World Bank Podcasts

This podcast explores the concepts and realities surrounding resilient housing. Through interviews, sound bites, and trips to countries where resilient housing is underway, we will share with you the World Bank’s new effort to support building homes better before a disaster strikes. From structural engineers to government officials, you will hear from a wide variety of professionals working to strengthen the homes we live in. Leveraging technologies, such as drones, street cameras, and machine learning, and pairing them with low cost, life-saving construction methods, the Global Program for Resilient Housing aims to strengthen retrofitting measures. Understanding which homes put families at risk and where they are located are vital components to successfully prioritize investments. From complex algorithms to simple construction design, you will learn what it takes to make homes safer and more resilient to natural disasters and climate change.

Despite the incredible progress that so many African countries have made, poverty remains a defining part of the narrative around Africa. While the share of people living in extreme poverty has come down in the last decades, the number of people has gone up, due to rapid population growth during the same period, to reach nearly 416 million people. If left unchecked, extreme poverty in the world will become almost exclusively an African issue by 2030, in just ten years. In this episode of Afronomics, Albert Zeufack welcomes Kathleen Beegle and Luc Christiaensen, the main authors of a new World Bank study on Accelerating Poverty Reduction in Africa, to discuss what needs to be done differently to fight poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. For more information, access the full study here: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/32354

The 2019 World Development Report focused on the Future of Work on a global scale, highlighting the real tension between job losses in “old” manufacturing sectors that are susceptible to automation, and potential job gains driven by innovation in “new” sectors. Our Africa-focused companion report, released in July 2019, finds that Africa has a chance to take a different path – if governments and businesses can take advantage of digital technologies, and if the right policies and investments are in place.   Part two of this two-part podcast examines the role of social protection in helping workers, especially the most vulnerable, transition into the jobs and technologies of the future. Host Albert Zeufack welcomes Zainab Usman, Social Scientist in the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank, and co-author of the World Bank’s recent Future of Work in Africa report.

The 2019 World Development Report focused on the Future of Work on a global scale, highlighting the real tension between job losses in “old” manufacturing sectors that are susceptible to automation, and potential job gains driven by innovation in “new” sectors. Our Africa-focused companion report, released in July 2019, finds that Africa has a chance to take a different path – if governments and businesses can take advantage of digital technologies, and if the right policies and investments are in place.   Part one of this two-part podcast looks at what’s different about the future of work in Africa compared to the rest of the world, and digs in to the potential of digital technologies to improve livelihoods and create jobs for all kinds of workers. Host Albert Zeufack welcomes Mark Dutz, Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank, and co-author of the World Bank’s recent Future of Work in Africa report.

Doing More With Less – Smarter Subsidies for Water Supply and Sanitation shows that most existing water supply and sanitation subsidies are pervasive, expensive, poorly-targeted, non-transparent and distortionary. Yet if designed in smart and targeted ways and implemented effectively, subsidies can be powerful and progressive tools that help ensure all people benefit from water supply and sanitation services.

Quality: Unknown — The Invisible Water Crisis presents new evidence and data that call urgent attention to the hidden dangers lying beneath the water’s surface. This podcast explains how poor water quality stalls economic progress, stymies human potential, and reduces food production.

Discussions on Sub-Saharan Africa often center on extreme poverty: the subcontinent is home to half of the world’s extreme poor, and the number of people living in extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa keeps going up even though the rates of extreme poverty have declined. At the same time, on a continent as economically diverse as Sub-Saharan Africa, the issue of inequality cannot be ignored. Eight of the ten most unequal countries in the world, when looking at the Gini coefficient, are in Sub-Saharan Africa, and gaps persist when digging deeper into wage inequality, inequality of opportunity, and other areas where the playing field is far from level. There are no easy answers to reducing inequality, but several countries have taken positive steps to make their societies and economies more equitable. In this episode of Afronomics, Albert welcomes Haroon Bhorat, Professor of Economics and Director of the Development Policy Research Unit at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in the Global Economy and Development Program and the Africa Growth Initiative. His research focuses on labor economics, poverty, and income distribution, and this episode of Afronomics takes a closer look at his recent work on wage inequality in South Africa as part of the broader discussion on inequality in Africa.

