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.

[00:00] Welcome and introduction to the topic

[03:45] Global economy and growth despite intertwined challenges

[06:47] Eradicating poverty and boosting shared prosperity on a livable planet

[11:43] Biggest challenges facing low-income countries

[15:32] 2025: Hopes for the next year

[21:22] Emi Mahmoud, Sudanese activist spoken word poet and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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 hear how the country, which has recently pledged a 45% in its contribution, has gone from recipient to donor. And we’ll learn about some of the development priorities of another donor country, Switzerland. 

• Aki Nishio, Vice President of Development Finance at the World Bank  
• Juyoung Yang, Associate Fellow in the Department of Macroeconomics and Financial Policy of the Korea Development Institute 
• Chantal Felder, Head of the Climate, Disaster Risk Reduction and Environment Section, Swiss Agency for Development and cooperation (SDC) 

[00:00] Introducing the International Development Association (IDA)

[03:26] Korea's developmental transformation

[06:25] Visions from the ground on Korea's economic growth

[11:10] How IDA is helping countries to tackle climate change

[17:04] International cooperation: Switzerland's commitment to IDA

[20:14] Hope on the horizon in a context of polycrisis

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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, President of the World Bank Group; Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance for Zambia; Mabouba Diagne, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Livestock in Senegal; Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of the ONE Campaign; Sandra Ablamba Johnson, Minister and Secretary General at the Presidency of Togo; Adebayo Olawale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance; and Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex. 

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:33] World Bank's evolution process towards a bigger, better Bank

[04:35] Agriculture and food as an engine of sustainable growth and jobs

[08:17] Accelerating women’s economic opportunities

[11:58] Jobs creation, International Development Association, World Bank Group scorecard

[15:03] IDA21 replenishment

[17:51] Highlights and announcements

[21:04] Cooperation between the Global North and the Global South

[23:03] Climate change and COP29

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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 across the development community. We also get snapshots from two projects: one in Mozambique and one in Jordan. Listen now! 

• Ed Mountfield, Vice President, Operations Policy and Country Services, World Bank
• Lu Shen, Director, Results Management and Aid Effectiveness Division Strategy, Policy, and Partnerships Department, Asian Development Bank
• Voices from development projects in Mozambique and Jordan

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:57] Impact on development projects: Voices from Mozambique and Jordan

[06:51] Introducing the World Bank Group scorecard

[09:53] Scorecard: Measurement, results, and transparency

[14:46] What is impact and why is it important? Targets and SDGs

[17:36] Alignment in measuring impact across all the MDBs: The case of the Asian Development Bank

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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 Group. 

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:42] Tackling the climate crisis

[05:59] How can we better support refugees?

[11:01] What is a green job?

[14:34] The journey towards gender equality

[17:29] Forests: How can we prosper in harmony with nature?

[20:15] Visions of a young World Bank staff member

• Abdullahi Mire, winner of the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 
• Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank
• Anubha Shukla, Vice President, D2R, Husk Power 
• Cristián Samper, Managing Director and leader of Nature Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund 
• Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund 
• Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme  
• Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR 
• Manoj Sinha, CEO of Husk Power 
• Maryse Mbonyumutwa, CEO of Pink Mango and Founder of Asantii 
• Nancy Karambo Riungu, a Kenyan entrepreneur and expert tailor working directly with refugees 
• O’Neall Massamba, Transport Unit - Western and Central Africa, World Bank Group 
• Tulshi Suwal, a Nepalese conservationist 
• Valerie Hickey, Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy, the World Bank 
• Xavier Devictor, Co-Director of the 2023 World Development Report 

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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!

