Se busca reducir la contaminación ambiental y sus efectos en la salud pública LA PAZ, 25 de agosto de 2017 – Del 23 al 25 de agosto se impartió en La Paz el cuarto módulo del Curso Internacional “Selección de Tecnologías y Diseño de P…
Challenge El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, and one of the most densely populated in the world. With a per capita gross domestic product of US$8,602 (in purchasing power parity terms) in 2015, and a population of 6.1 million, the country is largely urban (about 66 percent) and ranks in the 83rd percentile worldwide for population density. Since the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992, the country has advanced on both social and political fronts. In health, El Salvador has already achieved the Millennium Development Goal for reducing child mortality. In addition, the poorest segments of the population have been increasingly making use of healthcare facilities, aided in part by a policy of free primary care services. Immunization rates have also increased from 86 percent in the 1990s to 91 percent in recent years (2010-13). Similarly, access to improved sanitation and water resources increased from 79 percent to 90 percent, and the share with access to improved sanitation expanded from only 56 percent to over 70 percent during the same period. In education, both access to education, particularly at the primary level, and literacy rates have increased, with the most significant advances in urban areas. Finally, El Salvador has forged ahead in consolidating democracy since the end of the Civil War, with six consecutive democratically-elected governments and peaceful transitions of power. Despite this progress, poverty remains high, in part due to the country’s anemic growth. Using international poverty and extreme poverty lines of US$4 per day and US$2.5 per day, respectively, 31.4 percent of the Salvadoran population is considered poor (compared to 23.3 percent in the Latin America region), and 12.3 percent extremely poor (compared to 10.8 percent in the Latin America region). The country’s anemic growth is the main reason for the relative stagnation in poverty reduction. With an average growth rate of 1.5 percent (2001-15), El Salvador stands out as one of the slowest growing economies in the Latin America region. El Salvador faces numerous challenges, calling for action on many fronts. Political polarization, high levels of crime and violence, low levels of savings and investment, poor educational attainment and lack of skilled labor, and high rates of migration and remittances —among other factors—prevent the country from growing at a faster pace, and reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity for its citizens. Approach In the face of these challenges, the WBG program has focused on ensuring social inclusion of the vulnerable segments of the population, while building foundations for inclusive growth. The WBG has been a key partner in supporting the country’s efforts to protect vulnerable households and expand effective and well-targeted safety net programs, as well as to increase access to basic health and education services. Moreover, the World Bank program has been promoting the creation of safer communities to boost economic development and focusing on providing at-risk youth and vulnerable groups with training, job readiness, and work experience to build their skills and assist their efforts to join the labor market. In addition, the World Bank is helping the country to foster sustainability and resilience, particularly by promoting the efficiency of public spending and building government capacity to manage natural disasters and environmental challenges. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) complement the World Bank support by focusing on sectors and areas that contribute to enhancing the country’s economic growth. IFC has been helping the country improve its investment climate, increase access to finance, and foster regional trade and financial inclusion. MIGA has provided guarantees in the manufacturing and financial sector. Results WBG financing helped achieving the following results from 2010 to 2016: Providing income support and contributing to the establishment of an integrated social protection system: By supporting the implementation of the Temporary Income Support Program (PATI) through the Income Support and Employability Project, the WBG helped channel resources to more than 40,000 beneficiaries (of which 70 percent were women and 30 percent between the ages of 16-24) in poor urban areas, preventing them from falling deeper into poverty. The PATI also included activities to promote opportunities for the urban poor by improving the coverage of labor intermediation, providing skills training, and organizing employment fairs, among other. As a result, one year after the completion of PATI, participants’ monthly income increased on average by US$18 per month. The WBG also helped improve the institutional capacity of the Government to develop an integrated social protection system by helping develop a Unified Registration System for social protection programs and design a Universal Social Protection System. Improving Access, Retention and Graduation Rates for Lower and Upper Secondary Education: By supporting the adoption of the Inclusive Full Time School (IFTS) Model, the WBG through the Education Quality Improvement Project has been helping the country improve access, graduation, and retention rates for lower and upper secondary education. The IFTS Model addresses the problems of quality and exclusion of economically disadvantaged students, and tackles problems of early drop out, repetition and poor learning outcomes. It does this by providing stimulating and diverse learning experiences, a safe learning environment, teaching that is responsive to the social and developmental needs of young adolescents from diverse backgrounds, and school accountability for student results. To date, the WBG-financed Project has supported the renovation of seventeen schools and 209 school facilities (including classrooms, libraries, study rooms, teacher rooms, sports and recreation spaces) and has benefited around 40,000 students with new facilities, learning materials, and pedagogical activities. The Project is also supporting the improvement of pedagogical skills of around 1,997 teachers through a series of certified trainings. Expanding Coverage of Health Services: With support from the Strengthening Public Health Care System Project, El Salvador has been expanding the coverage of health services provided by the Integrated Health Care Services Network to the 82 poorest municipalities of the country. This Network is critical for delivering high quality health services and aims to reduce fragmentation, inefficiencies, and coverage gaps by providing health services through three levels of care: (i) the primary level includes family and community health units; (ii) the secondary level includes basic and general hospitals; and (iii) the third level includes specialized hospitals. To date, a total of 21 hospitals, 52 community health units and 19 administrative offices have benefited from infrastructure renovation projects, the acquisition of medical equipment, medicines and medical supplies, and the procurement of ambulances, among other. Moreover, the Project has provided training to about 900 medical staff on maternal health, reproductive and sexual health, teenage pregnancy, child health, and nutrition, and promoted compliance with medical waste management systems. Finally, the Project has proven to be a practical tool for the Government particularly in response to national emergencies, such as the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. Enhancing the Capacity of Local Governments to Deliver Services: WBG support sought to strengthen municipalities’ institutional and technical capacity to design and implement municipal sub-projects through the Local Government Strengthening Project, benefitting around three million people across 262 municipalities through the development of more than 500 infrastructure projects. These projects for electrification, clean water and sanitation, waste management, construction and improvement of roads and bridges, and renovation of sports and recreation spaces generated around 12,000 temporary jobs. Moreover, the WBG supported a number of certified training programs in the areas of decentralization, fiscal management, and territorial development, improving the technical skills of more than 500 local government staff. Finally, the WBG supported the implementation of a municipal management information system, contributing to enhanced transparency and increased access to information. Bank Group Contribution The World Bank’s current active portfolio in El Salvador includes two investment projects in the education and health sectors, totaling US$140 million in net commitments, This investment portfolio is complemented with trust funds and analytical and advisory services focusing on fiscal management, capital and financial markets development, climate change and disaster risk