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Organization: Tetra Tech
Country: Colombia
Closing date: 01 Nov 2017

Tetra Tech está buscando Múltiples Especialistas para implementar un Programa Territorios de Oportunidad (CDLO) por sus siglas en Ingles, financiado por la USAID durante cinco años, en Colombia. El propósito del programa es fortalecer la capacidad de comunidades afligidas por el conflicto para ser colaboradores fiables y eficaces interactuando con actores estatales y actores del sector privado en la implementación de actividades comprehensivas de desarrollo económico y social rural, incluyendo la promoción de la sustitución de cultivos ilegales y el desarrollo alternativo.

COORDINADOR REGIONAL – Con mínimo 10 años de experiencia coordinando programas de desarrollo integral en territorios complejos, preferiblemente con recursos de cooperación. Habilidades demostrables en trabajo con comunidades, en desarrollo rural y liderazgo con equipos interdisciplinarios. Capacidad en gestionar y apoyar actividades con enfoque estratégico, con una alta coordinación institucional. Amplio conocimiento de las dinámicas de los territorios localizados en las zonas del Caquetá. Sede Florencia con disponibilidad de desplazamiento en estas regiones.

ESPECIALISTA ADMINISTRATIVO – Experiencia mínima de cinco (5) años en la administración de oficinas, amplia experiencia en compras, logística y manejo de inventarios. Conocimientos básicos de tecnología informática y de soporte, preferiblemente conocimientos contables, financieros trabajando con programas de desarrollo comunitario, preferiblemente en la implementación de programas de cooperación. Habilidad y experiencia para capacitar a terceros en la administración / preferiblemente manejo de contratos y donaciones. Sede Florencia con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

ESPECIALISTA EN MONITOREO Y EVALUACION – Con mínimo cuatro (4) años de experiencia de trabajo en planeación, monitoreo y seguimiento a proyectos de desarrollo, preferiblemente de cooperación. Experiencia en actividades de monitoreo de campo, revisión y captura de indicadores, seguimiento ambiental y manejo de sistemas de información y bases de datos. Sede Florencia con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

PROFESIONAL OFICIAL ENLACE CON LAS COMUNIDADES – Con mínimo seis (6) años de experiencia en la estructuración e implementación de proyectos con comunidades, preferiblemente en el marco de proyectos de cooperación. Habilidades demostrables en la formulación y supervisión de actividades con enfoque integral. Experiencia en trabajos con grupos vulnerables, principalmente en la construcción de capital social. Conocimiento de las dinámicas de los territorios localizados en las zonas del Caquetá. Capacidades importantes en la gestión y coordinación institucional. Sede Florencia con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

How to apply:

Aplicaciones abiertas hasta el 1 de Noviembre de 2017

Para ser considerados los solicitantes deben presentar lo siguiente como parte del proceso en línea:

*Hoja de vida de máximo dos (2) hojas.

*Una carta de motivación explicando la experiencia relevante al cargo al cual está aplicando.

Solo los candidatos que cumplan los requisitos serán llamados a entrevista. Para el cargo de enlace con las comunidades indique la sede para la cual aplica. Si el candidato que aplique no es contactado, por favor asuma que no cumplió los requisitos de la convocatoria.

Diríjase a este link si está interesado en esta convocatoria e indique la posición para la cual está aplicando:

https://goo.gl/Giw75Q

Por favor indicar donde vio este aviso publicitario.

Tetra Tech es proveedor líder en consultoría, ingeniería y servicios técnicos a nivel mundial. Nuestra reputación se basa en los conocimientos técnicos y dedicación de nuestros empleados- 16.000 personas trabajando juntas en diferentes disciplinas y horarios para proporcionar soluciones inteligentes y sostenibles en proyectos desafiantes. Nos orgullece ser el hogar de los principales expertos técnicos en agua, medio ambiente, infraestructura, gestión de recursos, energía y desarrollo internacional. Tetra Tech combina los recursos de una empresa mundial multibillonaria con la entrega local, centrada en el cliente en 400 lugares del mundo. Ofrecemos compensaciones y beneficios competitivos, estamos buscando personas innovadoras para unirse a nuestros equipos.

