The Asia Foundation

Since the 1990s, The Asia Foundation has supported programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by civil society, government, and the private sector. Certain advances in ICT – such as the...

Since the 1990s, The Asia Foundation has supported programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by civil society, government, and the private sector. Certain advances in ICT – such as the pervasive adoption of mobile telephones and the rapid spread of internet connectivity – have dramatically increased the speed of information processing, as well as the ease, frequency, and quality of communications in the developing world.

In this issue: "National Geographic and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi Honored at Lotus Awards," "Visionary NGO Leader Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of BRAC is Asia Foundation Fellow," "Asia Foundation at Google's Big Tent on Open Data and Disaster Preparedness,"...

In this issue: "National Geographic and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi Honored at Lotus Awards," "Visionary NGO Leader Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of BRAC is Asia Foundation Fellow," "Asia Foundation at Google's Big Tent on Open Data and Disaster Preparedness," "Renowned Philanthropist Dr. Chong-Moon Lee Launches New Projects to Combat Human Trafficking," "Luce Scholars Report for Assignments in Asia," "Multimedia," "Briefly Noted," "Rockefeller Foundation Supports Post-Flood Recovery and Environment Initiative in Thailand."

For more than two decades, The Asia Foundation has backed local initiatives to ensure the sustainability of natural resources across Asia. Working with civil society organizations, government and the private sector, the Foundation understands...

For more than two decades, The Asia Foundation has backed local initiatives to ensure the sustainability of natural resources across Asia. Working with civil society organizations, government and the private sector, the Foundation understands the complex interplay between environmental protection, economic development, local and regional government relations, private sector incentives and the rights of local communities. Improved governance is a vital component of any response to deforestation, land degradation and climate change and a key factor in achieving successful, sustainable development.

For more than two decades, The Asia Foundation has backed local initiatives to ensure the sustainability of natural resources across Asia. Working with civil society organizations, government and the private sector, the Foundation...

For more than two decades, The Asia Foundation has backed local initiatives to ensure the sustainability of natural resources across Asia. Working with civil society organizations, government and the private sector, the Foundation understands the complex interplay between environmental protection, economic development, local and regional government relations, private sector incentives and the rights of local communities. Improved governance is a vital component of any response to deforestation, land degradation and climate change and a key factor in achieving successful, sustainable development.

Occasional Paper No. 17, October 2012

China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world and faces both domestic and international pressure to curb its emissions and contribution to climate change. Recognizing its role...

Occasional Paper No. 17, October 2012

China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world and faces both domestic and international pressure to curb its emissions and contribution to climate change. Recognizing its role and potential for being a leader in addressing climate change, China has developed various policies and measures to address the issue. This paper presents a case study from The Asia Foundation-CEEPR project in an attempt to answer the following questions: What are the challenges to engage SMEs in the low carbon transition process in China, and what hurdles exist？ What are the opportunities in the low carbon transition, and what incentives might be put in place to promote the transition?

Supporting Flood Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Measures

In October 2011, Thailand faced its most severe flooding in half a century. An especially long and heavy monsoon season caused flooding from Bangkok's Chao...

Supporting Flood Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Measures

In October 2011, Thailand faced its most severe flooding in half a century. An especially long and heavy monsoon season caused flooding from Bangkok's Chao Phraya River and several other neighboring river systems. Decades of inadequate planning and water resources management, as well as pressure from rapid urban growth, compromised the efficacy of both natural and built drainage courses from Bangkok to the Gulf of Thailand.

As mining grows in importance to Mongolia's economy, local communities and the environment will increasingly feel the impact. Effective government institutions and citizen participation in local resource decisions will be imperative. Since...

As mining grows in importance to Mongolia's economy, local communities and the environment will increasingly feel the impact. Effective government institutions and citizen participation in local resource decisions will be imperative. Since 2006, The Asia Foundation has promoted responsible mining in Mongolia by supporting collaboration between industry, government and civil society.

Water governance throughout South Asia has long been dominated by technical perspectives from civil engineering, economics, and international law. Across the region, state actors, scientists, and technocrats have monopolized policy formulation...

Water governance throughout South Asia has long been dominated by technical perspectives from civil engineering, economics, and international law. Across the region, state actors, scientists, and technocrats have monopolized policy formulation and implementation providing limited space for the expression of legitimate civil society voices and stakeholder interests. In this largely state driven discourse, broader social and ecological perspectives have been underrepresented. Bringing the discourse on water use, sharing, and management closer to affected communities and stakeholders can help to reduce environmental degradation and thereby the potential for conflict.

In May 2012, with support from the Skoll Global Threats Fund, The Asia Foundation (TAF) in partnership with civil society organizations in India and Bangladesh began a political economy analysis of the Teesta River Basin. To try and unpack the interests around water governance in the Teesta Basin, the analysis sought to identify and map key actors and stakeholders in the basin, their incentives, relative stakes, and their ability to influence water governance decisions in the basin. The analysis highlights five distinct political economy features of water negotiations and governance in the Teesta River Basin: Seeing like a state; legitimate stakeholders and actors excluded from the table; legitimate interests excluded from the table; weak articulation of stakeholder interests; and, state control of data and information.