Feature Archive 2010

The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction After a Disaster

The death toll following the 2004 Asian tsunami was stunning. The devastation that the tsunami caused highlights the need to strengthen approaches to disaster risk reduction activities across Asia. This new book underlines the fact that global disaster risks are highly concentrated in poor countries. Read the book online.

Toward an Asian Economic Community

Regional economic integration is a powerful force to promote growth and reduce poverty. ADBI's annual conference contributed to the policy dialogue on a roadmap toward strengthening Asian integration and cooperation through institutional innovations and reforms. See the program.

Household Savings and Social Protection Policies in the PRC

The PRC's extraordinary economic growth has generated vast wealth. However, to achieve equitable and sustainable social provision, the PRC needs to reform policies to address rising living standards, the aging population, urbanization, and growth of the private and informal sectors. Read more.

ADBI Announces 2010 Journalism Awards

Winners of the 2010 Developing Asia Journalism Awards were announced on 19 November in Tokyo. Indian journalist Mridu Khullar was named Development Journalist of the Year for her article The Treasure of Trash^*. Chhun Kosal of Cambodia was named Young Development Journalist of the Year. Prizes were also awarded in four thematic categories. DAJA recognizes excellence in journalism on development issues in the region. Meet the winners.

* This link takes you outside the ADBI.org website

Improving Social Protection Policies to Stimulate Domestic Demand

Can improved social policies reduce savings and induce a long-term increase in consumption spending? This new book examines social protection policies in developing Asia and the Pacific, demographic impacts on savings, especially population aging, labor market policies and income distribution effect on spending, and more. Download the book.

Asia Needs a Collective Approach to Secure Balanced and Sustainable Growth

Asian economies are recovering from the global financial crisis, but many risks remain, including the possibility of a double-dip recession in advanced economies, surges in short-term capital inflows to emerging economies, and "currency wars". Read the Asian Policy Forum's recommendations to Asian leaders.

ADBI-OECD Conference on Skills Development

Developing Asian economies need to "rebalance" their growth towards greater reliance on domestic and regional demand. For such rebalancing to take place effectively, economies must adapt skills development policies to complement this new pattern of demand. These issues were at the top of the agenda of a conference on Skills Development in the Postcrisis Context. View the conference presentations.

Asia Needs a Collective Approach to Secure Balanced and Sustainable Growth

Asian economies are recovering from the global financial crisis, but many risks remain, including the possibility of a double-dip recession in advanced economies, surges in short-term capital inflows to emerging economies, and "currency wars". Read the Asian Policy Forum's recommendations to Asian leaders.

• Read the news release

Promoting Learning and Industrial Upgrading

During the "East Asian Miracle" learning and technology played important roles in ASEAN countries. Countries must maintain an environment friendly to foreign investment; and focus on learning and developing creative, knowledge-intensive industries say Thorbecke, Lamberte, and Komoto. Read more.

Promoting Financial Inclusion

A new report highlights best practices for introducing innovative policies in key areas of: agent banking, mobile phone banking, diversifying providers, reforming public banks, financial identity regulation, and consumer protection. Read more.

• See more ADBI books

Training the Trainers: Microfinance Course Opens

Providing access to microfinance gives low income people a chance to improve their own lives. This distance learning course will enhance the knowledge of microfinance practitioners and strengthen the capacity of microfinance institutions. Read about the course and how to register.

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Transpacific Rebalancing

PRC exports to the US were a major outlier in the global economy before the financial crisis. Imbalances between the two countries have hardly fallen since the crisis began. Willem Thorbecke and Ginalyn Komoto present evidence indicating that an appreciation of the yuan relative to the dollar would be necessary to reduce these imbalances. Read more.

• Read article on China's Dollar Peg

Rebalancing Growth for Strong Domestic Demand

Rebalancing growth will require new policies to build strong domestic demand. Pasadilla and Aldaba examine the implications of the growth rebalancing model on the structure and performance of the services sector and identify areas of action to improve productivity growth in ASEAN. Read more.

Private Sector has Crucial Role in Regional Infrastructure Projects

Asia has huge infrastructure investment needs and insufficient government resources. This study shows that Asian countries have attracted higher private sector investment for national infrastructure projects such as seaports and airports compared to crossborder projects. Read more.

Rise of Asia's Middle Class^*

Developing Asia's rapidly expanding middle class is likely to assume the traditional role of the US and Europe as primary global consumers and help rebalance the global economy, says a new ADB report on Asia's middle class. Read more^*.

• Welcome remarks at seminar

* These links takes you outside the ADBI.org website

Climate Change Threatens Asia's Agriculture Sector

Developing Asia will be most affected by climate change. Livelihoods will be harmed, water supplies for irrigation reduced, and food production systems altered. Countries must adapt to and plan for the impact of climate change. Read more from a workshop on the topic.