Organization: Tetra Tech
Country: Colombia
Closing date: 01 Nov 2017

Tetra Tech está buscando Múltiples Especialistas para implementar un Programa Territorios de Oportunidad (CDLO) por sus siglas en Ingles, financiado por la USAID durante cinco años, en Colombia. El propósito del programa es fortalecer la capacidad de comunidades afligidas por el conflicto para ser colaboradores fiables y eficaces interactuando con actores estatales y actores del sector privado en la implementación de actividades comprehensivas de desarrollo económico y social rural, incluyendo la promoción de la sustitución de cultivos ilegales y el desarrollo alternativo.

COORDINADOR REGIONAL – Con mínimo 10 años de experiencia coordinando programas de desarrollo integral en territorios complejos, preferiblemente con recursos de cooperación. Habilidades demostrables en trabajo con comunidades, en desarrollo rural y liderazgo con equipos interdisciplinarios. Capacidad en gestionar y apoyar actividades con enfoque estratégico, con una alta coordinación institucional. Amplio conocimiento de las dinámicas de los territorios localizados en las zonas del Meta y Guaviare. Sede Granada con disponibilidad de desplazamiento en estas regiones.

ESPECIALISTA ADMINISTRATIVO – Experiencia mínima de cinco (5) años en la administración de oficinas, amplia experiencia en compras, logística y manejo de inventarios. Conocimientos básicos de tecnología informática y de soporte, preferiblemente conocimientos contables, financieros trabajando con programas de desarrollo comunitario, preferiblemente en la implementación de programas de cooperación. Habilidad y experiencia para capacitar a terceros en la administración / preferiblemente manejo de contratos y donaciones. Sede Granada con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

ESPECIALISTA EN MONITOREO Y EVALUACION – Con mínimo cuatro (4) años de experiencia de trabajo en planeación, monitoreo y seguimiento a proyectos de desarrollo, preferiblemente de cooperación. Experiencia en actividades de monitoreo de campo, revisión y captura de indicadores, seguimiento ambiental y manejo de sistemas de información y bases de datos. Sede Granada con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

PROFESIONAL OFICIAL ENLACE CON LAS COMUNIDADES – Con mínimo seis (6) años de experiencia en la estructuración e implementación de proyectos con comunidades, preferiblemente en el marco de proyectos de cooperación. Habilidades demostrables en la formulación y supervisión de actividades con enfoque integral. Experiencia en trabajos con grupos vulnerables, principalmente en la construcción de capital social. Conocimiento de las dinámicas de los territorios localizados en las zonas del Meta y Guaviare. Capacidades importantes en la gestión y coordinación institucional. Sede Granada con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

PROFESIONAL ENLACE CON LAS COMUNIDADES – Con mínimo cuatro (4) años de experiencia en la estructuración e implementación de proyectos con comunidades, preferiblemente en el marco de proyectos de cooperación. Habilidades demostrables en el seguimiento de actividades con enfoque integral. Experiencia en trabajos con grupos vulnerables, principalmente en la construcción de capital social. Conocimiento de las dinámicas de los territorios localizados en las zonas del Meta y Guaviare. Capacidades importantes en la coordinación institucional. Sede San José del Guaviare con disponibilidad de viajar en la región.

How to apply:

Aplicaciones abiertas hasta el 1 de Noviembre de 2017

Para ser considerados los solicitantes deben presentar lo siguiente como parte del proceso en línea:

*Hoja de vida de máximo dos (2) hojas.

*Una carta de motivación explicando la experiencia relevante al cargo al cual está aplicando.

Solo los candidatos que cumplan los requisitos serán llamados a entrevista. Si el candidato que aplique no es contactado, por favor asuma que no cumplió los requisitos de la convocatoria.

Diríjase a este link si está interesado en esta convocatoria e indique la posición para la cual está aplicando:

https://goo.gl/e8oUfT

Por favor indicar donde vio este aviso publicitario.

Tetra Tech es proveedor líder en consultoría, ingeniería y servicios técnicos a nivel mundial. Nuestra reputación se basa en los conocimientos técnicos y dedicación de nuestros empleados- 16.000 personas trabajando juntas en diferentes disciplinas y horarios para proporcionar soluciones inteligentes y sostenibles en proyectos desafiantes. Nos orgullece ser el hogar de los principales expertos técnicos en agua, medio ambiente, infraestructura, gestión de recursos, energía y desarrollo internacional. Tetra Tech combina los recursos de una empresa mundial multibillonaria con la entrega local, centrada en el cliente en 400 lugares en todo el mundo. Ofrecemos compensaciones y beneficios competitivos y está buscando personas innovadoras para unirse a nuestros equipos.