This podcast explores the concepts and realities surrounding resilient housing. Through interviews, sound bites, and trips to countries where resilient housing is underway, our host, David Cavell, will teach you about the World Bank’s new effort to support building homes better before a disaster strikes. From structural engineers to government officials, you will hear from a wide variety of professionals working to strengthen the homes we live in. Leveraging technologies, such as drones, street cameras, and machine learning, and pairing them with low cost, life-saving construction methods, the Global Program for Resilient Housing aims to strengthen retrofitting measures. Understanding which homes are at high risk and where they are located are vital components to successfully prioritize investments and distribute subsidies. From complex algorithms to simple construction design, you will learn what it takes to make homes safer and more resilient to natural disasters and climate change.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the share of adults with a mobile money account now exceeds 10 percent. That mobile revolution began in Kenya. In this episode of Afronomics, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, Albert Zeufack, speaks with Professor Njuguna Ndung’u who is currently the Executive Director of the African Economic Research Consortium and was the Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya from 2007 to 2015. During Prof. Ndung’u’s tenure as Central Bank governor, Kenya stepped up as a global leader in financial inclusion. This was driven by the path-breaking M-Pesa program, which made mobile payments and mobile banking the norm for Kenyans everywhere.

This podcast explains how a new generation of infrastructure projects that harness the power of nature can help achieve development goals, including water security and climate resilience. In a new report from the World Bank and World Resources Institute, both organizations are calling for green infrastructure, such as mangroves and wetlands, to play a bigger role in traditional infrastructure planning.

In 2017, the World Bank with its partners launched a new initiative for a water-secure world, the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP), housed within the World Bank’s Water Global Practice. This podcast provides a snapshot of its first year of delivery. It shows how by bringing innovation, new knowledge and evidence, and flexibility to World Bank lending operations, the GWSP helps clients achieve even more significant and more sustainable results.

En 2017, près du tiers des 38 pays africains bénéficiant du guichet concessionnel IDA ont renforcé la qualité de leur politiques et institutions publiques par rapport à 2016. C’est l’une des conclusions de la dernière évaluation des politiques et des institutions en Afrique (CPIA) publiée chaque année par le bureau de l’économiste en chef de la Banque mondiale pour l’Afrique. Elle mesure les progrès réalisés par les pays d’Afrique subsaharienne pour améliorer la qualité de leurs politiques et institutions publiques, leur capacité à soutenir une croissance durable et à réduire la pauvreté. Il s’agit d’un outil essentiel pour les pays puisque la Banque mondiale utilise les notes obtenues pour déterminer le volume des prêts concessionnels et des dons que la Banque mondiale accorde aux pays à faible revenu. Dans ce nouvel épisode du podcast Afronomics, Albert Zeufack, économiste en chef pour l’Afrique à la Banque mondiale, s'entretient avec Gérard Kambou qui a contribué à la rédaction du dernier CPIA.

In 2017, nearly third of the 38 African countries that receive the IDA concessional window, strengthened their policy and institutional quality compared to 2016. This is one of the findings of the World Bank’s Country Policy and Institutional Assessment. The CPIA, as it is called, is an annual assessment by the World Bank of the quality and institutional framework of African countries and their ability to support sustainable growth and poverty reduction. CPIA scores are composed of development indicators in four areas: economic management; structural policies; social inclusion and equity and public-sector management and institutions. Scores are used to determine the allocation of zero finance grants from IDA, so a better score indicator has an implication for more funding under better terms the countries can use for development. In this Afronomics, Chief Economist of the World Bank’s Africa Region, Albert Zeufack, speaks with report author, Punam Chuhan-Pole about policy improvements; policy declines and the African countries that are global examples of effective policy reform that enables positive growth and development.