management. IFC seeks to facilitate access to credit and improve availability of finance through IFC credit lines tailored to small entrepreneurs and households. As of July 2017, IFC’s investment program was US$160 million. MIGA has US$129.3 million in gross exposure across three projects in the financial and services sectors. Partners Donor cooperation and partnerships play a fundamental role in achieving the development outcomes of El Salvador. To ensure complementarity of its activities, the WBG is closely coordinating with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the European Union, the United Nations Development Program, and other bilateral donors, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the German Development Bank (KfW), the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ), and Spain, among others. For example, the MCC is currently expanding the IFTS Model to 80 additional schools in the eastern region of the country, complementing the WBG’s support. In the area of increasing access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in addition to IFC, IDB is providing technical assistance to MSMEs and KfW is supporting SMEs through special credit lines for renewable energy. The climate change and the resilience agenda is also being supported in close coordination with other partners, including JICA, GIZ and IDB. Moving Forward The WBG will continue its partnership with El Salvador in line with the Country Partnership Framework 2016-2019 that focuses on building the foundations to promote inclusive growth, and fostering sustainability and resilience. To this end, the World Bank will continue implementing its investment portfolio in the education and health sectors, and complement its support with knowledge products, advisory services, and technical assistance focusing on youth employability, crime and violence, financial sector development, fiscal management, and climate change resilience. In addition, IFC will continue bolstering private sector development by: (i) focusing on measures to improve the investment climate and trade facilitation; (ii) improving infrastructure and renewable energy sources; and (iii) increasing access to finance for MSMEs, with particular emphasis on agribusiness. MIGA will continue to explore opportunities to meet requests from investors. Beneficiaries Carolina Silva, a young student from the la Libertad department in El Salvador, is more eager to learn as a result of the financial assistance she received through the Income Support Employability Project. When asked what made a difference, she replied: “The only thing that I needed to have perfect attendance in school was the possibility to afford to pay for the bus fare and not miss a day of school.” This financial aid not only helped secure bus fares for those children in need, but also helped to improve the safety of Carolina and other children, by ensuring safe arrival to school as children no longer had to walk alone through dangerous neighborhoods. Learn More Links to key related sites The web site of the World Bank for El Salvador offers in-depth information on all projects and programs in the country. Links to partner websites Ministry of Economy and Finance Multimedia A school bus full of opportunities for children and youth in El Salvador Trabajar deja de ser un sueño para miles de salvadoreños Música, escuelas y empleo para un mayor desarrollo de El Salvador
¿En qué trabajarán los 1.600 millones de personas de países de mediano y bajo ingreso que en los próximos 15 años estarán en edad de trabajar? Quizá, buena parte de la respuesta a esta pregunta está en las múltiples posibilidades para generar empleo que tiene ahora, y que podría tener más adelante, el sistema alimentario, que no sólo comprende el sector agrícola primario, sino otros como transporte, logística, distribución, preparación, entre otras áreas. Un estudio elaborado por el Banco Mundial colabora en la definición de una ruta a seguir para que los países, adaptándose a su contexto, puedan generar empleos y mantener la calidad de los puestos de trabajo que ya existen en el sector de los alimentos y mejorar las condiciones de vida de las familias del futuro. El estudio parte de una premisa fundamental: este sector colabora significativamente en la generación de empleo hoy en día en todo el mundo. La mayoría de las personas trabaja en actividades relacionadas con el sistema alimentario, ya sea de manera independiente o en empleos asalariados. Y más aún: en los países de bajo ingreso, la industria agrícola genera casi el 70% de los puestos de trabajo. En América Latina, según cifras de la FAO, solo el sector agrícola emplea a 9,6 millones de los 30,9 millones de jóvenes, entre 15 y 29 años, que viven en zonas rurales. Para 2030, la mayoría de los ingresos necesarios para acabar con la pobreza deberán venir de las actividades en el campo. Fortalecer el sector agropecuario es fundamental, pero, aunque esta área lleve la batuta, es necesario hacer esfuerzos para comprender algo que, quizá por obvio, algunos pierden de vista: la demanda crecerá en otras áreas del sistema como servicios, transporte, logística, distribución, promoción, preparación, tecnologías y un largo etcétera, que estará determinado por la capacidad de innovar. Apoyar el crecimiento de las cadenas de valor alimentarias es primordial para crear nuevos puestos de trabajo. Para ello, sin duda, se debe promover la cultura agropecuaria; hacerla sostenible y resiliente ante los efectos del cambio climático es vital en un contexto en el que las sequías, las inundaciones y el aumento de las temperaturas están afectando el rendimiento de los cultivos. Para promover esta idea se necesita trabajar en diversos campos de acción:Mejorar las tecnologías para los cultivos y la producción de ganado.Optimizar la gestión del agua.Aupar los conocimientos de los agricultores.Crear organizaciones de productores para ayudarlos a afrontar retos del sector.Invertir en infraestructura: los gobiernos aún no invierten lo suficiente. Así, resulta necesario fortalecer la inversión y la participación del sector privado tomando en cuenta que nueve de cada 10 empleos son creados por por la empresa privada. Una manera de estimular las iniciativas privadas sería reducir los riesgos y los altos costos de transacción, así como su inclusión en programas de gobierno. Desde inicios de este siglo, en 10 países de América Latina se apoyaron las asociaciones de los agricultores con el sector privado y la sociedad civil para establecer alianzas que han incluido a más de 122.000 hogares agrícolas. Mujeres y jóvenes, manos a la obra Es una tarea obligada promover la igualdad de género. Las mujeres también saben trabajar la tierra o desarrollar tecnología aplicada a los alimentos y proyectos innovadores en los mercados. Esto cobra mayor importancia si se toma en cuenta que el año pasado la tasa de desempleo de las mujeres en América Latina subió 1,9 puntos porcentuales, con lo que se ubicó en 9,8%. Por primera vez en una década, esta tasa roza la frontera de los 2 dígitos, según cifras de Organización Internacional del Trabajo. La inclusión de los jóvenes, en el entorno o no de la finca, es otro de los puntos más importantes que deben apuntarse en la agenda de trabajo. En esta región del mundo, el desempleo de los jóvenes es 3 veces mayor que el de las personas mayores de 25 años. Por ello, es preciso mejorar su acceso a las tierras y al financiamiento para trabajar en ellas. También es importante capacitarlos para crear mejores mecanismos de distribución de los alimentos o para pensar en cómo diversificar los mercados. Las nuevas tecnologías son clave Promover las nuevas tecnologías en el sector es también parte de la tarea, pues en sus diversas posibilidades la tecnología ofrece nuevas oportunidades para el desarrollo de todas las áreas, potenciar nuevos empleos y generar ingresos. Es indispensable incorporar este tema en los programas universitarios de estudios agrícolas para actualizar las habilidades de los que se dedican a esta área. Evaluar cuáles son las competencias que requiere cada empleado en las distintas áreas del sistema alimentario se convierte en una condición imperativa para abrir el abanico de posibilidades. Cada uno de estos eslabones es importante para crear un ecosistema de emprendimiento, que promueva la pequeña y mediana empresa y potencie el desarrollo de iniciativas emergentes. Mejores condiciones, más calidad Incrementar la calidad de los empleos en el sector alimentario requiere las mismas acciones que se necesitan para generar nuevos puestos de trabajo, pero entran en juego otros factores fundamentales: mejorar la estabilidad las condiciones de trabajo.En el informe se hace énfasis en garantizar que se apliquen políticas que conduzcan a una mayor calidad y estabilidad en los empleos, muchos de los cuales son temporarios y el trabajador se ve obligado a lidiar con esas condiciones. En temas como este hay mucho que enumerar porque aún hay mucho por hacer. Responder a la pregunta de dónde trabajará la gente del futuro depende mucho de que los países analicen sus contextos y se pongan manos a la obra.