• Christine Zhenwei Qiang, Global Director, Digital Transformation, World Bank Group
• Naomi Longa, Seawomen of Melanesia, Papua New Guinea;  
• Fred Munene, “Farm with Fred” farmer and YouTuber, Kenya;  
• Snehal Joshi, Principal, Shikha Academy, India; 
• Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink, Director of Product Impact at Google; 
• Petra Molnar, Harvard Faculty Associate, lawyer, anthropologist, and author

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:59] Artificial intelligence to protect the coral reefs in Papua New Guinea

[05:50] Artificial intelligence in educational settings in India

[07:36] Artificial intelligence, agriculture, and youth in Kenya

[09:05] How is AI already being used in the developing world and expansion ahead

[11:49] What are the ethical considerations to keep in mind

[13:58] Jobs: Artificial intelligence and labor market

[16:11] Programs and partnerships where AI is taking the lead: The case of Google

[20:35] How AI is currently being used in the context of refugees

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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 Tulshi Suwal, a Nepalese conservationist; Valerie Hickey, the Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank; Florita Jimenez Martinez, Community Leader in Costa Rica; and Cristián Samper, Managing Director and leader of Nature Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

• Valerie Hickey, the Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank
• Cristián Samper, Managing Director and leader of Nature Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund
• Florita Jimenez Martinez, Community Leader in Costa Rica
• Dr Tulshi Suwal, a Nepalese conservationist

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:55] The relationship between people and the forests in Nepal

[07:07] The link between ecosystems and economic growth

[12:50] How the World Bank works on biodiversity

[16:05] Protecting the forests: Visions from a community leader in Costa Rica

[19:05] Partnerships to preserve biodiversity in forests: Bezos Earth Fund

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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 Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization; Svenja Schulze, Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany; Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance for Zambia; Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health, Nigeria; Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of Axian Group; Reverend Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World; and Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex. 

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

• Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group
• Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at the World Health Organization
• Svenja Schulze, Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany
• Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance for Zambia
• Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health, Nigeria
• Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of Axian Group
• Reverend Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World
• Raj Kumar, President & Editor-in-Chief at Devex

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[01:45] World Bank Group: Turning an ambitious vision into impact

[07:16] Scaling up energy solutions and investments

[09:38] Expanding quality and affordable healthcare services

[13:03] In focus: International Development Association (IDA)

[17:41] World Bank's reforms, its vision, and the road ahead

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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, International Monetary Fund; Tea Trumbic,  World Bank Manager for the Women, Business and the Law project and Maryse Mbonyumutwa - CEO of Pink Mango and Founder of Asantii as they answer these questions and more on this month’s limited series episode of The Development Podcast.

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

• Gita Gopinath , First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund  
• Tea Trumbic, World Bank Manager for the Women, Business and the Law project 
• Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Prime Minister of Togo 
• Maryse Mbonyumutwa, CEO of Pink Mango and Founder of Asantii 

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[04:35] Making progress on equal opportunity legislation: The case of Togo

[06:10] Visions from Rwanda: Women's empowerment and entrepreneurship

[10:12] Main insights from the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law report

[16:24] IMF: How international institutions are supporting women's rights and inclusion

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

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 Power; Anubha Shukla, Vice President, D2R, Husk Power; and Nidhi Pant, a 2023 winner of the UK’s Earthshot Prize and Co-Founder of S4S Technologies as they share their personal stories and examples on why investing in renewable energy is crucial in the fight to create world free of poverty on a livable planet.   

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

• Ashish Khanna, Practice Manager, Energy and Extractives, West and Central Africa, World Bank
• Manoj Sinha, CEO, Husk Power
• Anubha Shukla, Vice President, D2R, Husk Power
• Nidhi Pant, a 2023 winner of the UK’s Earthshot Prize and Co-Founder of S4S Technologies

[00:00] Welcome and introduction of the topic

[02:49] Case study: S4S Technologies, green jobs and value chains

[07:27] Case study: Husk Power Systems, gender, renewable power industry, green transition and jobs

[11:28] Personal story: Starting a career and a business in the renewable energy sector

[15:10] Nigeria and the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy (DARES) Program

[19:11] The link between green jobs and renewable energy

[20:03] DARES Nigeria project: Access to electricity and green jobs

[22:43] Business models: The role of the local community in terms of innovation

[24:41] Overlapping crisis: Green jobs as a part of the recovery to create stability in the world

[26:26] Closure

This international development podcast brings together the data, research—and solutions—that can pave the way to a sustainable future. Through conversations focused on revealing the latest data, the best research, and cutting-edge solutions, let us introduce you to the folks working to make the world a better place. Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. And rate our show! ;)

Tell us what you think of our podcast here >>>. We would love to hear from you! 

The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.