Aujourd'hui, environ 120 millions de personnes vivent le long des côtes ouest-africaines et sont menacées quotidiennement par l'érosion côtière et les inondations. De grandes portions de littoral ont disparu, emportant avec elles des maisons, des usines et des routes. Les pertes économiques sont colossales pour ce territoire qui génère 42 % du PIB de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Préserver et protéger ces habitats fragiles apparaît donc comme un investissement rentable et rationnel. Pour en savoir plus, consultez : www.worldbank.org/waca www.worldbank.org/afrce

Today, there are about 120 million people living along the coast of West Africa who are threatened by coastal erosion and flooding on a daily basis. Large areas of coast line have disappeared, and with them houses, factories and roads. The economic losses are staggering. About 42% of West Africa’s GDP is generated along these same coastal areas. Preserving and protecting these fragile habitats makes dollars… and sense. To learn more, please visit: www.worldbank.org/waca www.worldbank.org/afrce

Population growth, economic expansion and climate change are increasing the pressures on limited water supplies in cities around the world. A holistic approach is needed to help water scarce cities develop resilient strategies for long-term water security. That’s why the World Bank’s Water Scarce Cities initiative is collaborating with urban water practitioners, global thought leaders, and institutions in over 20 water scarce cities to document and share innovative strategies.

Water belongs to everyone and yet many are excluded from its benefits and often from ownership and control of this critical resource. Inclusion – ensuring everyone reaps the benefits of water – is central to achieving universal access to water and sanitation and the way the World Bank thinks about policy and programs, because prosperity is best when shared. Water World is a new podcast series brought to you by the World Bank’s Water Global Practice and the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP). It explores the issues that are crucial to delivering a water-secure and healthy world for all. Join us every two weeks to learn more!

Part Two of our discussion on Africa’s Pulse focusses on how African countries can improve access to electricity to accelerate progress in development outcomes, jobs and prosperity. We’re speaking with special topic author, Mike Toman, and member of the core team of economists who crafted the report, Moussa Blimpo. Technical innovations, especially in solar power, provide the possibility for faster progress in electricity provision by complementing grid expansion with mini-grids and home-scale systems. However, in sorting through various possibilities for accelerated electrification, it is important to keep in mind that national electrification strategies generally seek to address several development objectives. These include facilitating accelerated income growth and job creation, and improving lives and livelihoods in more remote areas, as well as limiting environmental and health damages from providing electricity. On the one hand, to accomplish this range of objectives, given the changes in generation technology and the expectation of rapid future growth in electricity demand, the evolution of electricity systems in Sub-Saharan Africa will need to involve more than one national grid. The path to universal electrification also will incorporate interconnected or stand-alone “mini-grids” and “micro-grids” serving small concentrations of electricity users, and off-grid home-scale systems. On the other hand, as rural populations continue to migrate to rapidly growing urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, economies of scale and density will lower the costs of grid-supplied power in urban and peri-urban areas.

What does resilience mean when it comes to water? Is it really that important? Experts explain in this podcast. Water World is a new podcast series brought to you by the World Bank’s Water Global Practice and the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP). It explores the issues that are crucial to delivering a water-secure and healthy world for all. Join us every two weeks to learn more!

AFRONOMICS: Africas Pulse Spring Edition Part 1 by Listen to the latest news, insights, and development highlights from the World Bank.

Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Program (UNDP), talks about how preventing violent extremism can help us reach the goal to end poverty.

WaterWorld is a new podcast series brought to you by the World Bank’s Water Global Practice and the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP). It explores the issues that are crucial to delivering a water-secure and healthy world for all. Join us every two weeks to learn more!

Poland moved from middle-income to high-income status in less than 15 years. How did the country do this? Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland, discusses Poland’s economic development. (This was recorded during the World Bank Annual Meetings in 2017. Mateusz Morawiecki, was Deputy Prime Minister of Poland then.) More on Poland’s journey to high-income status can be found in our report: Lessons for Poland, Insights from Poland.

Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb, talks about the new digital economy and its impact on development.