Basta que pensemos en cómo nos comunicábamos tan solo hace 30 años, cómo hacíamos las transacciones bancarias o las compras de alimentos o ropa para reconocer que el cambio tecnológico ha cambiado drásticamente nuestras vidas. Y en este contexto, el mercado laboral va galopando al ritmo de la innovación y cada transformación va reelaborando el boceto del mañana. Muchos de los trabajos que los niños y adolescentes de hoy harán en el futuro aún no existen. Los posibles #EmpleosdelFuturo son sorprendentes: cosechadores de agua atmosférica, optimizadores de biodesechos, diseñadores de modificaciones genéticas, optimizadores del tráfico de drones o chefs de impresión de comida 3D son algunos de los que enumeran futuristas como Thomas Frey, director ejecutivo del Da Vinci Institute. Nuevas variables entran en juego a la hora de responder una pregunta que antes parecía tener respuestas más evidentes: ¿Cómo será el trabajo del futuro? ¿Hacia dónde virar el timón a la hora de decidir cómo formarnos para no estar en desventaja? ¿Qué herramientas se le pueden brindar a los niños para prepararlos para esa suerte de escena de Futurama que quizá no está tan lejos de lo que imaginamos? Las nuevas tecnologías han sido caldo de cultivo para crear nuevas oportunidades de trabajo, han abierto posibilidades para ser más competitivos y aumentar la productividad. ¿Quién pone en duda que las plataformas de comercio en línea han podido conectar pequeños negocios con un mayor número de clientes y de forma más inmediata? ¿Está en tela de juicio que esa pequeña empresa haya podido ampliar su mercado a un menor costo? Las ventajas también implican desafíos. En el estudio Cambio tecnológico y el mercado de trabajo en Argentina y Uruguay. Un análisis desde el enfoque de tareas, elaborado por el Banco Mundial, los expertos señalan que “el cambio tecnológico, tal como el avance en las tecnologías digitales, las comunicaciones y la robótica, pueden implicar una mejora en el bienestar general de la población y reducir la pobreza, a partir del incremento de la productividad global de la economía. No obstante, si este proceso no es acompañado por inversiones complementarias, es decir reformas y políticas públicas dirigidas a aprovechar las ventajas que este proceso otorga, el avance tecnológico también podría profundizar una situación de desigualdad”. En este sentido, al compás de los nuevos tiempos late un riesgo: que se desplace a parte de los trabajadores. El cambio tecnológico implica que las máquinas, a través de ingeniosos algoritmos, se encarguen de hacer, cada vez más, las tareas manuales rutinarias. El Banco Mundial estima que, aunque no todos los trabajos son susceptibles de ser automatizados, “en promedio el 50% del actual empleo en América Latina podría no seguir siendo realizado por personas en el futuro”. Frente a los temores, las alternativas también levantan la mano. Los especialistas del área concluyen que ese escenario se puede afrontar con acciones que apuesten a una fuerza laboral que pueda adaptarse a los cambios. Aún estamos a tiempo para prepararnos. Una acción esencial, proponen, es crear programas de reentrenamiento para que los trabajadores de hoy adquieran nuevas habilidades a través de las cuáles puedan insertarse en los nuevos escenarios siendo cada vez más capaces de hacer tareas intelectuales no rutinarias, que no son susceptibles a la automatización, pues no pueden ser determinadas por reglas de programación. Estas acciones implican la cooperación entre el sector público y privado para redefinir el entrenamiento requerido, a partir de la identificación de las habilidades necesarias en el mercado laboral y la creación de empleos en los que los trabajadores puedan reubicarse. La educación tendría que inclinarse por el desarrollo de nuevas habilidades que tienen que ver más con lo intelectual que con lo manual; que deberían relacionarse más con el pensamiento crítico que con la capacidad de memorizar. Si los futuros trabajadores crecen y se capacitan con esta forma de pensar, se promoverá la calidad, la creatividad y su capacidad para participar o emprender proyectos exitosos que colaboren con la diversificación de la economía de los países en desarrollo. Flexibilidad, afán constante de aprender y, por qué no, valentía para romper esquemas serán cualidades apreciadas por los empleadores del futuro.
Crowd. Shipping. These two words together form an increasingly familiar and emerging concept among those interested in transportation, logistics and urban mobility. In the spirit of collaborative economics, the idea behind crowdshipping is using ordinary citizens – on foot, by bicycle or by any means of transportation available to them – to make deliveries. Entrepreneurs, couriers, and consumers simply need to sign up in an application to connect. Crowdshipping services are booming around the world, driven by online retail – which is expected to move US$ 4 trillion by 2020, according to research firm eMarketer. As e-commerce grows, so does the need for same-day delivery systems. Crowdshipping can complement truck deliveries with lighter, easier-to-maneuver vehicles, as more and more cities impose restrictions on truck traffic. “Just as we encourage projects that promote the use of public transportation, sustainable transport and non-motorized transportation, we also need products to reach these concentrated cities. Thus, urban logistics is a vital component of sustainable cities,” says Bianca Alves, Transportation Specialist at the World Bank. Crowdshipping can save companies money – as they no longer need to set up a carrier structure – and can be a new source of income for many people, but it also requires good regulation to work well. The video discusses aspects to consider when planning for innovative logistics solutions for the cities of the future.
