Development Asia

Natural disasters wreak havoc without discrimination, wiping out homes, livelihoods, a country's economic gains, and often many individual lives. Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe have all been struck by catastrophes in recent years. Asia, however, has been hit hardest: 40% of the world's disasters have occurred in the region in the past decade, resulting in a disproportionate 80% of disaster deaths. And Asia's poor, lacking in resources and more vulnerable and exposed to the elements, have borne the brunt of these cataclysms. Touted as the next economic power, Asia cannot afford to continue along this path. Countries in distress will be hard-pressed to reach their development goals as funds meant for fortifying social and economic infrastructure get diverted for emergency relief and reconstruction. Efforts to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in developing countries could suffer sizeable setbacks. With extreme weather conditions attributed to climate change increasing in frequency and complexity worldwide, setting up disaster risk management initiatives at all levels has become even more imperative. Lessons learned from disaster response and recovery experiences show that a well-coordinated community response is just as vital as emergency action at the national or even international level. This edition of Development Asia looks at the state of disaster preparedness in the region, the economics of risk mitigation and the politics of disaster relief, and proactive strategies and innovative solutions. We put the spotlight on Bangladesh, long a victim of recurring disasters, where a community-led program has dramatically reduced disaster-related deaths and damage. In The Big Voice, Margareta Wahlström, who heads the United Nation's Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, talks about the challenges of preaching preparedness. On the fundraising side, we examine the sometimes controversial role that celebrities have played in rallying international support for disaster victims. On a lighter note, we also explore how the tiny seahorse is helping to reduce poverty in coastal communities across the region, and chime in about the musical traditions of international development.

While economists and government officials assess the impact of the global economic downturn on Asia, millions of laid-off workers and recent college graduates face the real guesswork of figuring out how they are going to make a living. Indeed, lines of job seekers are lengthening across Asia, as the global crisis causes export markets to shrink and the high-flying, export-driven economies that feed them to skid. This edition of Development Asia examines the impact of the global economic crisis on Asia's labor markets, starting with an overview from William Branigin, a journalist for The Washington Post and the newspaper's former Southeast Asia bureau chief for more than a decade. More than the resolve of individuals, the crisis is testing the ability of nations and multilateral organizations to improve living standards across the continent. This issue goes on to follow the unemployed into the informal sector-the legion of street vendors, pedicab drivers and other largely unregulated workers who account for upwards of 50% of the economic activity in some countries. For years, this group has acted as a social safety net for the unemployed in Asia: people traditionally took to the streets to earn when they lost their more formal jobs or to earn more for their families during off hours. Bangkok-based journalist Karen Emmons finds this tradition coming under strain in the current crisis. In other stories, Bronwyn Curran, a journalist with extensive experience reporting from Pakistan, examines the link between political instability and high unemployment rates among young men. Meanwhile, writer James Hutchison visits the garment factory district to find women workers particularly hard-hit by the global economic downturn, and Bruce Heilbuth documents the suffering of the millions in Asia who rely on remittances-payments sent home by relatives working overseas-as those sums shrink. In stride with the special report on labor and employment in Asia, this issue looks at innovative trends in development: a program started in Latin America, now replicated globally, offers conditional payments to poor families if they educate their daughters, or vaccinate their children, or do other specific tasks. These conditional cash transfers, as they are called, are controversial in some quarters, but they have produced impressive results. This issue also explores the issue of private schools for the poor. Long a privilege of the wealthy and middle class, an increasing number of nongovernment schools serving poor children can be found around Asia. In our From the Field section, New Delhi-based writer Neeta Lal talks to Bindeshwar Pathak, the curator of a toilet museum. The interesting and humorous museum highlights Mr. Pathak's pioneering work in sanitation for the poor in India.

The combined budgets of the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and every other development organization in the world make up just a drop of the economic fuel needed to power billions of people into greater prosperity. Those who work in development have long known that the private sector must play a major role in the enormous economic change needed to lift large numbers of people out of poverty. But it is not that simple. Though their motives may be admirable, private sector companies are not created to help the poor and spur economic development. They are complex entities that play by a different set of rules than development organizations. Finding the right partnership between the private sector, the public sector, and the development community is at the forefront of development work today. This issue of Development Asia examines the controversial theory of charter cities, the paradox that is the resource curse, and the increasing popularity of soap operas as agents for social change.

