The World Bank is known for it loans to third world indebted nations across the globe.  South Africa is no different with a World Bank presence there.   There are a couple projects they are currently pursuing there to help better the area.  According to their web site, www.worldbank.org, they are currently developing a renewable energy project to help reduce wasted energy and move away from burning fossil fuels.  By doing this they can also help reduce green house gases from hurting the environment.  Along with this they are developing commercial solar water heating that will help substitute many wasteful practice in energy use.  Another project undertaken in 2005 was to help sustain the Cape Floristic region, one of the smallest and most threatened floristic regions in the world.  There has been over 15 million dollars in grants for this project and it hopes to help protect the regions unique mountains, marine environment and wetlands.  The region is also very important because it contains over 1200 threatened plant species, 148 private nature reserves, 43 conservancies, and 36 natural heritage sites.  In these areas the conservation of water catchments, fishing resources, plant diversity are critical to the areas economy.  By helping preserve this area they are not only protecting the land but also the economy behind it.  The Global Environmental Facilities are run by the World Bank.  It is a program that is designed to provide additional grants and funds for projects like this throughout the world.  Since the 1990’s this program has lent out over 2 billion dollars in funds for projects similar to the ones South Africa has undertaken.  It is interesting though because the site doesn’t go into detail on payment plans and how these countries are able to pay these loans back without defaulting.  The general idea behind many of these plans seems to be for the general benefit of the countries they lend too.  If that is the case it’s hard to believe that so many of these countries can’t get back on there feet after they accept these loans and many are left in the same, or worse, position as before they took them.  Although many of these countries are in need of help it seems that the help they are getting isn’t always positive.  That is why it’s important for these agencies such as the World Bank to make sure they are there for the benefit of developing nations, not just the benefit of themselves.