When World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim landed in Buenos Aires in August, he brought an unequivocal message: Argentina is taking the difficult steps needed to lay the groundwork for a brighter future, and the World Bank Group stands ready to continue supporting Argentina to live up to its enormous potential. “We need openness and trade between countries for the transfer of knowledge and cutting-edge technology, ,” Kim said during a press conference with President Macri. “We also need to focus on enabling the conditions that favor stable markets, which in turn attract investment and create employment. I’m pleased and enthusiastic to see that Argentina is on this path.” The two-day trip was the first visit by a World Bank President to Argentina in 25 years, and included a whirlwind of meetings with government, business and thought leaders, and the press. Kim met with President Mauricio Macri to discuss the reforms implemented by the government, further engagement in the global economy, the upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in December, and Argentina’s Presidency of the G20 next year. Kim announced up to US$2 billion in new financing from the World Bank Group to Argentina over the coming year. Half of that will be for the public sector and the other half for private sector companies, as the World Bank Group continues to leverage public and private funds for infrastructure and other development investment. The institution is already working with Argentina in key areas including renewable energy, agriculture, poverty reduction, human development, the environment, infrastructure, and private sector development. Argentina’s choice of openness and integration over isolation has put the country on a promising path, Kim said in Spanish during a press conference with President Macri. Kim explained that he learned his Spanish as a young doctor treating drug-resistant tuberculosis in Peruvian slums – an experience that cemented his concern for the poor in South America. A key message Kim emphasized throughout the trip was the enormous potential to tap private capital to fund infrastructure and other development. He highlighted the example of the $480 million guarantee that the World Bank provide for the renewable energy sector in Argentina, which has helped mobilize over $3 billion in prospective private-sector investment. IFC also mobilized over $1 billion in private sector investment in renewable energy in the country. Kim joined Minister of Science, Technology, and Productive Innovation Lino Barañao at a forum on investing in the Future of Work, which tackled the complicated issue of technological change and how best to prepare people for the jobs of the future. Over 500 opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, and students gathered to consider this issue, which is attracting so much attention worldwide at this moment. The blistering pace of technological change is affecting every country in the world, Kim said – with information and communications technologies, robotics, and artificial intelligence posing a significant challenge, as well as a big opportunity. Automation will eliminate many of the less complex and low-skilled jobs, and the remaining jobs will demand new and more sophisticated skills. In the face of these accelerations, it’s crucial for all countries to invest early and effectively in their people, Kim said. It’s also critical for educators to work closely with the private sector to ensure that workers are being trained with the right skills for jobs that exist now and for the jobs of the future. With its large pool of educated, creative professionals, Argentina is particularly well suited to face these challenges, Kim pointed out. The country has produced five Nobel Laureates and four of the six “Unicorn” companies in Latin America – start-ups that are valued at over 1 billion dollars: Globant, MercadoLibre, Despegar, and OLX. Among middle-income countries, Argentina ranks 5th in terms of innovation quality in the recent Global Innovation Index. With more trips scheduled to Argentina over the next year for the G20 meetings, Kim will be paying close attention to the success and progress of the country’s reforms. He repeatedly emphasized the Bank’s commitment to supporting and assisting the country in every way possible along this path. “Successful countries make sacrifices at difficult times to put themselves on the path to growth,” Kim said during an interview on the Argentinian television program, Animales Sueltos. “If Argentines are willing to make some sacrifices together, they will have prosperity. They need to undertake a series of reforms based on empirical evidence, not ideology. For Argentina, the sky is the limit.”
Cuando el presidente del Grupo Banco Mundial, Jim Yong Kim, aterrizó en Buenos Aires en agosto, llegó con un mensaje inequívoco: Argentina ha adoptado las medidas difíciles que hacían falta para sentar las bases para un futuro mejor, y el Banco Mundial está listo para continuar ayudando al país a desplegar su enorme potencial. “Necesitamos apertura y comercio entre países para la transferencia de conocimiento y tecnología de vanguardia”, dijo Kim durante una rueda de prensa con el presidente Mauricio Macri. “También debemos enfocarnos en generar las condiciones que favorecen mercados estables, que a su vez atraen inversiones y crean empleo. Tras mi conversación con el presidente Macri, quedé muy entusiasmado y complacido de ver que Argentina está yendo por ese camino”. Este viaje de dos días fue la primera visita de un presidente del Banco Mundial a Argentina en 25 años, e incluyó numerosas reuniones con representantes del Gobierno, empresarios, líderes de opinión y la prensa. Kim se reunió en privado con el presidente Macri para analizar temas como las reformas implementadas por el Gobierno, las oportunidades para una mayor participación en la economía mundial, la próxima Conferencia Ministerial de la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), que se realizará en diciembre en Buenos Aires, y la presidencia del G-20, que Argentina ocupará el año entrante. Kim anunció que el año próximo el Grupo Banco Mundial otorgaría al país nuevo financiamiento por un valor de 2,000 millones de dólares. La mitad de ese monto se destinará al sector público y el resto, a empresas privadas, dado que el Banco Mundial continuará movilizando fondos públicos y privados para inversiones en infraestructura y en otros ámbitos del desarrollo. El Grupo Banco Mundial ya está trabajando con el país en áreas clave como energías renovables, agricultura, reducción de la pobreza, desarrollo humano, medio ambiente, infraestructura y desarrollo del sector privado. La decisión de Argentina de optar por la apertura y la integración en lugar del aislamiento ha puesto al país en un sendero prometedor, señaló Kim en español durante la conferencia de prensa con Macri. Kim explicó que aprendió español hace muchos años, cuando era joven y trabajaba como médico en la lucha contra la tuberculosis resistente a los medicamentos en los barrios pobres de Perú, una experiencia que cimentó su preocupación por los pobres de América del Sur. Uno de los mensajes que Kim puso de relieve durante toda la visita fue el enorme potencial para sacar provecho del capital privado y financiar proyectos de infraestructura y de otros ámbitos del desarrollo. Puso como ejemplo la garantía de 480 millones de dólares que el Banco Mundial proporciona para el sector de las energías renovables en Argentina, que contribuyó a movilizar más de 3,000 millones de dólares en eventuales inversiones privadas. La Corporación Financiera Internacional (IFC) también movilizó más de 1,000 millones de dólares en inversiones privadas para el sector de las energías renovables en el país. Kim participó junto con Lino Barañao, ministro de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva, en un foro titulado “Invirtiendo en los Empleos del Futuro”, en el que se analizó el complejo tema del cambio tecnológico y los modos más adecuados para preparar a las personas para los empleos del futuro. Más de 500 líderes de opinión, emprendedores y estudiantes se reunieron para analizar este tema, que hoy en día concita tanta atención en todo el mundo. El ritmo vertiginoso del cambio tecnológico tiene consecuencias sobre todos los países, dado que las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, la robótica y la inteligencia artificial representan un desafío significativo y a la vez una gran oportunidad, afirmó Kim. La automatización eliminará muchos de los empleos poco calificados y menos complejos, y los puestos de trabajo restantes demandarán capacidades nuevas y más sofisticadas. En consecuencia, es crucial que los países inviertan pronto y de manera eficaz en su población, sostuvo Kim. Es también clave que los educadores trabajen en estrecha colaboración con el sector privado para garantizar que los trabajadores desarrollen las capacidades adecuadas para los empleos que existen en la actualidad y para los del futuro. Con su enorme reserva de profesionales formados y creativos, Argentina se encuentra en muy buenas condiciones para enfrentar estos desafíos, señaló Kim. El país ha dado cinco premios Nobel y ha producido cuatro de los seis “unicornios” de América Latina, esto es, empresas emergentes valuadas en más de 1,000 millones de dólares: Globant, MercadoLibre, Despegar y OLX. Entre los países de ingreso mediano, Argentina se ubica en quinto lugar en calidad de la innovación, según el Índice Mundial de Innovación publicado recientemente. Dado que durante el próximo año Jim Kim visitará tres veces el país para asistir a las reuniones del G-20, observará con mucha atención los logros y los avances en las reformas que se encaren. Por otro lado, Kim hizo hincapié repetidamente en el compromiso que ha asumido el Banco de respaldar y ayudar al país de todas las formas posibles en este camino. “Los países exitosos hacen sacrificios en los momentos difíciles para colocarse en el sendero del crecimiento”, afirmó Kim durante una entrevista en el programa de televisión argentino Animales Sueltos. “Si los argentinos están dispuestos a hacer algunos sacrificios juntos, lograrán la prosperidad. Deben encarar una serie de reformas basadas en las pruebas empíricas, no en la ideología. Para Argentina, el cielo es el límite”.
