IIMF – IMF Blog

Climate Change Will Bring More Frequent Natural Disasters & Weigh on Economic Growth

IMFBlog2019-03-15T13:30:30-04:00November 16, 2017|

by Sebastian Acevedo, and Natalija Novta

November 16, 2017

Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文(Chinese), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian); Español (Spanish)

As natural disasters become more frequent and intense, countries should invest in resilient infrastructure to better withstand such hazards (photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Newscom).

The weather seems to be getting wilder and fiercer. From devastating hurricanes in the U.S. and the Caribbean, to raging wildfires in California and ruinous floods in India, the human and economic toll of extreme weather events is enormous. […]

Stepping up the Fight Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

IMFBlog2019-03-25T12:28:52-04:00July 26, 2017|

By Christine Lagarde

July 26, 2017

Versions in ربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)

Money laundering and terrorist financing threaten economic stability. International cooperation is vital in the fight against misuse of the financial system (photo: CraigRJD/iStock by Getty Images)

Corrupt officials, tax cheats, and the financial backers of terrorism have one thing in common: they often exploit vulnerabilities in financial systems to facilitate their crimes.

Money laundering and terrorist financing can threaten a country’s economic and financial stability while funding violent and illegal acts. That is why many governments have stepped up the fight against such practices, helped by international institutions such as the IMF.

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Time Not On Our Side: Tough Decisions Needed to Strengthen Financial Stability

IMFBlog2017-04-15T14:01:30-04:00October 10, 2012|

As recognized in our Global Financial Stability Report, actions taken by the European Central Bank have helped remove investors’ worst fears. Now policymakers at both the national and euro area level will need to build on these. The stakes are high. For instance, if pressures continue, total assets of major banks in Europe could shrink by as much as $2.8 trillion, possibly leading to a contraction in credit supply in the "periphery" by 9 percent by the end of 2013.