WaterWorld is a new podcast series brought to you by the World Bank’s Water Global Practice and the Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP). It explores the issues that are crucial to delivering a water-secure and healthy world for all. Join us every two weeks to learn more!

Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN-Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All, talks climate change, private sector investment, and global access to energy services.

Timothy Antoine, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, talks about resilience and sustainability in a hurricane-prone region.

Why are partnerships crucial to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Jeremy Oppenheim, Program Director, Business and Sustainable Development Commission, and Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer of Aviva Investors, discuss in this interview during the 2017 World Bank Annual Meetings.

Anta Babakar, Executive Director of Sedima, and Nour Al Hassan, Founder and CEO of Tarjama, discuss how women entrepreneurs play a critical role in economic development.

Amanda Farnan, GenUN Georgetown Campus Leader, and Mac Darrow, Representative, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights discuss how zero tolerance and global mobilization today is imperative in reaching the sustainable development goals of tomorrow.

Raj Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Ford Smart Mobility, discusses transport mobility with Josh Slusher, Director of Global Entrepreneurs Council, United Nations Foundation.

Mary Snapp, Vice President of Microsoft Philanthropies, talks about how technology is the vehicle to a better future for the less fortunate during the 2017 World Bank Group Annual Meetings.

Get inspired by Katrina Sasse, farmer at Leichhardt Fields, Australia, and Brian Ndyaguma, Project Manager and Entrepreneur, Uganda, as they talk about technologies in farming, how youth can help revive the agriculture sector and growing your own food.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim talks about the important connection between investing in human capital and economic growth.

Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank CEO, and Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of United Nations Foundation, discuss how working with partners can help build resilience and end extreme poverty by 2030.

New World Bank report Uncharted Waters presents new evidence on how increasingly erratic rainfall impacts farms, firms and families. It also shows that although floods and storm surges pose major threats, droughts are “misery in slow motion,” with impacts deeper and longer lasting than previously believed. The report proposes solutions to avoid a parched path and help chart a new course. In this podcast, one of the report’s authors Richard Damania discusses its findings with Communications Officer Martin Hall. To learn more, go to: www.worldbank.org/unchartedwaters

Join World Bank Chief Economist for Africa Albert Zeufack for a discussion with lead economists Punam Chuhan-Pole, David Evans, and Cesar Calderon on the most recent economic trends that are impacting growth and development on the continent. Together they review the latest findings of the region’s flagship report, Africa's Pulse. This issue includes a special focus on Africa’s skills agenda and takes an in-depth look at the progress made so far and what more can be done by countries and development organizations to ensure African citizens have the skills for the jobs of the future.

In this edition of Afronomics, World Bank Africa Region Chief Economist, Albert Zeufack, speaks with Dr. Zaki Khoury of Microsoft at the Investing in Africa Forum in Dakar, Senegal. Dr. Zaki Khoury leads Microsoft with International, Multi-lateral, and Bi-lateral Organizations, across Middle East and Africa.

Across Africa and around the world, the urban poor, especially those in informal settlements, are increasingly faced with risks to their lives, health and livelihoods. In Somalia’s urban centers, the situation is particularly challenging. Cities that are already fragile and struggling with resources are seeing an influx of migrants coming from rural areas as well as people fleeing conflict. In order to address these challenges, the World Bank is working with the Somali government and development partners through the Somalia Multi-Partner Fund (MPF), to try and strengthen the resilience of Somalia’s urban centers. This means supporting the inclusion of vulnerable populations through improvement of infrastructure, service delivery and livelihood opportunities in targeted cities.

Chief Economist of the World Bank's Africa Region, Albert Zeufack, chats with Silicon Valley’s Kamran Elahian about the power of disruptive technologies when it comes to development in Africa. For Elahian, disruptive technologies coupled with ramped up broadband and electricity access opens up the democratizing force of the internet to men and women equally, empowering them to come up with the solutions of the future.

