Risk is all around us , an inherent part of life. And in the world of development, there are also risks, including war, civil disturbance and expropriation. In this episode of The Development Podcast , we take a deep dive into the work of MIGA, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency – home of the new World Bank Group Guarantee Platform . Its work with the private sector gives investors the confidence to build power plants, water treatment plans, hospitals and more, unlocking much-needed ca...
Jul 03, 2025•25 min•Ep. 57
The digital world is developing at a phenomenal pace. From AI tools at our fingertips, to advancements in energy, consumer technology, and connectivity: change is here. Harnessing these changes can unlock prosperity, create jobs, allow access to public services, and accelerate development. But with the digital divide still creating a chasm of connectivity, bridging the gap is an urgent challenge. In this episode of The Development Podcast , we explore how we can ensure that nobody is left behind...
Jun 05, 2025•26 min•Ep. 56
With 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies reaching working age over the next decade—and only about 420 million jobs expected to be generated— the urgency of finding scalable and sustainable solutions has never been greater. In this episode of The Development Podcast , we hear from one young person about their journey into the world of work and what the World Bank Group is doing to address one of the most urgent issues facing development: how to meet the stable employment aspirations of...
May 08, 2025•27 min•Ep. 55
To mark Women’s Month we’re digging into an often overlooked, but critical sector for the global economy, and for many millions of women: Artisanal and Smallscale Mining (ASM) . From gold, cobalt, copper and gemstones to salt, gravel and quarry rock: artisanal and small-scale mining) has played an active role in national development and international trade over the decades. But as the demand for clean energy and for consumer technology grows worldwide, the need for the metals and minerals which ...
Mar 26, 2025•30 min•Ep. 54
Many of us take turning on a light switch or connecting our devices to a home Wi-Fi network for granted. If our phones need charging, we plug them in, if we want hot water we boil a kettle. These are things we don’t think about, because we don’t have to. But around 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still live without access to electricity . In this episode of The Development Podcast , we look at Mission 300 , an ambitious plan from the World Bank Group and partners, which will link 300 mi...
Mar 04, 2025•31 min•Ep. 53
As the world approaches the quarter way point of the 21st century, we take stock of the last year in development and the challenges ahead . And we return to the work of the International Development Association (IDA) , in verse. Join us as we hear from Ayhan Kose , Deputy Chief Economist of the World Bank Group and Director of the Prospects Group, and Emi Mahmoud , Poet, activist and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Timestamps [00:00] Welcome and introduction to the topic [03:45] Global economy and gr...
Dec 19, 2024•25 min•Ep. 52
The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s low-income countries. IDA's grants and low-interest loans help countries invest in their futures, improve lives, and create safer, more prosperous communities around the world. Replenished every three years, IDA’s current round of negotiations is scheduled to conclude in December 2024 in a final pledging meeting in Seoul, Korea. As IDA completes its 21st replenishment , we journey to Korea to hea...
Dec 03, 2024•25 min•Ep. 51
The International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group 2024 Annual Meetings marked a turn of the page to the next phase of our mission: Ensuring job creation—and employment—are not the byproduct of our projects but an explicit aim of them. In this latest episode of The Development Podcast , we draw on some of the highlights from the Annual Meetings , as well as announcements on creating a new eco-system for agribusiness and boosting economic opportunities for more women. We hear from Ajay Banga, Presi...
Nov 07, 2024•26 min•Ep. 50
As the old saying goes, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. But of course, what you measure is important too. In this episode of The Development Podcast , we explore how the World Bank Group aims to strengthen its impact with a slimmed-down and focused scorecard . We’ll hear how the scorecard will better measure and track results , as well as identify areas for improvement. We’ll get to the heart of what it means to measure results , why it matters and how it has gained traction acros...
Sep 28, 2024•21 min•Ep. 49
Creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet has been the vision and mission of the World Bank Group since October 2023. But what does it mean for people and planet? We’ve just wrapped up our series of podcasts exploring these crucial questions, and in this episode we bring you some of the highlights from the last year. We take you on a journey around the world from Samoa to Nepal and hear from youth activists, refugees, entrepreneurs, development partners and leaders from the World Bank...
