World Development Report
Encyclopedia
The World Development Report (WDR) is an annual report published since 1978 by the World Bank
. Each WDR provides in-depth analysis of a specific aspect of economic development
. Past reports have considered such topics as agriculture, youth, equity, public services
delivery, the role of the state, transition economies
, labour, infrastructure, health
, the environment, and poverty. The reports are the Bank's best-known contribution to thinking about development.
looked at conflict as a challenge to economic development. It analyzed the nature, causes and development consequences of modern violence and highlight lessons learned from efforts to prevent or recover from violence.
The goal of this WDR was considered to promote new ways of preventing or addressing violent conflict. By drawing on insight and experiences from a host of past and present situations, the report identified promising national and regional initiatives as well as directions for change in international responses, and discuss how lessons can be applied in situations of vulnerability to violent conflict.
The WHR 2009 focused on the theme "Reshaping Economic Geography". Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development
. The transformations along these three dimensions—density, distance, and division—are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe
, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe
are changing in ways similar in scope and speed.
The report concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged. The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues. Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations
. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's "bottom billion", while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced. The WDR has a different message: economic growth
is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress.
The WDR 2008 addressed "Agriculture for Development", calling for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries. The report warned that the sector must be placed at the center of the development agenda if the goals of halving extreme poverty
and hunger by 2015 are to be realized.
While 75 percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas in developing countries, a mere 4 percent of official development assistance
goes to agriculture. In Sub-Saharan Africa
, a region heavily reliant on agriculture for overall growth, public spending
for farming is also only 4 percent of total government spending
and the sector is still taxed at relatively high levels. For the poorest people, GDP growth originating in agriculture is about four times more effective in raising incomes of extremely poor people than GDP growth originating outside the sector.
“A dynamic ‘agriculture for development’ agenda can benefit the estimated 900 million rural people in the Developing world who live on less than $1 a day, most of whom are engaged in agriculture,” said Robert B. Zoellick
, World Bank Group
President. “We need to give agriculture more prominence across the board. At the global level, countries must deliver on vital reforms such as cutting distorting subsidies and opening markets, while civil society
groups, especially farmer organizations, need more say in setting the agricultural agenda.”
According to the report, agriculture can offer pathways out of poverty if efforts are made to increase productivity in the staple foods sector; connect smallholders to rapidly expanding high-value horticulture, poultry, aquaculture, as well as dairy markets; and generate jobs in the rural nonfarm economy.
2007 Development and the Next Generation
2006 Equity and Development
2005 A Better Investment Climate for Everyone
2004 Making Services Work for Poor People
2003 Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World
2002 Building Institutions for Markets
2000-01 Attacking Poverty
1999-00 Entering the 21st Century
1998-99 Knowledge for Development
1997 The State in a Changing World
1996 From Plan to Market
1995 Workers in an Integrating World
1994 Infrastructure for Development
1993 Investing in Health
1992 Development and the Environment
1991 The Challenge of Development
1990 Poverty
1989 Financial Systems and Development
1988 Public Finance in Development
1987 Industrialization and Foreign Trade
1986 Trade and Pricing Policies in World Agriculture
1985 International Capital and Economic Development
1984 Population Change and Development
1983 Management in Development
1982 Agriculture and Economic Development
1981 National and International Adjustment
1980 Poverty and Human Development
1979 Structural Change and Development Policy
1978 Prospects for Growth and Alleviation of Poverty
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. Each WDR provides in-depth analysis of a specific aspect of economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. Past reports have considered such topics as agriculture, youth, equity, public services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
delivery, the role of the state, transition economies
Transition economy
A transition economy or transitional economy is an economy which is changing from a centrally planned economy to a free market. Transition economies undergo economic liberalization, where market forces set prices rather than a central planning organization and trade barriers are removed,...
, labour, infrastructure, health
Global health
Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations. Health problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact, are often emphasized...
, the environment, and poverty. The reports are the Bank's best-known contribution to thinking about development.
The World Development Report 2011
The World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security, and DevelopmentThe World Development Report 2011
The 2011 World Development Report: Conflict, Security and Development is a document by the World Bank on the challenges organised violence poses to the advancement of less developed countries...
looked at conflict as a challenge to economic development. It analyzed the nature, causes and development consequences of modern violence and highlight lessons learned from efforts to prevent or recover from violence.
The goal of this WDR was considered to promote new ways of preventing or addressing violent conflict. By drawing on insight and experiences from a host of past and present situations, the report identified promising national and regional initiatives as well as directions for change in international responses, and discuss how lessons can be applied in situations of vulnerability to violent conflict.