Desde hace casi dos años, ‘The Spread’ es la principal guía para la educación sexual de miles de jóvenes en Kenia, un país donde cada año se registran más de 77.000 nuevos casos de VIH

Uruguay, una de las naciones más audaces de Latinoamérica en materia de políticas sociales se enfrenta a un desafío nuevo y viejo a la vez: el problema charrúa

Unos 145.000 migrantes han llegado este año a Europa a través del Mediterráneo. La isla italiana de Lampedusa es una de las puertas de entrada. ¿Cómo se vive allí esta situación ya tan cotidiana?

La tasa mundial de escolarización primaria entre los niños desplazados es del 61%. La comunidad internacional debe acompañar sus compromisos hacia ellos con acciones

Synopsis The Haitian population is one of the most exposed in the world to natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. The number of disasters per kilometer tops the average for other Caribbean countries. The Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index ranked Haiti third in the world in 1995–2014 for impacts from climatic events, and the country is among the ten zones in the world considered most vulnerable to climate change. In 2008, tropical storms and hurricanes caused losses estimated at 15 percent of GDP. The earthquake on January 12, 2010, killed 220,000 people, displaced 1.5 million people, and destroyed the equivalent of 120 percent of GDP. These disasters tend to disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginal populations, those settling in the flood zones and coastal areas particularly affected by tropical storms. Almost 50 percent of damage and losses to the productive sectors have been concentrated in the agricultural sector. Based on available historic data, weather-related disasters are estimated to have caused damage and losses in Haiti amounting to about two percent of GDP on average per year from 1975 to 2012. Challenge Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti on October 4, 2016, as a Category 4 hurricane. The combined effects of wind, coastal flooding and rain caused heavy flooding, landslides, and the destruction of a great deal of infrastructure, agricultural crops and natural ecosystems. In all, 546 people were killed, more than 175,500 people sought refuge in shelters, and about 1.4 million people required immediate humanitarian assistance. An assessment of the damage and losses had to be carried out very quickly to unlock financial resources from the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund to provide the assistance needed by those affected by the disaster. Approach The WBG, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, closely supported the client through data gathering from field visits, phone surveys, and satellites and drones, as well as simulations through modelling. A full report assessing the damage and losses was delivered less than two weeks after the request, a task that usually takes at least three months. This rapid assessment covered all affected sectors and was the first multi-sectoral evaluation of the socioeconomic impacts of the hurricane as well as of its macroeconomic effects and impacts on individual and household income. Results Matthew was a Category 4 hurricane, an event predicted to occur only once every 56 years. It inflicted damage and losses in Haiti estimated at the equivalent of 22 percent of GDP. Specific impacts of the hurricane included the following:The disaster affected over 2 million people, about 20 percent of Haiti’s population, primarily in the poorest regions of the county.The hurricane resulted in flooding, landslides, and extensive destruction of infrastructure and livelihoods.The agriculture and housing/urban sectors were the hardest hit, with up to 90 percent of crops and livestock lost in some areas.Thousands of structures were damaged, and key roads and bridges were washed away.It’s estimated that over 450,000 children were out of school.The vaccine cold chain was destroyed.A sharp increase in suspected cholera cases was recorded in affected departments. Assessing in record time the damage and losses, as well as identifying the most affected sectors and the potential human costs, led to rapid reallocation of about US$50 million from the Bank’s ongoing portfolio. The enabled responses included:Rehabilitation of roads and bridges, including the major bridge to the country’s south.Schools were repaired and refurnished, semi-permanent school shelters built, school children fed, and water treatment kits