Earlier this year, hundreds of geeks gathered in South Africa for the first ever World Data Forum. Among them, was Tariq Khokhar. In a special edition marking the end of the first series of “Between 2 Geeks”, he reports on innovations in how data are being produced, with discussions featuring Amazon, Facebook and The World Pop Project. He also speaks with Anna Rosling Rönnlund of Gapminder, and explores new ideas for how data can be used to promote a “fact based view of the world”

Solar power is changing lives in Bangladesh and has helped the South Asian country leapfrog into an era of using renewable energy to light up homes – and quickly going a step further. Clusters of solar panels in remote islands like Monpura and villages such as Saidpur are helping small business owners and farmers access affordable and reliable electricity to improve productivity and climb the rungs of economic prosperity.

Globally, 77 countries still don’t have the data they need to adequately track and measure poverty. These data come from household surveys, but how exactly are these surveys designed, tested and run? Presenters Raka Banerjee and Tariq Khokhar speak with Diane Steele - an expert in the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study team, and discover that collecting data from surveys may be more complicated than you think.

Phiona Mutesi, the Ugandan chess champion who inspired the movie Queen of Katwe, shares with communications officer Pabsy Pabalan Mariano her strategies for advancing her own life through education, and empowering youth through her support of a foundation. Mutesi and her coach Robert Katende sat down with Pabsy during the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings 2017.

Has renewable energy reached the stage where it’s cheaper than fossil fuels? Presenters Tariq Khokhar and Raka Banerjee talk to Mafalda Duarte, head of the Climate Investment Funds, about the data behind renewables, and if we’re reaching a ‘tipping point’ in them becoming the preferred energy source for countries around the world. To read more, visit: http://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/between-2-geeks-episode-5-renewable-energy-tipping-point

What do our cell phones reveal about society’s poverty or prosperity? This week’s edition of 'Between 2 Geeks’ looks at the way that metadata from our phones paints a picture of our collective behavior. Presenters Tariq Khokhar and Andrew Whitby talk to Professor Joshua Blumenstock, from the University of California, on this innovation in data analysis and what it means for development.

World Bank Africa Region Chief Economist, Albert Zeufack and Africa’s Pulse Lead author, Punam Chuhan Pole discuss the most recent Africa’ Pulse report. In this issue the Pulse tackles Sub-Saharan Africa’s projected moderate growth of 2.6 percent, which should strengthen somewhat in 2018, helped by improvements in commodity prices, a pickup in global growth, and domestic conditions. However, there is a need to spur investment in infrastructure, energy production and roads, without losing the hard won battle against debt in poor countries. Albert and Punam discuss the ways that countries can increase investment to achieve their goals and reduce poverty.

Testing helps evaluate the performance and progress of pupils in the classroom. But what is the best way to judge the effectiveness of an educational system as a whole? In this week’s edition of ‘Between 2 Geeks, Presenters Tariq Khokhar and Raka Banerjee talk to Dr. Husein Abdul Hamid, a Senior World Bank Education Specialist, to understand the value of testing and how to measure what really works in the classroom.

What’s the connection between dice and climate change? Find out in this week’s edition of ‘Between 2 Geeks’ - the World Bank’s podcast that looks at the data behind international development. Presenters Tariq Khokhar and Andrew Whitby talk to Dr. Ana Bucher, a climate change specialist with the World Bank, to find out what the data are saying about our changing world, and what needs to be done to address it. Read more on The Data Blog: http://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/between-2-geeks-episode-2-climate-change-anomalies-and-new-normal

Where in the world is the population growing, where is it shrinking, and why are there such variations? The first episode of Between 2 Geeks looks at the data behind demography. Presenters Tariq Khokhar and Raka Banerjee are joined by Dr. John May – a demographer and population policy expert with the Population Reference Bureau. They discuss the factors that shape population change, and what it means for the future of our world. Read more on The Data Blog: https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/between-2-geeks-ups-and-downs-demography

Hear about the World Bank’s new podcast series ‘Between Two Geeks,’ which delves into the numerical side of life around the world. In the first episode, presenters Tariq Khokhar and Raka Banerjee look into the data behind demography with help from one of the world’s leading population experts. Future episodes will follow every Tuesday over the course of the next two months.