The 11th edition of Development Asia looks into the double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in Asia and the Pacific. Asian and Pacific countries are facing unprecedented challenges related to health care. While wealthier countries tend to suffer from noncommunicable ailments, such as cancer and diabetes, and poorer countries from communicable diseases, like malaria and dengue, many parts of Asia and the Pacific are plagued by both. This edition also explores the double burden of disease that political leaders in the region are grappling to address. At the root of this problem is health financing. Simply put: how do governments and their private sector partners provide solutions that keep the poor from suffering catastrophic health care costs?

Perhaps no issue casts a harsher light on social inequities than the growing number of people who go hungry everyday. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more people go hungry in the world today than at any time since 1970. An estimated 1.02 billion people were undernourished worldwide in 2009, 642 million of whom lived in Asia and the Pacific, the FAO reports. Access to food-or food security-has become an issue that no one can ignore; the lives of millions and the stability of governments depend on shrewd management of food supplies. As the riots and hoarding during the food crisis in 2008 have shown, the mere mention of a shortage is enough to destabilize markets and even governments. As usual, the poorest have been hit the hardest: they have faced rising food prices while the global economic crisis has battered their incomes. Declining crop yields, land degradation, urbanization, and the effects of climate change are putting additional pressure on efforts to produce more food. Market speculation makes the situation even more precarious. This edition of Development Asia tackles this critical issue from varied perspectives-from the points of view of science, civil society, and business. As its cover story, "A Growing Hunger", puts it, there is no quick, one-size-fits-all solution, especially for a region as geographically diverse as Asia and the Pacific. Building consensus is a huge, ongoing challenge for leaders, decision makers, and stakeholders in the region as they wrestle with conflicting priorities. In "The Hunger Monger", renowned financier Jim Rogers, an outspoken advocate of agricultural investments, acknowledges that food security is a highly emotional and political issue. He gives a candid interview on the perceived tension between business interests and social needs, and domestic and international concerns.

The global economic crisis has swept across Asia and brought into sharp focus attempts by nations to cooperate and to integrate their economies. In many ways, the financial crisis of the late 1990s led to the formation of regional cooperation mechanisms to stabilize markets and currencies in times of turmoil. Now these initiatives are being tested. In the third edition of Development Asia, William Branigin, a Washington Post staff writer and the newspaper's former Southeast Asia bureau chief for more than a decade, explores the impact of the global economic crisis on Asian economic cooperation. The insights are compelling. In addition, this edition looks at one of the unsung success stories of regional cooperation in Asia: the victory over piracy in the Malacca Strait. What was once one of the world's most dangerous shipping lanes is now patrolled by coordinated forces from the three nations surrounding the Strait-Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. As a result, only two attempts to plunder booty were reported last year, and both were unsuccessful. The examination of the issues associated with Asian regional cooperation also includes an analysis of the evolution of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as a regional grouping, and what Asia can learn from the economic and political integration of the European Union. Jenny Forster, a longtime journalist in Asia, and a new contributor to Development Asia, takes readers on a walk through an Indian slum. Triggered by the huge success of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, slum tourism has been booming. Jenny talks to people on both sides of the contentious issue. This edition also looks at the innovative use of bonds to finance vaccination campaigns in developing countries. This financing method gives investors a good return on their money, while children throughout Asia, Africa, and elsewhere benefit from lifesaving vaccines. Other feature stories include an examination of the impact on development of heart disease and other noncommunicable diseases. From Bangkok, we bring you the story of an unconventional Catholic priest who has transformed a one-room schoolhouse into one of Thailand's most dynamic development organizations.

One worrisome trend in Asia is growing inequality-the rich are getting richer much faster than the poor. This issue of Development Asia was brought into sharp focus with the current financial turmoil, which is having a much greater impact on the poor than the rich. How much should inequality be a cause for alarm, if at all? What are the implications of a widening social divide? Should governments do something-or nothing? The stories on this cover theme look at many aspects of a complex issue. Guest economists present the case for and against interventions toward social inclusion, though they tend to support policies that promote equal opportunity and access to good education and basic health services. One of the issue's main stories looks at the role of globalization in increasing well-being at all levels of society, but it also notes that the well-to-do are better placed than the poor to take advantage of the opportunities that globalization offers. Contrasting profiles of India and the Philippines are provided. One shows how strong growth can create jobs for the poor despite structural inequalities. The other illustrates how even robust growth can fail to provide enough jobs because of structural inequalities.

