growth and ensuring social equality. Each chapter examines a world region, drawing on existing research and consultation with local authorities on the ground. The chapters review access levels, legal and institutional frameworks, and the different ways in which basic services are managed and financed, as well as showcasing diverse examples of innovation in the local and multi-level governance of services. It concludes with a set of recommendations for all stakeholders with a view to making the goal of basic services for all a reality. This report contributes to discussions on the Millennium Development Goals and the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda. The findings of GOLD III will also be essential to promoting the vision of local governments at the 2016 UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat III).