Previous reports 2008-2010
The WDR 2010, on the theme "Development and Climate Change", explored how public policy can change to better help people cope with new or worsened risks, how land and water management must adapt to better protect a threatened natural environment while feeding an expanding and more prosperous population, and how energy systems will need to be transformed. The report was seen as a call for action, both for developing countries who are striving to ensure policies are adapted to the realities and dangers of a hotter planet, and for high-income countries who need to undertake ambitious mitigation while supporting developing countries’ efforts.The WHR 2009 focused on the theme "Reshaping Economic Geography". Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. The transformations along these three dimensions—density, distance, and division—are most noticeable in North America, Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, and Japan, but countries in Asia and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
are changing in ways similar in scope and speed.
The report concludes that these spatial transformations are essential, and should be encouraged. The conclusion is not without controversy. Slum-dwellers now number a billion, but the rush to cities continues. Globalization is believed to benefit many, but not the billion people living in lagging areas of developing nations
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
. High poverty and mortality persist among the world's "bottom billion", while others grow wealthier and live longer lives. Concern for these three billion often comes with the prescription that growth must be made spatially balanced. The WDR has a different message: economic growth
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
is seldom balanced, and efforts to spread it out prematurely will jeopardize progress.
The WDR 2008 addressed "Agriculture for Development", calling for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries. The report warned that the sector must be placed at the center of the development agenda if the goals of halving extreme poverty
Extreme poverty
Extreme poverty, as defined in 1996 by Joseph Wresinski, the founder of ATD Fourth World, is:"The lack of basic security connotes the absence of one or more factors enabling individuals and families to assume basic responsibilities and to enjoy fundamental rights. The situation may become...
and hunger by 2015 are to be realized.
While 75 percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas in developing countries, a mere 4 percent of official development assistance
Official development assistance
Official development assistance is a term compiled by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to measure aid. The DAC first compiled the term in 1969. It is widely used by academics and journalists as a convenient indicator of...
goes to agriculture. In Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, a region heavily reliant on agriculture for overall growth, public spending
Public finance
Public finance is the revenue and expenditure of public authoritiesThe purview of public finance is considered to be threefold: governmental effects on efficient allocation of resources, distribution of income, and macroeconomic stabilization.-Overview:The proper role of government provides a...
for farming is also only 4 percent of total government spending
Government spending
Government spending includes all government consumption, investment but excludes transfer payments made by a state. Government acquisition of goods and services for current use to directly satisfy individual or collective needs of the members of the community is classed as government final...
and the sector is still taxed at relatively high levels. For the poorest people, GDP growth originating in agriculture is about four times more effective in raising incomes of extremely poor people than GDP growth originating outside the sector.
“A dynamic ‘agriculture for development’ agenda can benefit the estimated 900 million rural people in the Developing world who live on less than $1 a day, most of whom are engaged in agriculture,” said Robert B. Zoellick
Robert Zoellick
Robert Bruce Zoellick is the eleventh president of the World Bank, a position he has held since July 1, 2007. He was previously a managing director of Goldman Sachs, United States Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative, from February 7, 2001 until February 22, 2005.President...
, World Bank Group
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
President. “We need to give agriculture more prominence across the board. At the global level, countries must deliver on vital reforms such as cutting distorting subsidies and opening markets, while civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
groups, especially farmer organizations, need more say in setting the agricultural agenda.”
According to the report, agriculture can offer pathways out of poverty if efforts are made to increase productivity in the staple foods sector; connect smallholders to rapidly expanding high-value horticulture, poultry, aquaculture, as well as dairy markets; and generate jobs in the rural nonfarm economy.
Previous reports 1978-2007
The World Development Report began as a series of annual publications in the year 1978 with its first report titled "Prospects for Growth and Alleviation of Poverty." Since then, it has focused each year on a particular theme that is central to development and the reports present a detailed study of the relevant sectors, applications and toolkits developed. The reports and their titles are as follows:2007 Development and the Next Generation
2006 Equity and Development
2005 A Better Investment Climate for Everyone
2004 Making Services Work for Poor People
2003 Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World
2002 Building Institutions for Markets
2000-01 Attacking Poverty
1999-00 Entering the 21st Century
1998-99 Knowledge for Development
1997 The State in a Changing World
1996 From Plan to Market
1995 Workers in an Integrating World
1994 Infrastructure for Development
1993 Investing in Health
1992 Development and the Environment
1991 The Challenge of Development
1990 Poverty
1989 Financial Systems and Development
1988 Public Finance in Development
1987 Industrialization and Foreign Trade
1986 Trade and Pricing Policies in World Agriculture
1985 International Capital and Economic Development
1984 Population Change and Development
1983 Management in Development
1982 Agriculture and Economic Development
1981 National and International Adjustment
1980 Poverty and Human Development
1979 Structural Change and Development Policy
1978 Prospects for Growth and Alleviation of Poverty
Further reading
- Shahid Yusuf. Development Economics through the Decades: A Critical Look at Thirty Years of the World Development Report. World Bank, 2008.