Development Asia examines Asia's widening inequality from many different perspectives. It looks at the role of globalization in producing inequality, and considers the disputed relationship between inequality and economic growth. Beneath the gloss of Asia's newfound prosperity lies an unsettling reality. Rising inequality has denied the benefits of Asia's economic growth to many millions of its citizens. The problem is worsening as the region's rich get richer much faster than the poor, who miss out on the income, education, and health care they need to lead fulfilling lives. Asia isn't the only region suff ering from a wealth gap, but unlike others it has failed so far to narrow the divide. Most of its large economies have shown rising income inequality since the 1990s, and rural poverty is outpacing urban poverty across much of the continent. If left unchecked, the consequences of this trend could be dire. In this issue, Development Asia examines Asia's widening inequality from many different perspectives. It looks at the role of globalization in producing inequality, and considers the disputed relationship between inequality and economic growth.

The rise of Asia's megacities is the upshot of robust economic growth in the region. In turn, the expansion of these centers of industry and commerce is fueling further growth, opening more opportunities for business and employment. With six out of 10 of the world's largest cities in Asia-and eight out of 10 of the most densely populated-the continent will be the world's de facto laboratory for urban planning. Yet urbanization does not mean prosperity for all. A great disparity between the rich and the poor-not just in terms of income but also in living conditions-persists. Asia accounts for some 60% of the world's urban slum residents. Rapid development puts pressure on infrastructure and the delivery of basic services, such as health care, water and sanitation, and energy, particularly for cities with poor urban planning. Investments in public utilities must keep pace with business and population expansion. Otherwise, economic growth cannot be sustained. This edition of Development Asia examines the opportunities and challenges that urbanization presents: how it can drive or disrupt economic growth in Asia. It looks into the case of Viet Nam, one of Asia's economic stars, which is grappling with problems arising from massive urban migration. In The Cruel Utility of Slums, we weigh the economic value of informal settlements against the human toll. To round out coverage, this issue reports on the progress of urban renewal programs that seek to revitalize old cities while preserving their cultural heritage. In other stories, this issue explains the rollout of a form of political risk insurance that covers acts of terrorism. This issue also looks at how development organizations are adapting in a networked world. How well are these organizations using social media? And how are internet scammers posing as development organizations? Finally, this issue puts the spotlight on Thailand's Mr. Condom, Mechai Viravaidya.

This issue of Development Asia discusses the post-2015 development agenda and its implications for Asia and the Pacific. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have served humanity well. They galvanized global attention for helping the world's poor and vulnerable. In less than 3 years, a new development agenda will take up the challenge of delivering a sustainable future for humanity. The successor goals will benefit from the MDG's focus. But they must accomplish much more in a world that has changed dramatically since the MDGs were conceived. A global conversation is underway to frame the new goals. It's early days, but the vision is bold: a world without acute poverty, where the marginalized lead productive lives, and where economic growth doesn't strain the planet to breaking point. The goals will likely be universal, measurable, few in number, and easily understood. The developing world's strong voice in the consultation process is likely to result in goals that are both emphatic and far-reaching. The post-2015 development agenda, and the goals that will drive it, will be a moment of truth for the world. This issue of Development Asia goes further into these pivotal issues and their implications for Asia and the Pacific.

Development Asia aims to make a significant contribution to raising awareness and understanding of the issues that matter most today. It is not an academic journal; nor is it a publication that presents the views of the Asian Development Bank. It is intended as a forum for debate and discussion, reflecting different views of the most topical and complex development issues in the region. This launch issue focuses on four such issues: climate change, biofuels, genetically modified foods, and food security. The cover story features a candid interview with Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who shares his views on the impact of climate change and the role of development institutions in addressing the problem. In guest columns, two pre-eminent experts on the subject suggest ways of dealing with climate change. Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, says global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must satisfy the principles of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. Emil Salim, adviser to the Indonesian president, calls for a sustainable development model for Asia that eradicates poverty while fighting climate change. This issue also asks whether biofuels are the panacea for the world's energy problems or if they pose a threat to longer-term environmental sustainability. It looks at genetically modified foods and whether they really hold the key to eradicating global hunger. It likewise considers the impact of soaring food prices on the poor and the need for agricultural reforms.

Education attacks poverty at its roots, laying the groundwork for achieving all development goals. Teaching children to read and write, for example, not only improves their employment prospects, but also better attunes them to their country's development goals-all of which depend on disseminating important information to be successful. As such, literacy is the foundational cornerstone for development. This edition of Development Asia takes stock of the region's successes and remaining challenges in the education sector. The issue looks at different approaches to reform the educational system to advance national interests, from building elite universities to strengthening vocational programs. A story on the Republic of Korea relates efforts of the state to wean students' overdependence on private tutoring, which is jacking up the cost of education. "Preparing for a Windfall" talks about how Mongolia is consolidating its economic gains by investing in schools-even in the Gobi Desert.