Aug 09, 2024•23 min•Ep. 48
Does artificial intelligence amount to a dystopian nightmare for the developing world, eliminating jobs and confirming the worse biases across societies? Or could it lead the way to a brighter future, helping to solve critical development issues? We explore the ways in which artificial intelligence is being used across the globe at a grassroots level in India, Papua New Guinea – as well as get the big picture. Join The Development Podcast! Featured Voices Christine Zhenwei Qiang , Global Directo...
Jun 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 47
Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate of 10 million hectares each year and about 12% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to deforestation and forest degradation. But nature provides the foundation for inclusive growth, jobs, food security, ecosystems and human wellbeing. So, what are the economics of biodiversity and how can we achieve growth whilst protecting forests? Join The Development Podcast on a trip around the globe from Nepal to Costa Rica as we hear from: Dr T...
May 21, 2024•26 min•Ep. 46
The 2024 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings took place from April 11-18. The focus for this year was on how the World Bank Group can turn its vision – of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet – into real impact . This includes becoming a better Bank – one that is faster, more effective, and more ambitious. In this latest episode of The Development Podcast , we draw on some of the highlights from the week . We hear from Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group; Dr Tedros Adh...
May 02, 2024•24 min•Ep. 45
As the world celebrates International Womens Day , we take a look at where we are on the march towards gender equality. How big is the gender gap and what would happen if we closed it? What are some stumbling blocks along this journey? And how can international organizations like the World Bank Group and IMF help achieve more progress? Find out the answers to these questions and more as we speak with Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Prime Minister of Togo; Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director, I...
Mar 08, 2024•26 min•Ep. 44
The transition away from fossil fuels could create as many as 30 million ‘green’ jobs in clean energy and low-emissions technologies by 2030. So what is a ‘green job’? How can countries and companies support jobs that benefit people and the planet ? And how can young people prepare for green jobs of the future? Find out the answers to these questions and more as we speak with Ashish Khanna, Practice Manager, Energy and Extractives, West and Central Africa, World Bank; Manoj Sinha, CEO, Husk Powe...
Feb 08, 2024•27 min•Ep. 43
Forced displacement is a development challenge, not only a humanitarian concern . As of September 2023, 114 million people were displaced, and this number continues to grow as conflict and insecurity rise across the globe. Most refugees are hosted by developing countries, and the issues around support and integration of refugee communities are often deeply political. In this episode— the second in our special series on how to end poverty on a livable planet—we're asking the question: How can we ...
Jan 10, 2024•37 min•Ep. 42
The 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) comes at the heels of the hottest year in human history. Our newest episode of The Development Podcast delves into the impact of the climate crisis and urgent solutions to address it. This episode marks the launch of our new limited series on how to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet . Over the next 5 episodes, we’ll explore critical issues affecting planet, people and prosperity. Today, we turn our attention to the planet as we spea...
Dec 04, 2023•36 min•Ep. 41
The 2023 World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings took place from October 9-15 in Marrakech, Morocco, and unveiled the Bank’s bold new vision: creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet . Events and discussions highlighted this new mission, highlighting an expansion in financial capacity, stronger partnerships, deeper engagement with the private sector, and finding more efficient processes. In this special edition episode of The Development Podcast , we draw on some of the highlights from ...
Oct 27, 2023•25 min•Ep. 40
Multiple shocks – from COVID-19 to climate change, conflict, crop disease – are crippling food systems, leading to higher food prices and growing hunger. Up to 783 million people faced hunger in 2022 , and projections show that in 2030, over 600 million people will still struggle to feed their families. The way we produce food is also harmful for the planet, generating unsustainable levels of pollution and waste. What can we do to fight the global food crisis , especially in the most vulnerable ...
Sep 29, 2023•26 min•Ep. 39
Meet the International Development Association (IDA) , the arm of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries —75 to be exact. It’s the largest single source of donor funds for basic services in these countries and aims to eliminate extreme poverty. IDA’s most recent replenishment, IDA20 , resulted in a historic $93 billion financing package for IDA countries for fiscal years 2022-2025. On this episode of The Development Podcast , we explore how IDA works across the world on a range ...