Impacts of Global Crisis on Asia's Labor Market

How can governments' generate jobs and improve social welfare? This paper projects the impact of the financial crisis on unemployment and labor productivity in Asia and suggests that labor market recovery will lag behind output growth. Read more.

Asia's Role in the Global Economic Architecture

In Asia's Role in the Global Economic Architecture, Masahiro Kawai and Peter Petri look clearly at the flux in the global financial framework brought about by the rapid growth of emerging Asian economies. The paper investigates how best to change global financial institutions to better reflect current economic realities. Read more and post a comment.

Asian Tiger Economies

The recent global crisis hit the Asian tiger economies hard. Exports collapsed and GDPs dropped as global demand weakened. Hwee Kwan Chow explores the choices faced by the Asian tigers in terms of growth strategies that aid global rebalancing. Read more and post a comment.

Financing Asia's Infrastructure

Asia faces huge infrastructure funding demands over the next decade. In this study, Biswa Bhattacharyay examines challenges and issues; and proposes various methods and instruments to help direct Asian and international resources to support infrastructure connectivity and other development needs. Download the paper and post a comment.

• Read Infrastructure for a Seamless Asia

ADB Calls for More Social Protection in Wake of Global Economic Crisis

The crisis is Asia's opportunity to make the region's future growth more inclusive. The region needs to reform labor markets, expand social protection systems, address gender imbalances, and improve the environments of the poor, according to a new ADB/ADBI book. Read more.

Economic Slowdown Affects Environment

What are the consequences of the global financial crisis for energy use, pollution prevention, and land use in Asia? Venkatachalam Anbumozhi and Armin Bauer discuss these issues and more. Read the paper and post a comment.

• See also: Poverty and Sustainable Development in Asia

Asia's Urgent Need to Develop Regional Markets

Asia's rapid development has been heavily dependent on markets such as Europe and the US. But now greater regional integration in Asia is critical. A new ADBI book looks at how regional trade facilitation, including investment in infrastructure, promotes and supports trade growth. While the findings focus on Asia, they have relevance for policymakers in other regions. Read the book online and post a comment.

Lessons from Japan's Banking Crisis

Japan's experience suggests that it is vital for governments to recapitalize banking systems and provide banks with incentives to dispose of troubled assets from their balance sheets. Mariko Fujii and Masahiro Kawai's "Lessons from Japan's Banking Crisis, 1991-2005" examines Japan's efforts to cope with its banking problems and draws lessons for other countries. Read the paper and post a comment.

Yuan Exchange Rate Appreciation

How would exchange rate fluctuations affect the PRC’s surplus with the rest of the world? Willem Thorbecke studies the impact of a change in the yuan exchange rate on trade levels of the PRC and finds that the impact would be limited unless accompanied by other changes. Read the paper and post a comment.

Latin America and Asia-Pacific: Opportunities for Cooperation

Asia-Pacific and Latin America are divided by geographic distance and disparities in economics, politics, culture, and history. Erlinda Medalla and Jenny Balboa explore potential for cooperation between the two regions and provide recommendations to enhance the economic partnership. Read the paper.

More Infrastructure Investment Needed, says ADBI

"In view of Asia's enormous untapped economic potential and the global financial crisis, now is the time to build efficient and seamless connections across Asia and with the rest of the world for a more competitive, prosperous and integrated region," said ADBI Dean Masahiro Kawai, at a recent seminar in Beijing. Read the summary and presentations.

FTAs in East Asia: Way toward Trade Liberalization?^*

FTA-led regionalism is here to stay with 45 agreements adopted over the past 10 years in East Asia. ADBI's Masahiro Kawai and ADB's Ganesh Wignaraja examine the growth and future of FTAs in a new policy brief. Read more^*

• See the country studies

* These links takes you outside the ADBI.org website

Journalism Awards Competition Opens

Information is critical for development. The Developing Asia Journalism Awards 2010 is open for submission of articles by Asia and Pacific journalists in four categories: Life in the City, Green Growth?, New Growth Paths, and The Shape of Asia to Come. Journalists can submit entries online. Read the announcement.

• See more about Developing Asia Journalism Awards

Lessons from Crises: The Need for Social Welfare Systems

Did the Korean social welfare system help Korea overcome the problems of the global financial crisis? Sung Teak Kim analyzes the impacts of the 1998 and 2008 financial crises on the Korean labor market and the change of labor policies from the 1998 crisis to the 2008 crisis. Read more.

Implementing Competition Law in Developing Countries

Developing countries face major challenges in legislating and implementing competition law. A recent workshop discussed advocacy, enforcement, how to draft competition law, and institutional capacity building for competition authorities. View the presentations.

• Read the summary of proceedings

ADBI News

ADBI's latest newsletter features articles on the future of the global currency reserve system, views from Asia and Europe on postcrisis issues, adjustment to trans-Pacific payments imbalances, capital market reform, and the outlook for public private partnerships. Read more.