and school kits provided.Rapid response to cholera was strengthened.Emergency sanitation and chlorination water systems were implemented.Irrigations systems were rehabilitated, inputs for the next agricultural season were provided and seeds given to 2,500 farmers.Some entrepreneurs received cash transfers to cover damages and losses in the coffee, cocoa, and honey value chains.Portable solar lamps and solar household systems were made available, some distribution grids were rehabilitated, hurricane preparedness was strengthened and energy infrastructure vulnerability was reduced. These rapid interventions not only helped to minimize losses in the winter harvest and prevent widespread famine, they also helped contain the cholera outbreak and limit migration and violence. Bank Group Contribution The World Bank, through the International Development Association (IDA), reallocated US$50 million from ongoing projects to the affected sectors. In addition, US$100 million under the IDA Crisis Response Window were mobilized for four additional financings to relaunch heavily damaged agriculture, restore connectivity through transport infrastructure and provide a robust cholera response. Partners Bank support focused on sectors with limited technical capacity, and particularly those sectors with counterparts in the government. The support promoted local ownership of the assessment by each of the line ministries while ensuring implementation of a standardized methodology. The rapid assessment benefited from joint support from the Inter-American Development Bank teams, FAO, UNICEF, and UNEP. In addition, the IMF mobilized US$ 41 million under their Rapid Credit Facility to help with urgent balance of payments needs in the aftermath of Matthew. Beneficiaries The rapid assessment allowed the identification of populations in need of urgent assistance, including over 30,000 children in affected schools. The assessment also provided information for effective targeting of rehabilitation efforts: about 45 school roofs and school grounds were rehabilitated, 60 semi-permanent shelters were built, and 4,000 pieces of school furniture (benches, desks, blackboards, etc.) were distributed, enabling schools to reopen and to increase their capacity in the short and medium term. In addition, 16,000 student kits (bag, books, notebooks, pens), 900 teacher kits (including dictionaries, compasses, rulers, maps), and 151 school kits (including blackboards and chalk) were distributed. Further efforts included providing 22,000 students in 90 schools in affected regions (Grand’Anse, Sud, and Nippes) with a daily snack and hot meal, as well as water-treatment and sanitation kits, soap, de-worming medication, vitamin A and cholera-prevention hygiene training.  Subsequent interventions targeted 1.5 million beneficiaries in areas with limited health service delivery infrastructure. Isolated populations in the southern peninsula benefited from the provision of health services through mobile clinics, and in Nippes, Grande-Anse and Sud, 300,000 children benefited from the restoration of basic infrastructure for immunization and vaccine cold chains. Cash transfers and in-kind support will also be provided to 325 micro, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. The cash transfers and in-kind support will help the beneficiaries recover from losses and continue productive activities in their respective value chain, i.e., coffee (Grand’Anse and Southeast); vetiver (South); and honey (Nippes). Moving Forward This rapid damage and losses assessment fed into the more thorough Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) undertaken under the leadership of the Haitian Ministry of Planning, with support from the World Bank Group, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP and various UN agencies. The PDNA was finalized in early January 2017 and launched by the President of the Republic in early February 2017. More importantly, this rapid assessment was instrumental in drawing up the needed framework and quickly moving from emergency response to recovery. Finally, this rapid assessment served as an important input to the preparation of the Bank’s first financing to reach the Board post–Hurricane Matthew. An International Development Agency education grant of US$ 30 million to maintain access to quality education in the areas most affected by Hurricane Matthew, delivered to the Board approximately five weeks after the disaster, was approved in November 2016.      