This edition of Development Asia explores the concept of green growth: the embracing of environmentally sound and sustainable policies with the need to maintain high economic growth. It features an exclusive interview with leading expert Ashok Khosla, who takes a hard look at the promises and failings of green growth. In other stories, we look at pioneering efforts to deliver medicine through a soda company's distribution network.

The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly was a major breakthrough in the fight against poverty. Not only did it draw out firm commitments from nations but it also promoted greater transparency and urgency by putting the spotlight on national and international efforts to improve the living conditions of the poorest by 2015. With nearly two-thirds of deadline time elapsed, this edition of Development Asia takes a hard look at progress made toward the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific. Much success has been achieved in key areas, such as in lowering the child mortality rate and improving the quality of life of those on the fringes of society. Yet, despite the advances made, most of Asia and the developing world will fall short of the targets as they struggle to cope with the global economic crisis, rising food prices, and climate change. In an exclusive interview with Development Asia, Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization stresses the importance of building on successes in achieving the goals and urges donor nations to continue aid programs. These ambitious global goals have presented challenges to development professionals-and leaders-on how best to measure development progress. Critics tell Development Asia that MDG indicators tend to draw a skewed picture since these show progress at the national level that may be vastly different from conditions at the provincial level. Still, development workers agree that these indicators, though not perfect, provide the most comprehensive framework for reducing poverty worldwide. In other stories, this issue tells the little known tale of Afghanistan's heroin addicts. Much has been written about the country feeding the world's addiction, but few have examined heroin's painful toll on Afghanistan's people. This edition also looks at the problem of endemic corruption in infrastructure projects, while it weighs both the positive and negative effects of road building, one of the largest types of infrastructure projects, and most common. Patralekha Chatterjee argues that road projects need HIV/AIDS officers as much as they need engineers. In our From the Field section, we talk to Tony Meloto, the energetic founder of the highly successful Philippine housing organization, Gawad Kalinga. The program is promoted as getting the wealthy and middle class into low-cost housing… as volunteers. A former marketing executive, Mr. Meloto is as comfortable in the slums as he is in the polo club.

Development Asia looks at the lessons learned from a decade of dealing with natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific and at how the region's economic growth could suffer unless it acts collectively on disaster risk. Natural disasters are frequent and unwelcome visitors to Asia. Nowhere else does nature's fury strike with such frightening regularity, wiping out families, destroying homes and livelihoods, and leaving broken communities in its wake. Disasters like Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines last November, radiate lasting hardship. More than 5,000 lives were tragically lost and many more people left homeless. But jobs were also lost; businesses went bankrupt; schooling missed; and vast national economic resources diverted to the recovery effort. It can take years for communities and economies to rebuild. Reducing this toll is one of our region's greatest challenges. Much has been done, since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, to integrate disaster safeguards into national economic plans. In this issue, President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines gives his perspective on what else needs to happen to reduce risks in one of Asia's most disaster-affected countries. And ADB President Takehiko Nakao provides exclusive insights into how the region's economic growth could suffer unless it acts collectively on disaster risk.

If one question could threaten Asia's dynamic growth and impressive gains in poverty reduction in recent decades, it is the region's energy supply. The complex issues that encompass energy security are vital for ensuring a region's economic growth. It is not just a matter of maintaining the supply of energy that Asia needs to fuel its growth. The region must also navigate the treacherous waters of conflict and cooperation when it comes to accessing energy resources. On top of these challenges lie the energy implications of climate change: many now believe that the cheapest, most abundant fuels-such as coal-can no longer be the primary sources of energy for the region. Asia must take the lead in supplying and consuming cleaner, renewable energy. According to the International Energy Agency, the emerging economies in the region, led by the People's Republic of China and India, are driving world energy demand, demonstrating a growing appetite both for fossil fuels and renewable sources of energy. Yet, more than 800 million people in Asia and the Pacific still have no access to electricity. Against this backdrop, this issue of Development Asia takes a broad look at energy security in Asia. The prospects and challenges associated with coal, renewable energy, oil and gas, and the sensitive area of nuclear energy development are explored in detail. The gargantuan infrastructure challenges associated with the region's aging power transmission grid-a vital aspect of regional cooperation in energy-is examined by new contributor John Otis, an author and Time magazine correspondent. This edition also examines the plight of millions of people in Asia who never obtained birth certificates. A simple process in many countries, it can be a crippling problem for those whose births are never registered. They are often invisible to government, reports regular contributor Karen Emmons. Unprotected by labor laws and left out of many social safety net programs, they are among Asia's most vulnerable people.