Crowd: multitud. Shipping: envío. Al juntarse las dos palabras, surge un concepto cada vez más conocido entre los que se interesan por transportes, logística y movilidad urbana. En el espíritu de la economía colaborativa, el crowdshipping …
El estudio concluye que poner fin al matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas en la República Dominicana reduciría la proporción de niñas que tienen hijos antes de los 18 años y el crecimiento de la población. También mejoraría el alcance educativo de las niñas, así como los ingresos que tendrían esas niñas cuando sean adultas. SANTO DOMINGO, 23 de agosto de 2017 – El matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas están costando a la República Dominicana miles de millones de dólares y mantienen la pobreza intergeneracional, según un nuevo estudio publicado por el Banco Mundial y el Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia (UNICEF). Revela que poner fin al matrimonio infantil tendría un gran efecto positivo en el alcance de un mayor nivel educativo de las niñas, contribuiría a que las mujeres tuvieran menos hijos y a tenerlos más tarde en la vida, y aumentaría las ganancias de estas en su vida adulta. El estudio fue dado a conocer durante un acto realizado en el Palacio Nacional encabezado por la vicepresidenta de la República, doctora Margarita Cedeño; el Ministro de Economía, Planificación y Desarrollo, Isidoro Santana; la directora regional de UNICEF para América Latina y el Caribe, María Cristina Perceval; el representante del Banco Mundial en el país, Alessandro Legrottaglie; y el principal autor de la investigación y economista del Banco Mundial, Quentin Wodon. La investigación señala que las niñas casadas o en unión temprana son más propensas a abandonar la escuela y completar menos años de educación que las que se casan más tarde. Por el contrario, mantener a las niñas en la escuela es una de las mejores maneras de evitar el matrimonio infantil. También se ha observado que el matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas se asocian con mayor riesgo de maltrato a sus hijos en la primera infancia y con una menor tasa de registro de nacimiento de los mismos. Debido a sus efectos sobre la educación de las niñas, el matrimonio infantil también afecta al desarrollo de sus hijos en los primeros años de vida. "El matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas no solo ponen fin a las esperanzas y los sueños de las niñas, también obstaculizan los esfuerzos para acabar con la pobreza y lograr el crecimiento económico y la equidad de República Dominicana. Poner fin a esta práctica no es solo lo que hay que hacer en el plano moral y ético, sino también lo más inteligente desde el punto de vista económico", dijo Quentin Wodon, el principal autor del estudio y economista principal del Banco Mundial. Se estima que una niña que se case antes de los 18 años tendrá en promedio más hijos a lo largo de su vida que si se hubiera casado a los 18 años o más tarde. Como resultado, poner fin al matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas, reduciría la fertilidad total en un 10 % a nivel nacional y el crecimiento de la población. Asimismo, terminar el matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas reduciría sustancialmente la proporción de niñas que tienen hijos antes de los 18 años. Agrega que otro beneficio importante de terminar con el matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas sería un aumento de los ingresos esperados de las mujeres en el mercado de trabajo. Debido en gran parte al impacto del matrimonio infantil en la educación, las mujeres que se casan antes de los 18 años tienen, en promedio, ingresos que son 17 % más bajos que si se hubieran casado más tarde. Señala que estas menores ganancias en la edad adulta para las mujeres que se casan o unen a temprana edad, sumado a mayores tasas de fecundidad, conducen a mayores riesgos de pobreza. Indica que si se pusiera fin al matrimonio infantil se reduciría la pobreza en las familias de estas mujeres de 41 a 32 % y a nivel nacional de 31 a 28 %. “Las pautas culturales que promueven la desigualdad de género, la pobreza, las brechas de educación y la violencia intrafamiliar influyen en la percepción de las niñas, o de sus madres, de que el matrimonio precoz o unión temprana es un proyecto de vida aceptable, e incluso deseable como ‘la mejor opción económica’ si la pareja es un hombre mayor con ingresos. Planes nacionales intersectoriales, que incluyan empoderamiento de las niñas y fomento de pautas culturales familiares y sociales que las apoyen en la búsqueda de alternativas de vida, están teniendo buenos resultados en varios países”. señaló María Cristina Perceval, directora de UNICEF para América Latina y el Caribe. Por otro lado, debido a la reducción del crecimiento de la población, si se hubiera puesto fin a los matrimonios infantiles y uniones tempranas en 2014 hubiera supuesto un beneficio equivalente a aproximado de 171 millones de dólares en 2015 y en el año 2030 un beneficio anual de 4,800 millones de dólares. “Demostrar los costos del matrimonio infantil y las uniones tempranas tanto para las niñas que se casan o unen antes de los 18 años, como para todo el país, podrá ayudar a generar mayor inversión, y por tanto empoderar a todas la niñas y mujeres jóvenes”, declaró Alessandro Legrottaglie, representante del Banco Mundial en la República Dominicana. El estudio Impacto económico del matrimonio infantil para la República Dominicana forma parte de un estudio global y fue financiado por la Fundación del Fondo de Inversión para Niños, la Fundación Bill & Melinda Gates y la Alianza Mundial para la Educación. ### PRESS RELEASE NO: 2018/015/LAC ### Para obtener más información: Aileen Ceballos, UNICEF República Dominicana, (829) 659 9653, aceballos@unicef.org Christelle Chapoy, Banco Mundial, (202) 458 2656, cchapoy@worldbank.org
Basta que pensemos en cómo nos comunicábamos tan solo hace 30 años, cómo hacíamos las transacciones bancarias o las compras de alimentos o ropa para reconocer que el cambio tecnológico ha cambiado drásticamente nuestras vidas. Y en este contexto, el mercado laboral va galopando al ritmo de la innovación y cada transformación va reelaborando el boceto del mañana. Muchos de los trabajos que los niños y adolescentes de hoy harán en el futuro aún no existen. Los posibles #EmpleosdelFuturo son sorprendentes: cosechadores de agua atmosférica, optimizadores de biodesechos, diseñadores de modificaciones genéticas, optimizadores del tráfico de drones o chefs de impresión de comida 3D son algunos de los que enumeran futuristas como Thomas Frey, director ejecutivo del Da Vinci Institute. Nuevas variables entran en juego a la hora de responder una pregunta que antes parecía tener respuestas más evidentes: ¿Cómo será el trabajo del futuro? ¿Hacia dónde virar el timón a la hora de decidir cómo formarnos para no estar en desventaja? ¿Qué herramientas se le pueden brindar a los niños para prepararlos para esa suerte de escena de Futurama que quizá no está tan lejos de lo que imaginamos? Las nuevas tecnologías han sido caldo de cultivo para crear nuevas oportunidades de trabajo, han abierto posibilidades para ser más competitivos y aumentar la productividad. ¿Quién pone en duda que las plataformas de comercio en línea han podido conectar pequeños negocios con un mayor número de clientes y de forma más inmediata? ¿Está en tela de juicio que esa pequeña empresa haya podido ampliar su mercado a un menor costo? Las ventajas también implican desafíos. En el estudio Cambio tecnológico y el mercado de trabajo en Argentina y Uruguay. Un análisis desde el enfoque de tareas, elaborado por el Banco Mundial, los expertos señalan que “el cambio tecnológico, tal como el avance en las tecnologías digitales, las comunicaciones y la robótica, pueden implicar una mejora en el bienestar general de la población y reducir la pobreza, a partir del incremento de la productividad global de la economía. No obstante, si este proceso no es acompañado por inversiones complementarias, es decir reformas y políticas públicas dirigidas a aprovechar las ventajas que este proceso