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GFC and Implications for Asia

Asia has begun to recover from the global financial crisis, but longer-term implications are even greater than the short-term ones. ADBI has completed research on the impacts of the crisis on Asia and presents recommendations for ADB's developing member countries to avoid future crises. Read the research papers.

Developing Asia's Recovery^*

"Developing Asia's recovery has taken firm hold and a return to stronger and sustainable growth is now in sight if the region can meet the challenge of strengthening domestic demand," ADB Chief Economist Jong-Wha Lee said at a seminar to launch an ADB report in Tokyo. ADB forecasts growth of 7.5% in 2010, well up from 5.2% in 2009. Read more^*.

* These links takes you outside the ADBI.org website

Higher Education Reform for Asia's Vulnerable

The global recession may be a good time for higher education to continue reforming governance and administration, access and equity, internal and external efficiency, and regional collaboration. This paper by Gerard Postiglione proposes measures to increase the resilience of Asian higher education systems in serving poor and vulnerable populations during an economic recession. Read more.

Applying the Lessons of Asia: The IMF's Crisis Management Strategy in 2008

The global financial crisis led to a sharp contraction of global credit and caused several European countries to seek financial support under the IMF's conditional lending facility. In a recent paper, Shinji Takagi examines how the IMF applied in practice the lessons it had learned from Asia over 10 years ago. Read more.

Eco-industrial Clusters: Policies and Challenges

Eco-industrial clusters can reduce waste and pollution and create green jobs. A workshop discussed strategies for transforming industrial clusters into eco-friendly economic zones. Read the summary of the workshop.

• Download the papers and presentations

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on PRC's Exports

Economists and policymakers have argued that the PRC economy should rely less on exports. Many claim that an appreciation of the yuan would help to achieve this goal. But empirical evidence on the effect of a yuan appreciation on the PRC's exports has been mixed. Read more.

Labor Markets in Postcrisis Asia

The global financial crisis has now become a full-blown jobs crisis. Disadvantaged groups-youth, immigrants, the low-skilled and workers in temporary or part-time jobs are bearing the brunt of job losses. Read more.

• Read the papers and presentations from the conference on key labor market issues

Strengthening Asia's Social Protection Systems

Has the global economic crisis presented an opportunity to develop more extensive and robust social protection systems? Mukul Asher analyzes the implications of the crisis, and demographic and labor market trends in Asia, with a focus on pensions and retirement financing. Read more.

Accelerating Regional Integration: Border Issues

The sharp decline in trade volume and value during the global financial crisis contributed to lower transportation costs and reduced waiting times at border crossings, reducing the urgency of progress on trade facilitation. Meanwhile, greater trade is expected to play a key role in recovery, and in sustaining growth afterwards. Read more.

Achieving the MDGs Through Organic Agriculture

What are the costs of improving farmers' lives through the adoption of organic agriculture? A recent research project estimates the costs that are incurred and evaluates whether they represent good value when compared to the gains in terms of individual incomes and other benefits as defined in the MDGs. Download the paper.

Policy Options for Long-term Growth

The global financial crisis project provides recommendations on how Asia can achieve sustainable and inclusive long-term growth. Research results indicate a need for Asia to rebalance growth by relying more on domestic and regional demand. Read more.

• Read the GFC papers
• See the GFC conference schedule

Why is the euro not the next global currency?

Over its 10 years, the euro has been a huge success for its member states. But there is no sign of a move to the euro as a global currency. Jean Pisani-Ferry, director of Bruegel, at a recent seminar revealed the dominance of the US dollar over the euro. Read more.

FTAs and Philippine Business

What is the impact of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) agreement on business activity in the Philippines? Using a survey of transport, food, and electronics firms, Ganeshan Wignaraja, Dorothea Lazaro, and Genevieve DeGuzman examine how and why firms use AFTA, what impedes firms from using FTAs, and what can be done to improve FTA use at firm level in the future. Download the study.

Supply Chain Dynamics in Asia

Shippers require efficient logistics services that can move goods to the right place, at the right time, in the right condition, and at the right price. Links between Asian countries must be strengthened to facilitate trade and integrate supply chains for better access to the global market. Read more.

• LAEBA Conference on Accelerating Regional Integration in the Asia-Pacific Region

Macroeconomic Policy in Asia

Responding to the severe negative impact of the recent global financial crisis, many Asian economies eased their monetary and fiscal policies. The author reviews how these policy responses were implemented and what effects the experiences may have for the medium- and longer-term. Read more.

• Find out about ADBI's GFC project

Quarterly Newsletter

ADBI News' latest edition features the annual conference on social protection spending, and has articles on internationalizing the euro, ADBI's Advisory Council, challenges in the implementation of competition law, eco-industrial clusters, and developing Asia journalism awards. Download the newsletter.

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