Challenge Between 2005 and 2010, Belize had the third highest urban population growth rate in the region—3.1 percent per annum—with much of this growth in its towns and cities coming from other Central American countries. Unable to acquire land, many immigrants lived in informal settlements, often in areas at high risk of flooding without proper infrastructure to mitigate such risks. Compounding this, the poverty rate was high and growing. From 2002 to 2009, the national poverty rate increased from 34.1 to 41.3 percent. During the 1990s Belize started the process of decentralization to empower local councils, but there was little progress until 2009. These councils lacked the capacity to address the increasing socioeconomic, governance, and infrastructure challenges that came with this population growth. To address municipal management, the Belizean government identified the following areas requiring assistance: (i) improving local revenue administration; (ii) enhancing traffic management; (iii) enhancing financial accountability; and (iv) improving urban planning. Approach Improving municipal infrastructure and management was a high priority for the Belizean government, so the World Bank mobilized a team of experts in urban development, economic growth and disaster risk management to provide support. The Municipal Development Project (MDP) was structured to (i) address bottlenecks in key infrastructure needed to support economic growth and mobility; (ii) modernize and enhance municipal management; (iii) reduce vulnerability to natural disasters; and (iv) improve public-sector transparency and accountability. The MDP was designed to require the municipal councils to complete strategic governance actions before  accessing funds for infrastructure works. The Bank also leveraged grant resources from the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) to support in-depth capacity building around financial management, as well as assistance from the Revenue Enhancement Support Program (RESP). Activities included (i) conducting diagnostics of fiscal conditions; (ii) training practitioners on financial management, revenue collection, and use of financial management software; (iii) supporting technology upgrades; (iv) designing a new chart of accounts that included, for the first time, a balance sheet; and (v) presenting mayors with a Handbook containing effective strategies for revenue collection.   Results Over its six-year course from 2010 to 2016, the project helped improve municipal governance, strengthen municipal fiscal sustainability and build disaster and climate resilience. Key achievements include: o   Improved fiscal conditions. The RESP supported significant improvements to the fiscal conditions in municipalities by enhancing the councils’ financial management capacity, resulting in increased revenue collection, operational surpluses, and capital additions. Financial management systems have been computerized, revenue collections are now being enforced in more areas and revenue personnel are on the staff of most of the councils. o   More transparency and accountability. To access the MDP funds, councils held open town hall meetings, hired financial management staff and made financial information public.   o   Enhanced planning for future economic development. Using participatory and analytical processes incorporating urban planning, seven town councils prepared and adopted municipal growth plans (MGPs) outlining opportunities for growth and economic development. o   Improved community engagement. Communities identified the areas for investment and monitored progress through community consultation committees. In addition, the development of the MGPs was robust in its community engagement design. The working groups consisted of technical experts, residents, and public-sector representatives, making it inclusive yet technically sound. o   Improved asset maintenance. Physical asset maintenance plans and budgets were prepared for the councils, the members of which were provided with a planning tool and training to support them in making informed decisions about infrastructure investments and maintenance works. o   Improved infrastructure. With the construction of infrastructure works, including drainage works (33.7 km), improved roads (14.85 km), public spaces, and buildings, the project directly improved the lives and livelihoods of 157,233 people. o   Improved traffic management. Traffic management plans were developed in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank’s Road Safety Program. Consequently, significant improvements were made in traffic flows, particularly in the downtown areas of some municipalities. o   Improved technical capacity. Council staff, totaling 220 individuals, received training on various aspects of municipal management for improved service delivery. Bank Group Contribution The Bank, through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, provided a loan in the amount of US$15 million to help finance the infrastructure works, technical assistance, and the capacity building activities of this Municipal Development Project. Partners Resources provided by the MDP were augmented by US$310,000 provided by the councils to support the infrastructure investments, as well as an in-kind contribution in the amount of US$420,000 from the national government. PPIAF resources of US$75,000 were mobilized as well to increase the impact of the RESP by enabling in-depth, hands-on support and training on financial management. Strong leadership from the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) helped ensure the project’s success, along with the ownership taken by the mayors and municipal councils and the implementation efforts supplied by the Social Investment Fund, led by a Project Implementation Unit. Community engagement and oversight were also crucial to achieving results. Within the government, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Works each played a vital role, and along with the MED comprised the Project Steering Committee. Beneficiaries In August 2016, Hurricane Matthew hit Belize. Anecdotal information indicates that areas in which project-supported road infrastructure works and rehabilitation took place suffered little or no flooding during the hurricane’s heavy rains, illustrating the communities’ increased resilience to adverse climatic events. Additional benefits of the improved infrastructure include: o   Better access to critical public facilities, such as schools, and to commercial areas in some municipalities. o   Improved aesthetics in some downtown areas. o   Improved physical and sanitary environments in some municipal markets.  o   Provision of additional and improved recreational facilities for all ages, contributing to strengthened family and community bonds. “The BMDP Project has been a tremendous boon to our city in terms of improving local economic development. It has improved the infrastructure in several key commercial zones of the city, namely Nim Li Punit Street and the bus terminal/market area in particular. It has greatly increased ease of movement around the city, opening a new conduit onto one of our major thoroughfares, Constitution Drive.” —Khalid Belisle, Mayor of Belmopan Moving Forward Many councils have expressed interest in building on the achievements of the MDP and further enhancing institutional capacity by focusing on the following areas: o   Transparency and Accountability. The project has been instrumental in strengthening the capacity of the councils, particularly around financial management. Councils plan to continue training new staff to ensure that financial transparency is sustained. o   MGPs. Councils plan to use the MGPs to inform new urban development and enhance opportunities for economic growth. o   Asset Management and Maintenance. Councils plan to continue maintaining their assets through interventions described in the asset management plans.