otorga, el avance tecnológico también podría profundizar una situación de desigualdad”. En este sentido, al compás de los nuevos tiempos late un riesgo: que se desplace a parte de los trabajadores. El cambio tecnológico implica que las máquinas, a través de ingeniosos algoritmos, se encarguen de hacer, cada vez más, las tareas manuales rutinarias. El Banco Mundial estima que, aunque no todos los trabajos son susceptibles de ser automatizados, “en promedio el 50% del actual empleo en América Latina podría no seguir siendo realizado por personas en el futuro”. Frente a los temores, las alternativas también levantan la mano. Los especialistas del área concluyen que ese escenario se puede afrontar con acciones que apuesten a una fuerza laboral que pueda adaptarse a los cambios. Aún estamos a tiempo para prepararnos. Una acción esencial, proponen, es crear programas de reentrenamiento para que los trabajadores de hoy adquieran nuevas habilidades a través de las cuáles puedan insertarse en los nuevos escenarios siendo cada vez más capaces de hacer tareas intelectuales no rutinarias, que no son susceptibles a la automatización, pues no pueden ser determinadas por reglas de programación. Estas acciones implican la cooperación entre el sector público y privado para redefinir el entrenamiento requerido, a partir de la identificación de las habilidades necesarias en el mercado laboral y la creación de empleos en los que los trabajadores puedan reubicarse. La educación tendría que inclinarse por el desarrollo de nuevas habilidades que tienen que ver más con lo intelectual que con lo manual; que deberían relacionarse más con el pensamiento crítico que con la capacidad de memorizar. Si los futuros trabajadores crecen y se capacitan con esta forma de pensar, se promoverá la calidad, la creatividad y su capacidad para participar o emprender proyectos exitosos que colaboren con la diversificación de la economía de los países en desarrollo. Flexibilidad, afán constante de aprender y, por qué no, valentía para romper esquemas serán cualidades apreciadas por los empleadores del futuro.
Challenge El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, and one of the most densely populated in the world. With a per capita gross domestic product of US$8,602 (in purchasing power parity terms) in 2015, and a population of 6.1 million, the country is largely urban (about 66 percent) and ranks in the 83rd percentile worldwide for population density. Since the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992, the country has advanced on both social and political fronts. In health, El Salvador has already achieved the Millennium Development Goal for reducing child mortality. In addition, the poorest segments of the population have been increasingly making use of healthcare facilities, aided in part by a policy of free primary care services. Immunization rates have also increased from 86 percent in the 1990s to 91 percent in recent years (2010-13). Similarly, access to improved sanitation and water resources increased from 79 percent to 90 percent, and the share with access to improved sanitation expanded from only 56 percent to over 70 percent during the same period. In education, both access to education, particularly at the primary level, and literacy rates have increased, with the most significant advances in urban areas. Finally, El Salvador has forged ahead in consolidating democracy since the end of the Civil War, with six consecutive democratically-elected governments and peaceful transitions of power. Despite this progress, poverty remains high, in part due to the country’s anemic growth. Using international poverty and extreme poverty lines of US$4 per day and US$2.5 per day, respectively, 31.4 percent of the Salvadoran population is considered poor (compared to 23.3 percent in the Latin America region), and 12.3 percent extremely poor (compared to 10.8 percent in the Latin America region). The country’s anemic growth is the main reason for the relative stagnation in poverty reduction. With an average growth rate of 1.5 percent (2001-15), El Salvador stands out as one of the slowest growing economies in the Latin America region. El Salvador faces numerous challenges, calling for action on many fronts. Political polarization, high levels of crime and violence, low levels of savings and investment, poor educational attainment and lack of skilled labor, and high rates of migration and remittances —among other factors—prevent the country from growing at a faster pace, and reducing poverty and increasing shared prosperity for its citizens. Approach In the face of these challenges, the WBG program has focused on ensuring social inclusion of the vulnerable segments of the population, while building foundations for inclusive growth. The WBG has been a key partner in supporting the country’s efforts to protect vulnerable households and expand effective and well-targeted safety net programs, as well as to increase access to basic health and education services. Moreover, the World Bank program has been promoting the creation of safer communities to boost economic development and focusing on providing at-risk youth and vulnerable groups with training, job readiness, and work experience to build their skills and assist their efforts to join the labor market. In addition, the World Bank is helping the country to foster sustainability and resilience, particularly by promoting the efficiency of public spending and building government capacity to manage natural disasters and environmental challenges. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) complement the World Bank support by focusing on sectors and areas that contribute to enhancing the country’s economic growth. IFC has been helping the country improve its investment climate, increase access to finance, and foster regional trade and financial inclusion. MIGA has provided guarantees in the manufacturing and financial sector. Results WBG financing helped achieving the following results from 2010 to 2016: Providing income support and contributing to the establishment of an integrated social protection system: By supporting the implementation of the Temporary Income Support Program (PATI) through the Income Support and Employability Project, the WBG helped channel resources to more than 40,000 beneficiaries (of which 70 percent were women and 30 percent between the ages of 16-24) in poor urban areas, preventing them from falling deeper into poverty. The PATI also included activities to promote opportunities for the urban poor by improving the coverage of labor intermediation, providing skills training, and organizing employment fairs, among other. As a result, one year after the completion of PATI, participants’ monthly income increased on average by US$18 per month. The WBG also helped improve the institutional capacity of the Government to develop an integrated social protection system by helping develop a Unified Registration System for social protection programs and design a Universal Social Protection System. Improving Access, Retention and Graduation Rates for Lower and Upper Secondary Education: By supporting the adoption of the Inclusive Full Time School (IFTS) Model, the WBG through the Education Quality Improvement Project has been helping the country improve access, graduation, and retention rates for lower and upper secondary education. The IFTS Model addresses the problems of quality and exclusion of economically disadvantaged students, and tackles problems of early drop out, repetition and poor learning outcomes. It does this by providing stimulating and diverse learning experiences, a safe learning environment, teaching that is responsive to the social and developmental needs of young adolescents from diverse backgrounds, and school accountability for student results. To date, the WBG-financed Project has supported the renovation of seventeen schools and 209 school facilities (including classrooms, libraries, study rooms, teacher rooms, sports and recreation spaces) and has benefited around 40,000 students with new facilities, learning materials, and pedagogical activities. The Project is also supporting