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Math Nation: Florida's B.E.S.T. Standards, Geometry, Volume 1, Units 1-7
by Accelerate LearningNIMAC-sourced textbook
Chemistry, AP® Edition Update
by Steven S. Zumdahl Susan A. Zumdahl Donald J. DeCosteNIMAC-sourced textbook
Bridge to Writing, Write Book: Book 3 (Units 5 and 6)
by Christina Rodriguez Alisa VanHekkenNIMAC-sourced textbook <P>Second Grade
Bridge to Writing, Write Book: Book 2 (Units 3 and 4)
by Christina Rodriguez Alisa VanHekkenNIMAC-sourced textbook <P>Second Grade
Bridge to Writing, Write Book: Book 1 (Units 1 and 2)
by Christina Rodriguez Alisa VanHekkenNIMAC-sourced textbook <P>Second Grade
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit: Mastering High-Use Words for Academic Achievement
by Kate Kinsella Theresa HancockNIMAC-sourced textbook <P>Grade 6
Principles of Sustainable Business: Frameworks for Corporate Action on the SDGs (The Principles for Responsible Management Education Series)
by Rob van Tulder Eveline van MilThe basic function of companies is to add value to society. Profits are a means to an end, not an end in itself. The ability of companies to innovate, scale and invest provides them with a powerful base for positive change. But companies are also criticized for not contributing sufficiently to society’s grand challenges. An increasingly VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world creates serious governance gaps that not only require new ways of regulation, but also new ways of doing business. Can companies effectively contribute to sustainable development and confront society’s systemic challenges?Arguably the most important frame to drive this ambition was introduced and unanimously adopted in 2015: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG-agenda not only defines a holistic set of global goals and targets, but also foundational principles to guide meaningful action to their achievement by 2030. Multinational companies have signed up to the SDGs as the world’s long-term business plan. Realizing the SDGs provides a yearly $12 trillion investment and growth opportunity, while creating hundreds of millions of jobs in the process. But progress is too slow – witnessing society’s inability to deal with pressing human, ecological, economic and health crises – whilst the vast potential for societal value creation remains underutilized. This book provides a timely account of the systemic, strategic and operational challenges that need to be addressed to enhance the effectiveness of corporate involvement in society, by using the SDGs as the leading principles-based framework for actionable, powerful and transformative change.Principles of Sustainable Business is written for graduate and postgraduate (executive) students, policymakers and business professionals who want to understand the complex challenges of global sustainability. It shows how companies can design and implement SDG-relevant strategies at three levels: the macro level, to assess whether the SDGs present wicked problems or opportunities; the micro level, to develop and operationalize innovative business models, design new business cases and navigate organizational transition trajectories; and the meso level, to develop fit-for-purpose cross-sector partnering strategies. Principles of Sustainable Business presents innovative tools embedded in a coherent sequence of analytical frameworks that can be applied in courses for students, be put into practice by business professionals and used by action researchers to help companies contribute to the Decade of Action.
Skill Acquisition for Judo: Principles into Practice (Routledge Research in Sport and Exercise Science)
by Darren WarnerFirst introduced as an Olympic sport in Tokyo 1964, judo is a dynamic grappling sport where it’s competitors win by throwing and pinning their opponents to the floor or forcing submission through armlocks or strangles. To become an elite judoka, athletes are required to develop a high level of physical literacy before they're able to execute complex throwing techniques, delivered within physically intensive combative intervals. With over one hundred different throwing techniques, with variations of each, as well as ground holds, armlocks and strangles, the importance of motor skill development and decision making is extremely high. Skill Acquisition for Judo; Principles into Practice blends theory and application by chronologically establishing the theoretical foundations underpinning skill acquisition before exploring its impact on the developing judoka. The book bridges the gap between theory and applied practice, exploring insights into the training methods of judo coaches throughout the world, providing practical examples of applied ecological dynamics, manipulating training constraints to develop their athletes and deliver performance through the talent development pathway. Considering the impact that constraints led training has been shown to have on open skill performance sport, it’s application by judo coaches should come as no surprise considering the dynamic, open skill nature of the sport. This book creates a platform that explores the theoretical foundations of skill acquisition whilst providing insight into the training methods of judo coaches throughout the world, utilising and manipulating training constraints to develop their athletes and deliver performance. Skill Acquisition for Judo; Principles into Practice is key reading for students, coaches and practitioners in the fields of sport science, coaching, motor learning and skill acquisition as well as judoka themselves.
Finding Kite: A Social Skills Adventure Story (Adventures in Social Skills)
by Rachel HolmesThis choose your own adventure story is a unique, illustrated resource and a compelling mystery, focused on developing the social skills of children on the autistic spectrum. Trapped in Tudor England in 1535, in a world very different from their own, the reader must take on the role of the main character and work out why horses are mysteriously dying. Confronted by challenging social situations and decisions that will either help or hinder the narrative, they need to solve the mystery in order to get home.The story provides a springboard for children to test out different actions and to experience a range of possible consequences and pathways. Decisions the reader must make tackle challenges such as working together and overcoming conflict, processing information and managing emotions and anxiety.This book:● is an engaging interactive story to enable discussion and create moments for deeper thinking and self-reflection;● can be used either in small groups or 1:1 intervention;● links directly to worksheets from the accompanying teacher resource, providing a personalised development tool that can be flexible according to the child’s needs.Although created with girls in mind, positioning the reader as the main character allows all children to become fully immersed in the narrative. This is an invaluable resource to develop social skills and build confi dence among children aged 8–12.
Defending Memory in Global Politics: Mnemonical In/Security and Crisis (Interventions)
by Erica ResendeThis book explores the securitization of memory in times of crisis using overlooked cases from the Global South and the Global North.Instead of focusing exclusively on national identities and state actors, it explores various identities, including substate and transnational actors, and their role in “defending memory” during times of crisis. Embracing a broad definition of conflict that includes mnemonic, societal and armed conflicts, the expert contributors engage with political trauma, demonstrating its power to evoke commemorations and other shared practices of collective remembrance, shaping and perpetuating collective memory, the construction of national and transnational identities, national interests and foreign policy behaviors.The book contributes to the fields of memory and trauma studies and ontological security in international relations. It will also be of interest to scholars and students of political science, sociology, international relations, history, nationalism and identity, international studies, cultural geography, social psychology, cultural studies and anthropology.
Electromagnetic Fields of Wireless Communications: Biological and Health Effects
by Dimitris J. PanagopoulosThis book reflects contributions from experts in biological and health effects of Radio Frequency (RF)/Microwave and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) used in wireless communications (WC) and other technological applications. Diverse topics related to physics, biology, pathology, epidemiology, and plausible biophysical and biochemical mechanisms of WC EMFs emitted by antennas and devices are included. Discussions on the possible consequences of fifth generation (5G) mobile telephony (MT) EMFs based on available data and correlation between anthropogenic EMF exposures and various pathological conditions such as infertility, cancer, electro-hypersensitivity, organic and viral diseases, and effects on animals, plants, trees, and environment are included. It further illustrates individual and public health protection and the setting of biologically- and epidemiologically-based exposure limits.Features: Covers biological and health effects, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, reproductive effects of mobile phones/antennas (2G, 3G, 4G), cordless phones, Wi-Fi, etc. Describes effects induced by real-life exposures by commercially available devices/antennas. Illustrates biophysical and biochemical mechanisms that fill the gap between recorded experimental and epidemiological findings and their explanations. Explores experimental and epidemiological facts and mechanisms of action. Provides explanations and protection tips. Transcends across physical, biological, chemical, health, epidemiological, and environmental aspects of the topic. This book is aimed at senior undergraduate/graduate students in physics, biology, medicine, bioelectromagnetics, electromagnetic biology, non-ionizing radiation biophysics, telecommunications, electromagnetism, bioengineering, and dosimetry.
Vulkan 3D Graphics Rendering Cookbook: Implement expert-level techniques for high-performance graphics with Vulkan
by Viktor Latypov Sergey Kosarevsky Alexey MedvedevMaster Vulkan 1.3 with practical recipes for building, rendering, and optimizing stunning 3D graphics, guided by AR and rendering experts Sergey Kosarevsky and Alexey Medvedev Purchase the eBook for full-color contentKey FeaturesLearn to harness Vulkan 1.3 for building high-performance applicationsIntegrate cutting-edge rendering techniques into a real-time 3D engineUse bindless Vulkan to render complex 3D scenes efficientlyPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionWritten by experts with decades of rendering experience, this cookbook equips you with practical, hands-on recipes to master modern 3D graphics development by using bindless Vulkan. Focusing on Vulkan 1.3, this second edition starts by setting up your development environment, and quickly transitions to building a robust 3D rendering framework using self-contained recipes. Each recipe helps you incrementally enhance your codebase, integrating a variety of 3D rendering techniques and algorithms into a cohesive project. You’ll get to grips with core techniques, such as glTF 2.0 physically based rendering, image-based lighting, and GPU-driven rendering. The chapters help you grasp advanced topics, including glTF animations, screen-space rendering techniques, and optimization strategies. You’ll also learn how to use glTF 2.0 advanced PBR extensions and handle complex geometry data, ensuring your rendering engine is both powerful and performant. These new additions will enable you to create dynamic and realistic 3D graphics environments, fully utilizing Vulkan’s capabilities. By the end of this 3D rendering book, you’ll have gained an improved understanding of best practices used in modern graphic APIs and be able to create fast and versatile 3D rendering frameworks.What you will learnMaster the core features of Vulkan 1.3, with a focus on bindless renderingLearn effective techniques for debugging and profiling Vulkan applicationsBuild a glTF 2.0 physically based rendering pipeline from scratchEnhance visual quality with advanced glTF 2.0 PBR extensionsIntegrate multiple rendering techniques and optimizations into a single applicationManage large-scale content efficiently in real-time 3D rendering enginesLeverage Vulkan compute pipelines for advanced image and geometry processingWho this book is forThis book is for 3D graphics developers who want to build high-performance rendering engines with the latest Vulkan features and modern rendering methods. Whether you’re an experienced developer with a solid grasp of 3D rendering math or someone proficient in C++ and basic linear algebra, this book offers valuable insights to deepen your expertise. If you’ve dabbled in creating custom 3D applications without relying on premade rendering engines, you’ll find this guide particularly useful.
The Privilege of Aging: Savoring the Fullness of Life
by Kamla K. Kapur• 2025 Nautilus Gold Award• Shares the author&’s inner adventure to face aging, illness, and death, along with hard-won wisdom on the art of resting, happiness, and letting go• Draws on stories from different spiritual traditions and offers strategies, tools, and ways of thinking to navigate the challenges of aging• Reveals how to examine your fears and regrets, declutter the mind of negative thoughts, and reframe reality with the powerful tool of unconditional self-lovePresenting a clarion call to the aging to awaken before they die, Kamla K. Kapur explores how we can become warriors on the spiritual path in order to embrace and prepare for the truth of our mortality and the ultimate triumph of conscious living and dying.Set in both California and India, Kapur shares her inner adventure to navigate the hazardous battlefield of aging with the aid of spiritual guides that pilot her to safety. She offers hard-won wisdom on the art of resting, happiness, and letting go in order to achieve vitality, satisfaction, and joy in the life we are fortunate to still have.Revealing the arc of her own self-discovery, she examines her shadows, fears, anxieties, and regrets, decluttering her mind of disempowering thoughts and reframing and co-creating her reality with the powerful tool of unconditional self-love. She describes how to confront, express, and embrace your darkness, consciously and honestly, to move forward into the ever greater wholeness of being.Drawing on stories from a variety of cultural traditions, Kapur demonstrates the power of self-examination, vigilance, and intentionality to have a successful old age. She offers numerous strategies, tools, and ways of thinking to ensure mental, physical, and spiritual strength so we can meet aging&’s challenges and transform from the people we once were to the ones we are becoming on the penultimate stage of earthly life.
A Short History of Chinese Philosophy
by Yu-lan FungThe classic chronicle of Chinese philosophical thought from the third millennium to the 20th century.From the sage-kings of ancient China to the 1911 overthrow of the oldest monarchical system in the world, Chinese philosophy has evolved and influenced schools of thought around the world. In an accessible voice, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy clearly illuminates Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Yin-Yang, and more. For those interested in philosophy or Asian studies, this is the perfect window into ancient and modern Chinese ideology.
The Way of Imagination: From Psychomagic to Psychotrance
by Alejandro Jodorowsky• Explains the theoretical basis behind psychomagic, Jodorowsky&’s shamanic healing technique• Details the author&’s technique of &“psychotrance&” to access his subconscious mind to discover the most suitable psychomagic remedy• Shares passionate correspondence between Jodorowsky and patients and admirers who have successfully used psychomagic methods for personal healingThrough films, books, comics, and art spanning seven decades, legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky has offered his singular surrealistic perspective on the fundamentally dreamlike nature of reality. This perspective also underlies his healing technique known as psychomagic, which uses the symbolism of the unconscious to understand and mend reality as if it were a dream.In The Way of Imagination, the master offers a detailed exploration of the mechanisms by which psychomagic works to heal our most pressing emotional and spiritual wounds. He describes the initial stages of psychomagic&’s development into a practice and how he crafted the first psychomagic prescriptions to speak directly to the subconscious through the language of dreams. Above all, Jodorowsky explains, psychomagic is a therapy of action, rather than one of words.Sharing passionate correspondence between himself and patients and admirers in the form of 84 letters, the author demonstrates how people have successfully used psychomagic to make profound changes in their lives. He shares detailed accounts of how he uses Tarot readings to determine a diagnosis as well as how he uses a trance state—what he calls &“psychotrance&”—to access his subconscious mind to discover the most suitable psychomagic remedy.Presenting a complete immersion in the techniques of psychotrance and psychomagic, this guide show how the dreamlike nature of reality can help us move forward on the path to healing.
Voudon Gnosticism: An Introduction to the Rites and Practices
by Frater Vameri• Analyzes the syncretic magical system of Voudon Gnosticism and the traditions from which it is sourced• Explains the practices of Voudon Gnosticism in detail, including how to speak with the Lwas (spirits) and establish relationships with them• Explores the history of Voudon Gnosticism and significant teachers like Martinez de Pasqually, Lucien François Jean-Maine, and Michael BertiauxThe Voudon Gnostic system—a unique melding of Haitian Vodou with Gnosticism, Martinism, and other traditions—is one of the most creative and rich ways to explore magic. Providing a comprehensive introduction to this complex magical tradition, Frater Vameri explores its history and practices, initiating novices and more advanced readers into his own Voudonist world and the tradition&’s conceptions of life and death.Vameri begins by exploring the founding and evolution of the system from its origins in Haiti to its séances in Chicago, including significant teachers such as Martinez de Pasqually, Lucien François Jean-Maine, Papus, and Michael Bertiaux. He looks at Voudon Gnosticism&’s early connections with Caribbean Martinist colonies, the Black Templars, Paschal Beverly Randolph, the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua, and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor.The author explains how the lwas of Voudon Gnosticism are the same spirits found in traditional Haitian Vodou, yet approached differently. He explores how to learn to speak with the lwas, establish relationships with them, and profit from their revelations. He examines the Hoodoo system of the Voudon Gnosticism tradition and details how to build a Hoodoo altar as well as an atua, or spirit house, for adepts who have decided to establish enduring relationships with the spirits.Presenting a practical guide to this unique system, Vameri not only enables you to understand the history and intricate mechanisms of Voudon Gnosticism, but also reveals how to build your own magical universe with the help of Les Vudu.
Ancestral Slavic Magic: Transcend Family Patterns and Empower Ancestral Connections
by Natasha Helvin• Offers traditional rituals and spells to help you connect with your ancestors, see your family&’s ancestral patterns, and change your destiny• Examines the history of ancestor worship in the Slavic tradition and ancient Slavic burial and funeral customs, many of which are still practiced today in remote pockets of Russia• Explores the similarities between ancestral beliefs in Haitian Vodou and the Slavic traditionRaised in the Soviet Union, where she grew up steeped in ancient Slavic magical traditions, occultist and hereditary witch Natasha Helvin reveals not only how you are continually and powerfully influenced by your ancestors but also how you can open the door to your ancestral connections in order to know who you truly are and change the course of your destiny.Helvin examines ancestor worship in southeastern Europe and western Russia and the way it shaped their indigenous magical and spiritual practices. She explains how energy flows in a familial context and how strengths and dysfunctions are passed from one generation to the next for centuries. She shares time-honored rituals and spells to help you to recognize these ancestral patterns and influences, make changes in the harmful ones, and harness your familial strengths to direct your destiny.Looking at both Slavic Pagan and Eastern Orthodox traditions concerning the dead, the author also examines ancient Slavic burial and funeral customs. She reveals how these burial rites became incorporated into rural witchcraft practices, and she explains traditional Slavic ideas on death and the afterlife, the soul, the spiritual power of colors, and magical objects.As an initiate in Haitian Vodou, Helvin also looks at the many parallels between Vodou and the folk magic and ancestor worship of the Slavic tradition, showing that in both traditions forging a stronger connection to your ancestors can lead to increased power and understanding in life.
Wonderland: A Tale of Hustling Hard and Breaking Even
by Nicole TreskaA &“touching memoir&” (The New York Times Book Review) that &“brilliantly blends a history of Boston and its surrounding areas with the history of a fascinating—and at times functional—family&” (Isaac Fitzgerald, New York Times bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts) as one girl discovers how to break free from the criminal underworld that surrounds her.Nicole Treska was born to a family of gangsters. In the 1970s, during Boston&’s mob wars, her grandfather&’s diner was an unofficial headquarters for Whitey Bulger and other members of the Winter Hill Gang. Nicole&’s father was also an associate of the gang: there was talk that, before Nicole could walk, her stroller was used as a decoy to sell drugs. In 1985, her father was arrested and tried—sentenced to two years in prison for federal drug trafficking. Wanting to offer a better life to her children, Nicole&’s mother moved her and her sister out of Boston. As an adult, Nicole strove to separate herself from her past, establishing a career as a writer and professor in New York City. But when she learns her father&’s sister has passed away, she returns to her hometown and reunites with her dad—now stooped and struggling to walk on a bad knee. As she gets reacquainted with him and the old neighborhood, Nicole is forced to reconcile with her harrowing childhood and its lingering impact. A &“compelling portrait&” (Safiya Sinclair, National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author of How to Say Babylon) &“written with urgency, vulnerability, and compassion&” (Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody&’s Daughter), Wonderland masterfully explores and elucidates the line between helping family and hurting ourselves.
Asymmetry: A Novel
by Lisa HallidayA TIME and NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK of the YEAR * New York Times Notable Book and Times Critic&’s Top Book of 2018 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2018 BY * Elle * Bustle * Kirkus Reviews * Lit Hub* NPR * O, The Oprah Magazine * Shelf Awareness The bestselling and critically acclaimed debut novel by Lisa Halliday, hailed as &“extraordinary&” by The New York Times, &“a brilliant and complex examination of power dynamics in love and war&” by The Wall Street Journal, and &“a literary phenomenon&” by The New Yorker.Told in three distinct and uniquely compelling sections, Asymmetry explores the imbalances that spark and sustain many of our most dramatic human relations: inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame, geography, and justice. The first section, &“Folly,&” tells the story of Alice, a young American editor, and her relationship with the famous and much older writer Ezra Blazer. A tender and exquisite account of an unexpected romance that takes place in New York during the early years of the Iraq War, &“Folly&” also suggests an aspiring novelist&’s coming-of-age. By contrast, &“Madness&” is narrated by Amar, an Iraqi-American man who, on his way to visit his brother in Kurdistan, is detained by immigration officers and spends the last weekend of 2008 in a holding room in Heathrow. These two seemingly disparate stories gain resonance as their perspectives interact and overlap, with yet new implications for their relationship revealed in an unexpected coda. A stunning debut from a rising literary star, Asymmetry is &“a transgressive roman a clef, a novel of ideas, and a politically engaged work of metafiction&” (The New York Times Book Review), and a &“masterpiece&” in the original sense of the word&” (The Atlantic). Lisa Halliday&’s novel will captivate any reader with while also posing arresting questions about the very nature of fiction itself.
Women, Business and the Law 2024 (Women, Business and the Law)
by World BankWomen, Business and the Law 2024 is the 10th in a series of annual studies measuring the enabling conditions that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. To present a more complete picture of the global environment that enables women’s socioeconomic participation, this year Women, Business and the Law introduces two new indicators--Safety and Childcare--and presents findings on the implementation gap between laws (de jure) and how they function in practice (de facto). This study presents three indexes: (1) legal frameworks, (2) supportive frameworks (policies, institutions, services, data, budget, and access to justice), and (3) expert opinions on women’s rights in practice in the areas measured. The study’s 10 indicators--Safety, Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Childcare, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension--are structured around the different stages of a woman’s working life. Findings from this new research can inform policy discussions to ensure women’s full and equal participation in the economy. The indicators build evidence of the critical relationship between legal gender equality and women’s employment and entrepreneurship. Data in Women, Business and the Law 2024 are current as of October 1, 2023. wbl.worldbank.org
Where Is the Value in the Chain?: Pathways out of Plastic Pollution
by World BankWhere Is the Value in the Chain? Pathways out of Plastic Pollution aims to support policy makers in their efforts to address plastic pollution. By examining the economic and financial implications of plastic management, the report provides key recommendations on how to create a comprehensive approach to addressing plastic pollution and to help policy makers make informed decisions for plastic pollution management. The report brings together new evidence from three analytical undertakings: • Tackling Plastic Pollution: Toward Experience-Based Policy Guidance—A review of existing literature and a summary of findings from the ex post analysis of the effectiveness of plastics policies in 10 countries and states and an evidence-based policy guidance aimed at policy makers and stakeholders involved in design, implementation, and evaluation of policies to manage plastic pollution. • The Plastic Substitution Tradeoff Estimator (the Estimator)—An innovative model that estimates the external costs of 10 plastic products and their alternatives along their entire life cycle, developed and piloted in five countries. The Estimator can be applied in any country to identify what substitution materials, or what combination of them, would perform best in a given scenario and to examine tradeoffs between plastics and alternatives to help establish targets for reduction and substitution. • The Plastic Policy Simulator (PPS)—A country-level, data-driven model for policy analysis to better describe the impacts of different policy instruments and policy packages on individual economic agents and on the plastic value chain at large. The PPS has been developed as a universal model and piloted in Indonesia. Its objective is to support policy makers and others in government, industry, and civil society in search of policy solutions to stem the flow of plastics by bringing an evidence-based approach to policy.
The Trade and Climate Change Nexus: The Urgency and Opportunities for Developing Countries
by Paul Brenton Vicky ChemutaiWhile trade exacerbates climate change, it is also a central part of the solution because it has the potential to enhance mitigation and adaptation. This timely report explores the different ways in which trade and climate change intersect. Trade contributes to the emissions that cause global warming and is itself also affected by climate change through changing comparative advantages. The report also confronts several myths concerning trade and climate change. The Trade and Climate Change Nexus: The Urgency and Opportunities for Developing Countries focuses on the impacts of, and adjustments to, climate change in developing countries and on how future trade opportunities will be affected by both the changing climate and the policy responses to address it. The report discusses how trade can provide the goods and services that drive mitigation and adaptation. It also addresses how climate change creates immense challenges for developing countries, but also new opportunities to promote trade diversification in the transition to a low-carbon world. Suitable trade and environmental policies can offer effective economic incentives to attain both sustainable growth and poverty reduction.
Boosting Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policies and Institutions to Promote Efficiency
by Cesar CalderonThe rising concentration of extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past quarter century can be attributed to the fact that economic growth has been slow, productivity levels are still low, and growth has not been inclusive enough to put a big dent in poverty. What explains the dismal performance on labor productivity in Sub- Saharan Africa compared with the rest of the developing world? This report argues that first, physical capital is scarce and economic activities in the region have low capital intensity relative to other regions. Second, although human capital levels were relatively similar in Sub-Saharan Africa relative to a group of East Asian Pacific countries in 1960, insufficient investment and poor outcomes led not only to relatively lower levels but also to low quality of human capital. Finally, scarce resources, compounded by the inefficiencies in their allocation across productive units (with different levels of productivity), translated into low aggregate labor productivity. Sub-Saharan Africa needs policies to boost productivity across allsectors of economic activity, especially in those sectors in which most poor people make their living. The region needs policies that improve productivity in the agriculture sector, foster rural development, and create jobs for youth who are joining the labor force.
Nature's Paradox: Stepping Stone or Millstone?
by Richard Damania Esha Zaveri Ebad Ebadi Kentaro Mayr RentschlerDoes access to natural resources and a clean environment provide a stepping stone out of deprivation, or does it act as a millstone that impedes the transition to greater progress? Nature’s Paradox: Stepping Stone or Millstone? assesses the intersection of the two major crises of the 21st century—the growing scarcity of land, air, and water and rising vulnerability. As countries around the world grapple with multiple crises, local communities and the most vulnerable populations often bear the brunt of the impacts. Vulnerable and underrepresented groups predominantly reside in rural areas, are employed in agriculture, and have limited access to essential public services. While these groups may be less exposed to air and water pollution, the impact of their underrepresentation in decision-making processes is disproportionately high, likely due to a lack of public services and an inability to cope with environmental stresses. These groups also suffer more due to land degradation and deforestation, with the notable exception of Indigenous peoples in Latin America, who experience lower deforestation rates. Understanding the intersection of social vulnerability and environmental degradation helps address these dual crises more effectively. Through this thorough analysis, Nature’s Paradox highlights how sound policy designs can create economic opportunities by promoting environmental sustainability. Its findings will interest policy makers, stakeholders, researchers, development practitioners, and the general public. Finally, Nature's Paradox explores additional dimensions of social exclusion, including poverty and gender disparities, and their interplay with the developed underrepresentation index, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the potential interconnections between social exclusion and environmental hazards. The analysis highlights the difficult choices socially excluded and underrepresented populations face between economic opportunities and environmental quality. The report concludes with a call for policy designs to ensure that environmental sustainability efforts are equitable and that progress is environmentally sustainable.