The Asia Foundation

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.

In May 2012, with support from the Skoll Global Threats Fund, The Asia Foundation 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 Asia Foundation's Women's Empowerment Program works closely with our local partners to address these challenges and ensure that women can be a key contributor to development in China. The program advances women's empowerment through...

The Asia Foundation's Women's Empowerment Program works closely with our local partners to address these challenges and ensure that women can be a key contributor to development in China. The program advances women's empowerment through education, increasing economic security, mitigating the effects of natural disasters, and helping women access their legal rights.

This study elucidates people's perception about causes and impacts of climate change, current plans and programs, and future programming needed to address climate change issues more fully. The climate change discourse has been evolving...

This study elucidates people's perception about causes and impacts of climate change, current plans and programs, and future programming needed to address climate change issues more fully. The climate change discourse has been evolving globally, and it has generated new ideas, debates and interests within the community of experts. At the same time, there has been intensification of efforts both by government and international communities to tackle climate change impacts in Bangladesh. These efforts resulted in funds, institutional mechanisms and programs.

The study reviews the existing policy and institutional framework, funding mechanisms, and major institutional actors working in the field of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh in order to provide a better understanding of their current...

The study reviews the existing policy and institutional framework, funding mechanisms, and major institutional actors working in the field of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh in order to provide a better understanding of their current priorities as well as the critical areas that are not being addressed. The study also looks into the gender dimensions of climate change adaptation projects, as well as the overall policy framework for gender and climate change. All these issues have been reviewed and analyzed primarily from the standpoint of good governance, focusing on the issues of accountability, responsibility, transparency and participation in policy making and planning, program implementation, institutional framework, and financing mechanisms for climate change adaptation in Bangladesh from local to the national level.

In This Issue: "Mainland/Hong Kong Platform for More Effective Philanthropy," "U.S. Amb. to Bangladesh Speaks at Asia Foundation," "Asia Foundation/APEC Report on Women Business Owners Released," "Young Lotus Circle Inaugural Event," "Asia...

In This Issue: "Mainland/Hong Kong Platform for More Effective Philanthropy," "U.S. Amb. to Bangladesh Speaks at Asia Foundation," "Asia Foundation/APEC Report on Women Business Owners Released," "Young Lotus Circle Inaugural Event," "Asia Foundation Joins Beyond Access," "Asia Foundation, JICA Form Strategic Partnership," "Briefly Noted," "Remembering A. W. Clausen," "Multimedia," "The Asia Foundation Announces Six New Trustees."

Sharing Asian Perspectives On International Development Effectiveness.

The Asia Foundation facilitates mutual learning among diverse development actors, contributes Asian views to the global development agenda, and supports capacity...

Sharing Asian Perspectives On International Development Effectiveness.

The Asia Foundation facilitates mutual learning among diverse development actors, contributes Asian views to the global development agenda, and supports capacity development and South-South knowledge exchange and cooperation.

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the...

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the semi-annual corruption benchmarking survey conducted under the USAID-funded Mongolian Anti-Corruption Support (MACS) project. While the past eleven surveys probed both citizens' perceptions and actual experience of corruption at the household level, the SPEAK survey has been expanded to capture data on perceptions and knowledge of administrative practices and grand corruption. Additionally, the SPEAK survey will be complemented by the Foundation's newly introduced Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) which is designed to capture data on perceptions of corruption of business sector. Together, the surveys will provide a much broader picture of the level of corruption in Mongolia. The Sant Maral Foundation (SMF) has been The Asia Foundation's implementing partner for both the surveys.

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the...

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the semi-annual corruption benchmarking survey conducted under the USAID-funded Mongolian Anti-Corruption Support (MACS) project. While the past eleven surveys probed both citizens' perceptions and actual experience of corruption at the household level, the SPEAK survey has been expanded to capture data on perceptions and knowledge of administrative practices and grand corruption. Additionally, the SPEAK survey will be complemented by the Foundation's newly introduced Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) which is designed to capture data on perceptions of corruption of business sector. Together, the surveys will provide a much broader picture of the level of corruption in Mongolia. The Sant Maral Foundation (SMF) has been The Asia Foundation's implementing partner for both the surveys.

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels to 18 Asian countries. Since its inception in 1954, Books for Asia has provided nearly 45 million books and journals to more...

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels to 18 Asian countries. Since its inception in 1954, Books for Asia has provided nearly 45 million books and journals to more than 50,000 academic and non-academic institutions throughout Asia. In Afghanistan, Books for Asia has donated more than 350,000 books and journals to government agencies, private institutions, and NGOs across the country, supporting national development, international understanding, and English-language literacy.

LankaCorps is a unique volunteer program for young professionals, between the ages of 21 and 29, of Sri Lankan heritage who want to contribute to this dynamic, multi-ethnic nation. After decades of war, The Asia Foundation believes these...

LankaCorps is a unique volunteer program for young professionals, between the ages of 21 and 29, of Sri Lankan heritage who want to contribute to this dynamic, multi-ethnic nation. After decades of war, The Asia Foundation believes these fellowships will help contribute to the island's long-term recovery.

Fellows are placed in six-month assignments with established businesses, nonprots, and government departments. They participate in local social and economic initiatives and organizations, while discovering themselves and gaining a deeper understanding of contemporary Sri Lanka.

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new...

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new fields. Despite these impressive successes, there have been persistent reports in the media about the existence of corrupt practices. These reports often relate to government employees asking businessmen for non-stipulated fees in return for services, for example, to process or expedite obtaining permits and documents, such as licenses, needed by business to operate. Until now, there has been no data about the pervasiveness of corrupt practices affecting business-government relations in Mongolia. The Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) was designed to obtain a picture of the extent of corruption, based on the experience of members of the business community. Interviewing representatives of small, medium, and large sized business enterprises, this study captures the similarities and differences companies face in relation to corrupt practices, breaking down the findings by sector.

February 2013

Over the past decade, community-­based development (CBD) programs have become among the most common and widely-­accepted methods for providing assistance to conflict-­affected regions. These trends partly...

February 2013

Over the past decade, community-­based development (CBD) programs have become among the most common and widely-­accepted methods for providing assistance to conflict-­affected regions. These trends partly reflect an increased sensitivity to conflict dynamics and a commitment to extend the benefits of development to conflict-­affected communities in order to help them rebuild infrastructure and improve livelihoods. In the Philippines, the government has adopted CBD as a core component of its strategy to address internal armed conflict, and nearly all of the major international development partners are implementing some form of CBD programming to support conflict-­affected communities. Community-­based development refers to a broad spectrum of development program approaches that channel the benefits of aid directly to the community level and often (though not all cases) prioritize participation and ownership by community members in program implementation. This study was undertaken to provide some clarity and guidance on CBD in conflict-­affected areas.