Jul 28, 2023•25 min•Ep. 38
How do we address climate change, reduce poverty, and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet? Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time, and no country is immune. On this episode of The Development Podcast , we hone in on voices across Africa about the experience of climate change and how it intersects with poverty, and we hear from Richard Damania , World Bank’s Chief Economist for Sustainable Development in Washington, DC. Tune in as we speak with Cathy Kamamu, a farmer fro...
Jun 30, 2023•24 min•Ep. 37
Migration is a development challenge . About 184 million people—2.3 percent of the world’s population—live outside of their country of nationality, and almost half of them are in low- and middle-income countries. In this episode of The Development Podcast , we explore the conversation around migration, from global economic imbalances, demographic changes, and conflict, to the opportunities it can bring to people and host communities. To unpack this and more, we speak to Xavier Devictor , the Wor...
May 26, 2023•27 min•Ep. 36
The 2023 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings took place from April 10-16, amidst a backdrop of challenges: from stress in the banking sector, persistent inflation, rising debt, climate change and of course Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Addressing this instability, and looking to a future free from poverty, was at the heart of the discussions which involved dozens of contributors from across the globe. In this latest episode of The Development Podcast, we draw on some of the highlights f...
Apr 28, 2023•23 min•Ep. 35
What impact does unpaid care work have on women's economic prospects and growth? How can we support these everyday superheroes? In this episode of The Development Podcast , we explore the economics around this issue, whether women are tending to children or the elderly. What goes into this often invisible workload, and how do the burdens these women carry affect their every day lives? We draw from recent findings of this year’s 2023 Women, Business, and the Law report and also speak with three g...
Apr 01, 2023•20 min•Ep. 34
In this episode of The Development Podcast , we mark one year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and explore the depth and breadth of fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) around the world . What are the spillover effects of war as we see increased displacement of populations, high energy and food prices, shocks to natural disasters and more? And what is the World Bank Group’s position and long-term strategy on FCV, and how can we begin to tackle some of these challenges we face head on? Axel Van...
Feb 24, 2023•22 min•Ep. 33
The recently released January edition of this year’s Global Economic Prospects report warns that the global economy is dangerously close to a recession, with worldwide economic output projected to be just 1.7% in 2023. While the outlook for all economies is quite grim, the edition takes a special focus on the plight of 37 small states—countries with a population of 1.5 million or less—that are already vulnerable to shocks stemming from the pandemic, climate change, disruptions to tourism and mor...
Feb 03, 2023•19 min•Ep. 32
The past twelve months have been turbulent for the global economy . Conflict, inflation, food supply crises and the long tail of the Covid-19 pandemic have caused shockwaves across the world. In this episode of The Development Podcast we speak to World Bank Group chief economist Indermit Gill , and take stock of the last twelve months, while looking ahead to 2023. Indermit explains why forecasts at the start of the year were wrong, and why he remains optimistic for the coming year. We also refle...
Dec 20, 2022•20 min•Ep. 31
COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and other crises have dealt the biggest setback to global poverty reduction in decades. 2020 alone saw the largest one-year increase in extreme poverty since global monitoring began. In this episode of The Development Podcast , we comb through the recent Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report (PSPR) to understand what’s happening, where and why. Ruth Hill , a lead economist at the World Bank discusses the actions governments can take to help correct course. We also ge...
Dec 05, 2022•26 min•Ep. 30
This year’s World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings took place against the backdrop of a series of overlapping crises threatening catastrophic consequences for the poor. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and conflict were the focus for delegates who gathered at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC. In this special edition of The Development Podcast we’ll bring you some of the key moments from this year’s sessions. Leaders, experts, and activists discussed how best to...
Nov 17, 2022•37 min•Ep. 29
Our warming world needs to wean itself away from fossil fuels, but closing coal mines can impact jobs and communities. How can we ensure people and communities are at the center of the transition away from coal? In this episode of The Development Podcast , we hear about the challenges and opportunities involved in this important transition. We get the view from some Indian women benefiting from new green jobs, hear from new solar panel owners, and from Reema Nanavaty , director of the Self Emplo...
Sep 26, 2022•30 min•Ep. 28
