This policy brief evaluates the current state of the knowledge of and plans to manage urban heat in South Asia. First, the brief examines heat in South Asian cities through the different layers of the urban environment: buildings, communities, and cities.

Despite massive infrastructure investments, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continue to face unprecedented water scarcity due to climate change, population growth, and socioeconomic development.

Populations across the globe are aging at an unprecedented pace, making many countries increasingly reliant on migration to realize their long-term growth potential, according to this new report by the World Bank.

To meet climate and development goals, low- and middle-income countries need to transform their power sector infrastructure at a scale and pace that is unprecedented.

Fossil fuel combustion is a major contributor to urban air pollution, which in turn can lead to negative health outcomes. While the relationship between fuel prices and consumption has been extensively documented, the knock-on impact on air quality is less studied.

The world's over 3,800 coal-fired power plants are sources of substantial emissions of toxic air pollutants. This study explores people's unequal exposure to air pollution from these coal plants.

Economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are expected to grow at a slower pace in 2023, as double-digit food inflation adds pressure on poorer households and the impact of food insecurity can span generations, according to the World Bank’s latest economic update.

Growth across Sub-Saharan Africa remains sluggish, dragged down by uncertainty in the global economy, the underperformance of the continent’s largest economies, high inflation, and a sharp deceleration of investment growth, a World Bank report said.

India’s growth continued to be resilient, despite some signs of a moderation in the second half of FY22/23. Global economic activity slowed in the second half of 2022 on the back of synchronized monetary policy tightening, deteriorating financial conditions and ongoing inflationary pressures.

South Asia’s outlook is shaped by both good and bad news in the global economy. Lower commodity prices, a strong recovery in the services sector, and reduced disruptions in value chains are aiding South Asia’s recovery but rising interest rates and uncertainty in financial markets are putting downward pressure on the region’s economies.

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