世界银行集团：投资者青睐东亚与可再生能源 2017年10月20日，新加坡：世界银行集团新报告说，数十亿美元的投资项目推动发展中国家私营部门基础设施项目投资走强，在2016年水平上增?…

Singapore, October 20, 2017: Multi-billion dollar projects are fueling stronger private sector investment in infrastructure projects in developing countries, which increased by 24 percent from 2016 levels, reflecting US$36.7 billion across 132 projects, says a new World Bank Group report. However, although the growth of larger-sized projects is contributing to improved figures for the first half of 2017, investment levels remain 15 percent lower than the half-year averages of the past five years, reports the Half Yearly Update of the Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) Database. Excluding the mega-projects, average project sizes increased from US$156 million in 2016 to US$171 million in 2017. “Private sector investors are committing increased investment in infrastructure projects, and that is a welcome development given the tremendous need for more infrastructure in developing countries. The World Bank Group continues to encourage more private investment in infrastructure, which remains a small part of total infrastructure spending. Since 1990, the private sector has invested only US$1.6 trillion overall in infrastructure projects in developing countries,” said Cledan Mandri-Perrott, Head of the Infrastructure, PPPs, and Guarantees Group at the World Bank Hub for Infrastructure and Urban Development in Singapore and leader of the report team. The East Asia and Pacific region received more than one-third of total global investment, overtaking for the first time the Latin America and Caribbean region, which saw investment commitments decline slightly. The energy sector also drew the most interest, accounting for almost three-quarters of total 2017 investment commitments, with top destinations Indonesia, Jordan, and Pakistan signing power projects worth over a billion dollars, respectively. While 17 of the 33 destination countries for private sector infrastructure investment commitments closed only one project each, a few countries signed many deals, with China and India topping the list. China approved 36 projects, and India 22 ventures. The renewable energy sector continues to gain strength, with 68 of the 82 electricity generation projects focused on solar and wind power. Of the 29 solar projects signed in 2017, 13 are in China and seven are in India, while Brazil accounts for 7 of the 16 wind projects recorded. The average size for renewable energy projects is US$149 million. Investments in low-income countries also strengthened, with investments increasing to US$2.1 billion across 15 projects in 10 countries. In 2016, only six low-income countries received private sector investment in infrastructure. While the PPI Database focuses on private sector investment, many of the deals involve public sector or multilateral financing. Many countries are stepping up efforts to encourage more private participation in infrastructure projects. 

Washington, October 20, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project: Paraiba Sustainable Rural Development Project IBRD Credit: US$ 50 million Terms: Maturity = 18 years, Grace = 5.5 years Proje…

WASHINGTON, October 20th, 2017 –  More than 44,000 rural agricultural families will benefit from a US$50 million loan approved today by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors for the Paraiba Sustainable Rural Development. The operation will help improve the access to water, reduce agro-climatic vulnerability and increase access to markets for rural inhabitants. Located in the Northeast region of Brazil, more than 70% of the State of Paraiba’s total area (56,469.47 km²) is located in the “drought polygon”– drylands characterized by poor soils, low and irregular precipitation and recurrent droughts. Water availability and security is expected to worsen with climate change. “The project represents the efforts made by the State of Paraiba to make feasible investments that will have impact on the dignity and quality of life of the semi-arid population”, says Ricardo Vieira Coutinho, governor of the State of Paraíba. “The project will provide the necessary measures required to reduce vulnerabilities and increase the resilience of rural households, communities and agricultural productive systems”. Exposure to weather events affects all agricultural producers in the state of Paraíba. However, the impact on the livelihoods of smallholders and family farmers, who often live in the drier and more fragile semi-arid regions (Sertão and Borborema), is greater because they have fewer buffers to protect themselves in bad times and fewer resources to adapt. “This project represents the next step in the productive inclusion agenda,” explained Martin Raiser, World Bank director for Brazil. “The activities supported by our financing will directly improve access to water but also create resilience by connecting farmers better with markets thereby supporting higher incomes”. The project will support institutional improvements, including to consolidate water supply systems, and create a state management system for rural water and sanitation. It will also finance training for community associations, productive alliances and municipal councils to strengthen their organizational and managerial skills, and foster the adoption of new climate-smart agriculture technologies. Among the outcomes supported by the program are:People in rural areas provided with access to improved water sourcesAdoption of improved agricultural technologyIncrease in gross value of sales of producers under productive alliancesAgro-climatic risk information system in operation This one-tranche loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to the State of Paraíba is guaranteed by the Federative Republic of Brazil and has a final maturity of 18 years, with a 5.5 years grace period.For more information, please visit: www.worldbank.org/lacVisit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbankBe updated via Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLACFor our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank