A New Era of Water Solutions

World Development Report 2026 THE PROMISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

In a time when development progress has dipped to its weakest pace in 75 years, artificial intelligence (AI) offers developing economies a rare path to greater prosperity. World Development Report 2026 provides the first comprehensive assessment of what AI means for these economies—how firms and governments are already using it, what is holding them back, where the largest gains may lie, and how the risks can be managed. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstreams/4df724a5-2e0d-4e66-bcb8-1d3bf4e22390/download Its central message is both practical and ambitious. Developing countries do not need to build trillion-dollar, all-purpose models to benefit from AI. But importing AI tools is also not enough. Countries must adapt AI to local languages, institutions, data, and development needs; ensure that national systems can work seamlessly with multiple platforms and providers; and steadily build the skills and infrastructure needed to do more. Low-cost tools—“small AI”—can put scarce expertise within reach of millions, through text messages, voice calls, basic phones, and other technologies that work even where electricity, computing power, and internet access are limited. The gains are already visible. AI is helping to accelerate medical screening, assisting farmers with more accurate weather forecasts, and aiding teachers in creating better lessons for students. The Report offers a clear framework—adopt, adapt, and advance—for the road ahead to help countries capture AI’s benefits without wasting scarce resources or deepening dependence on any single supplier. Earlier technological revolutions left much of the developing world behind. This landmark edition of the World Development Report offers developing economies a roadmap to prevent a repeat of that outcome. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2026

AI Offers Lifeline to Developing Economies in an Era of Weak Growth

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/08/04/ai-offers-lifeline-to-developing-economies-in-an-era-of-weak-growth WASHINGTON, August 4, 2026—Artificial intelligence (AI) could allow developing countries to do in a decade what might otherwise take a century—provided that governments act swiftly to close the gaps in power, connectivity, skills, and institutional quality that threaten to leave them behind, according to the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence.

Responding to the Global Shock from the War in the Middle East Erhan Artuc, Quy-Toan Do, Emanuela Galasso, Devaki Ghose, Christoph Lakner, Aaditya Mattoo, Bob Rijkers, Sandra Rozo, Dario Tortarolo, and Nishant Yonzan1

https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099137106232625656/pdf/IDU-204de921-282f-4016-a1e5-2bb9d9d9f4ad.pdf Since the latest Middle East war erupted on February 28, 2026, ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen by roughly 95%. With energy prices at historic highs and trade through the Strait nearly at a standstill, the consequences have rapidly become global. Countries are contending with sharply rising costs—not only for energy but also for a range of essential commodities such as fertilizers, aluminum, and petrochemicals. For developing countries, the risk is acute: an economic crisis that destabilizes fragile economies and undoes years of hard-won development progress.

The unequal costs of a global trade disruption Erhan ArtucJohan OrtegaClaudia Rivas August 27, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/developmenttalk/the-unequal-costs-of-a-global-trade-disruption The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, caries a substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. A disruption to shipping through the strait, whether from conflict or geopolitical pressure – does not stay regional. The shock spreads through global value chains, raising energy prices, squeezing producers of energy-intensive goods, and suppressing demand. What are the real impacts on countries, sectors, and workers worldwide?

Data story: what informal workers really value William MaloneyGuillermo BeylisNathalie Gonzalez PrietoAndrés Zambrano August 25, 2026 This page in: English Español

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/latinamerica/historia-de-datos-lo-que-los-trabajadores-informales-realmente-valoran Latin America and the Caribbean has spent nearly two decades with 55% of its workers in informality. Yet informality is not a homogeneous block. It brings together informal wage workers—typically young, with short job tenure and more exposed to distortions such as minimum wages and high hiring costs—and the self-employed, who tend to be older and remain in the sector for years. Each group follows a different logic.

One year into AgriConnect: what we're learning in Africa Anup JagwaniDonal Brown September 03, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/agfood/one-year-into-agriconnect--what-we-re-learning-in-africa Africa has long been regarded as the world’s next breadbasket. It has abundant arable land, fast growing demand, and a vibrant business environment that could provide jobs for millions of young people entering the labor market each year. Yet, Africa’s agricultural potential is still largely untapped. The continent imports large amounts of food while critical gaps, from energy and irrigation to finance and digital services, hamper productivity and investment. Closing this gap will require $180 billion in investment - and coordinated action across infrastructure, policies and private capital.