the improvement of pedagogical skills of around 1,997 teachers through a series of certified trainings. Expanding Coverage of Health Services: With support from the Strengthening Public Health Care System Project, El Salvador has been expanding the coverage of health services provided by the Integrated Health Care Services Network to the 82 poorest municipalities of the country. This Network is critical for delivering high quality health services and aims to reduce fragmentation, inefficiencies, and coverage gaps by providing health services through three levels of care: (i) the primary level includes family and community health units; (ii) the secondary level includes basic and general hospitals; and (iii) the third level includes specialized hospitals. To date, a total of 21 hospitals, 52 community health units and 19 administrative offices have benefited from infrastructure renovation projects, the acquisition of medical equipment, medicines and medical supplies, and the procurement of ambulances, among other. Moreover, the Project has provided training to about 900 medical staff on maternal health, reproductive and sexual health, teenage pregnancy, child health, and nutrition, and promoted compliance with medical waste management systems. Finally, the Project has proven to be a practical tool for the Government particularly in response to national emergencies, such as the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. Enhancing the Capacity of Local Governments to Deliver Services: WBG support sought to strengthen municipalities’ institutional and technical capacity to design and implement municipal sub-projects through the Local Government Strengthening Project, benefitting around three million people across 262 municipalities through the development of more than 500 infrastructure projects. These projects for electrification, clean water and sanitation, waste management, construction and improvement of roads and bridges, and renovation of sports and recreation spaces generated around 12,000 temporary jobs. Moreover, the WBG supported a number of certified training programs in the areas of decentralization, fiscal management, and territorial development, improving the technical skills of more than 500 local government staff. Finally, the WBG supported the implementation of a municipal management information system, contributing to enhanced transparency and increased access to information. Bank Group Contribution The World Bank’s current active portfolio in El Salvador includes two investment projects in the education and health sectors, totaling US$140 million in net commitments, This investment portfolio is complemented with trust funds and analytical and advisory services focusing on fiscal management, capital and financial markets development, climate change and disaster risk management. IFC seeks to facilitate access to credit and improve availability of finance through IFC credit lines tailored to small entrepreneurs and households. As of July 2017, IFC’s investment program was US$160 million. MIGA has US$129.3 million in gross exposure across three projects in the financial and services sectors. Partners Donor cooperation and partnerships play a fundamental role in achieving the development outcomes of El Salvador. To ensure complementarity of its activities, the WBG is closely coordinating with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the European Union, the United Nations Development Program, and other bilateral donors, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the German Development Bank (KfW), the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ), and Spain, among others. For example, the MCC is currently expanding the IFTS Model to 80 additional schools in the eastern region of the country, complementing the WBG’s support. In the area of increasing access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in addition to IFC, IDB is providing technical assistance to MSMEs and KfW is supporting SMEs through special credit lines for renewable energy. The climate change and the resilience agenda is also being supported in close coordination with other partners, including JICA, GIZ and IDB. Moving Forward The WBG will continue its partnership with El Salvador in line with the Country Partnership Framework 2016-2019 that focuses on building the foundations to promote inclusive growth, and fostering sustainability and resilience. To this end, the World Bank will continue implementing its investment portfolio in the education and health sectors, and complement its support with knowledge products, advisory services, and technical assistance focusing on youth employability, crime and violence, financial sector development, fiscal management, and climate change resilience. In addition, IFC will continue bolstering private sector development by: (i) focusing on measures to improve the investment climate and trade facilitation; (ii) improving infrastructure and renewable energy sources; and (iii) increasing access to finance for MSMEs, with particular emphasis on agribusiness. MIGA will continue to explore opportunities to meet requests from investors. Beneficiaries Carolina Silva, a young student from the la Libertad department in El Salvador, is more eager to learn as a result of the financial assistance she received through the Income Support Employability Project. When asked what made a difference, she replied: “The only thing that I needed to have perfect attendance in school was the possibility to afford to pay for the bus fare and not miss a day of school.” This financial aid not only helped secure bus fares for those children in need, but also helped to improve the safety of Carolina and other children, by ensuring safe arrival to school as children no longer had to walk alone through dangerous neighborhoods. Learn More Links to key related sites The web site of the World Bank for El Salvador offers in-depth information on all projects and programs in the country. Links to partner websites Ministry of Economy and Finance Multimedia A school bus full of opportunities for children and youth in El Salvador Trabajar deja de ser un sueño para miles de salvadoreños Música, escuelas y empleo para un mayor desarrollo de El Salvador
Challenge Panama’s economic growth has been faster than any other country in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region over recent years, averaging 7.2 percent from 2001-2013. The country’s rapid growth has translated into significant poverty reduction. Between 2007 and 2012, poverty declined from 39.9 percent of the population to 26.2 percent, and extreme poverty from 15.6 to 11.3 percent. During the same period, income growth of households in the bottom 40 percent of population increased 8.2 percent, compared to the average per capita income, which grew by 6.6 percent. Although growth at the aggregate level has been largely pro-poor and inequality has declined, not everyone has shared equally in Panama’s prosperity. The indigenous peoples living in semi-autonomous territories (comarcas) and groups living in remote rural areas suffer from higher poverty levels and significant gaps in access to basic services than the rest of the country. For instance, in the poorest comarca with the largest population, Ngäbe Buglé, poverty rates reach 93 percent and extreme poverty 83 percent. In addition, most of the poor are settled in vulnerable areas, exposed to natural disasters. In order for Panama to maintain its growth model and for all Panamanians to benefit from it, economic, social, and environmental challenges must be addressed. These include ensuring a well-educated workforce with relevant skills to sustain economic growth, inclusion of marginalized groups and indigenous peoples, adequate and modern infrastructure to support a high performing economy, strengthened public sector institutions that promote efficiency and transparency, compliance with international financial standards to maintain investment flows, and sustainable natural resource management and resilience to natural disasters. Approach Given Panama’s unique development challenges and the sophistication of its economy, the World Bank Group (WBG) has supported the country’s efforts to maintain high growth, while ensuring that benefits reach all. The World Bank has been a key partner on policy reform for fiscal sustainability, enhanced targeting of social protection programs, and modernization of the public sector planning and budgeting system with enhanced transparency. Moreover, the World Bank program has had a clear focus on poverty and shared prosperity, supporting social inclusion by building productive alliances to help increase producer incomes, increasing the percentage of women receiving pre-natal care, and improving water and sanitation services in rural and poor communities. In addition to financing, the WBG has provided high-quality technical assistance and cutting-edge knowledge, particularly in managing fiscal risks stemming from natural disasters. WBG engagement in Panama also includes International Finance Corporation (IFC) investments and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) guarantees, which have supported the core growth sectors of the economy, centered on the Panama Canal, urban transportation, energy, trade, and financial services. Results World Bank (IBRD) financing helped achieved the following results from 2008 to 2015: Increased Income and Productive Capacity of Small-Scale Producers: Financing and technical assistance for access to markets was provided to 152 productive alliances of small-scale producers in high-poverty areas, including indigenous areas. Producers benefitted from increased agricultural productivity and a 23 percent increase in sales. Around 4,600 producers (30 percent women) received investment and technical support through 130 sub-projects covering a range of agro activities. Improved Targeting of Social Transfer Programs and Increased Social Security Coverage: By improving the targeting of the Red de Oportunidades program (translated as “Network of Opportunities”), the Government channeled resources to the poor in remote geographic areas, largely excluded in the past, increasing coverage in the indigenous comarcas (from 50% in 2008, to 70% in 2014) which represented 46 percent of beneficiary households. Improved Households Access to Quality Basic Health and Nutrition Services: Through the provision of a basic package of health services under the Coverage Extension Strategy, mobile health units provided regular access to a basic package of health services to 149,028 beneficiaries from 47 poor rural communities by 2014, with 86 percent of pregnant women receiving at least three prenatal controls (compared to 20 percent in 2010), and 96 percent of children under age one receiving full vaccinations (compared to 26 percent in 2010). Enhanced Capacity for Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change: The Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Risk Deferred Drawdown Option has been a quick and flexible instrument in addressing a national drought emergency triggered by El Niño phenomenon (2015-2016), including support to the Water Security High Level Committee in the development and implementation of the National Water Security Plan. Most of the World Bank disaster risk management support has been provided through technical assistance activities with key results including the development of the first Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance Framework in Latin America, and a strengthened emergency preparedness and response capacity at the subnational level. Bank Group Contribution Following a decade of limited engagement, the World Bank Group partnership with Panama was rejuvenated in 2005. Since then, the World Bank has delivered US$1.1 billion including operations in education, health, social protection, land administration, rural productivity, rural and urban water and sanitation, disaster risk management, public sector efficiency, and environment. Along with financial assistance, the World Bank has provided high-quality technical assistance and cutting-edge knowledge — in urban planning, urban transport system reform, disaster risk management, and logistics — to leverage increased economic activity resulting from the reversion of the Panama Canal in 1999. IFC and MIGA have provided support for private sector investments and employment generation. IFC’s investment in Panama grew from nine projects totaling US$166 million over 2002–2006, to 28 projects representing US$ 1.2 billion gross investment during 2007–2014. These include support for the Panama Canal Expansion Project and the Penonomé Windfarm. The role of MIGA has been critical for improving urban mobility through the provision of the guarantee for the Metro Line 1. Partners Several operations have been implemented jointly or in close coordination with other donors. This was done successfully with the water program, providing, in part, a platform for dialogue on policy reform. Both the Metro Water and Sanitation Project and the Water Supply and Sanitation in Low Income Communities Project were coordinated with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) to cover distinct geographical areas. This proved to be a good model, allowing each multilateral to manage and develop its project activities in focalized areas. In terms of knowledge services, the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment was conducted jointly with IDB to identify challenges in Panama’s public financial management system. Moving Forward The WBG will continue its partnership with Panama in line with the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) under implementation to help reduce extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity by supporting Panama’s growth while ensuring inclusion and opportunities for marginalized groups, and bolstering resilience and sustainability. The CPF features a mix of instruments, drawing on the strengths of the institutions of the World Bank Group to provide Panama with a package of assistance to best address the country’s development needs. Leveraging the comparative advantages of the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA will facilitate the delivery of a complementary suite of services and greater partnership with the private sector. The World Bank and IFC are already collaborating strongly in the energy sector where the World Bank is supporting the modernization of the sector through the elimination of distortions, as well as new legislation to diversify the generation matrix, and IFC is investing in renewable energy (wind). MIGA will explore providing guarantees for energy and other infrastructure investments. During the CPF period, the WBG institutions will further explore potential synergies to accelerate progress towards the WBG’s twin goals. Beneficiaries Hilaria Palacios is a mother of five children and is four months pregnant with her sixth. Previously, it was very difficult for Hilaria to access health services because it required walking long distances or paying prohibitive transport costs just to reach the local clinic. Thanks to community visits by a mobile team of health professionals, including a doctor, a nurse, a technician, nutritionist, an environmental health sanitation specialist, and a driver, health comes to Hilaria. This approach allows Hilaria to have monthly access to quality basic health services during her pregnancy. Hilaria Palacios, project beneficiary commenting on the difficulty of accessing care prior to the mobile health teams: “I had to walk or take a boat to receive check-ups. It was very difficult.” Today, Hilaria receives care from the mobile health teams: “Here, I receive monthly check-ups from the Doctor.” Learn More Links to key related sites The web site of the World Bank for Panama offers in-depth information on all projects and programs in the country. Links to partner websites Ministry of Economy and Finance Multimedia Ya no hace falta esperar a que llueva en Panamá Providing better health quality for moms and their children in Panama ¿Cómo se pueden reducir riesgos ordenando el territorio? BLOG A Tale of Two Panamas: How Results-Based Financing improves Health for Rural Mothers and Children
