Environment

ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA

Asia is a dynamic region that has experiencedunprecedented economic growth, populationexpansion, and urbanization, which haveincreased the demand for food, energy, water,and other natural resources. As the region con-tinues its economic and industrial advancement,environmental problems - such as the lack ofaccess to clean water and air, degradation of nat-ural resources, and loss of biodiversity - threatenthe sustainable development of many countriesin Asia. The combination of these factors canhave a profoundly negative impact on develop-ment, human well-being, and the incidence oflocal and regional conflict over natural resources.Additionally, the significant impact of globalwarming and climate change places increased pres-sure on these valuable resources, and can poten-tially undermine many of the achievements thathave been made in Asia’s development and povertyreduction efforts over the last several decades.

Despite its impressive economic advances, theregion is also home to many poor, rural commu-nities who rely directly on shared naturalresources for their livelihoods but who often haveno voice in their management. These resourcesinclude the grasslands in Mongolia, major riversthat originate in the Himalayas and flow throughSouth and Southeast Asia, rich forests inIndonesia, and diverse marine ecosystems aroundthe Pacific Islands, among many others. Due tothe close interrelationships between people andthese natural systems, environmental resourcesplay a critical role in overall national and regionaldevelopment strategies.

Now more than ever, Asia’s urban and rural com-munities, governments, businesses, and broadercivil society are voicing their concerns regardingthe effects of degraded and vulnerable ecologicalsystems and the negative impacts of climatechange. In response, The Asia Foundation isexpanding the scope and scale of its environmentand climate change programming, recognizingthat sound management and governance of natural resources is essential for sustainable devel-opment in the Asia-Pacific region.

BUILDING ON EXPERIENCE, EXPANDING

OUR EFFORTS

For more than two decades, The Asia Foundationhas initiated successful environment programsthroughout Asia. It has worked with civil society,government, and the private sector as the region’senvironmental development agenda has evolved.The Foundation understands the nuances of thecosts and benefits between economic develop-ment and environmental health, regional andlocal government relations, and private sectorincentives.

Improved governance of Asia’s natural resourcesand response to climate change is one of the keyelements in achieving successful, sustainabledevelopment. This includes expanding govern-ment capacity to develop sound climate changeadaptation and mitigation policies from thenational to the local level, strengthening the ruleof law to enforce environmental protection, andmobilizing a range of diverse constituents to hold

The Asia Foundation

has had an active

Environment program

since the 1980s.

ENVIRONMENT

The Asia Foundation supports Asian initiatives to ensure the sustainability of the environment and natural resources as critical to Asia’sdevelopment and future well-being.

The Foundation relies

on its network of 18

country offices to address

important cross-border

issues and promote the

sharing of best practices.

The Foundation brings

together government,

the private sector,

and civil society groups

to address environmental

challenges.

Hundreds of local and

national environmental

groups and initiatives

throughout Asia have

received critical support

from the Foundation.

MONGOLIA: RESPONSIBLE MINING AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Sustainable natural resource management and development is thefoundation upon which Mongolia's future prosperity resides. TheFoundation works with local communities, government, and small-scale artisanal mining groups to improve their environmental respon-sibilities and safeguard environmental conservation at both local andnational levels. The Foundation is also working closely with stake-

holders on establishing best practices for water quality and sanitation in local schools andhouseholds.

LAOS: WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Laos’ rich water resources are vital to the communities that relyon them for their livelihoods. The Foundation promotes environ-mental awareness and local ownership among communities andstudents throughout the country by empowering them to monitorand manage river water quality and assess the environmentalimpact of development.

CHINA: INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN CHINA’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND

STRENGTHENING DISASTER MANAGEMENT

China’s economic growth provides an opportunity to integrateenvironmental factors into the country’s fast-paced development.The Foundation supports the engagement of diverse stakehold-ers to contribute to discourse in areas pertinent to sustainabledevelopment, including strengthening environmental informa-tion transparency and regulation, increasing public participation

in environmental decision-making, and in China’s low-carbon development priorities.Additionally, the Foundation supports government, schools, and communities in emergencymanagement and disaster preparedness.

PACIFIC ISLANDS: PREPARING FOR NATURAL DISASTERS

The Pacific Island nations are extremely vulnerable to naturalhazards such as tsunamis, drought, flooding, and tropical storms.As climate change increases this vulnerability, the Foundation isbuilding on its long history of strengthening organizational andleadership capacity of regional and provincial partners, and

empowering at-risk communities in 14 Pacific Island nations on disaster management andearly warning and alert systems.

INDONESIA: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE, LAND USE, AND FORESTRY

Indonesia’s rapid rate of deforestation and land degra-dation makes it one of the top emitters of greenhousegases in the world. Guided by an understanding of theeconomic, social and political factors, the Foundation isaddressing underlying forest governance and land

tenure issues. Programs aim to increase transparency and accountability of landuse planning, improve land use policies and increase rule of law to better governthese resources and contribute to sustainable, low-carbon economic growth andreduced greenhouse gas emissions.

IMPACT: The Asia Foundation measures its progress in environmental stewardship through successful partnerships, strengthened government commitment, enhanced institutional capacity for environmental protection, active and effective public participation, expanded regional coordination, and

ultimately, the improved prospects for a secure and sustainable environment. Areas where the Foundation is having an impact in Asia include:

THAILAND: FLOOD RECOVERY, RECONSTRUCTION, AND MITIGATION

In October 2011, Thailand experienced some of the worst floodingin nearly 60 years. It submerged one third of the country, killednearly 700 people, and caused millions of dollars in damage. TheFoundation is working to improve communication, coordination,and collaboration among diverse flood-affected stakeholders toadvance common interests and influence future national policies,plans, and protocols on water and natural disaster management.

VIETNAM: NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND YOUTH FOR ENVIRONMENT

Rapid economic growth in Vietnam is contributing to environ-mental degradation, while the country is also highly vulnerableto the impacts of climate change. To mitigate these risks, theFoundation is engaging private sector enterprises to participatein disaster risk management, and to improve low carbon devel-opment processes in industrial zones. It is also supporting jour-

nalists and NGOs to increase access to information and broaden public policy debate andimprove environmental dispute resolution.

PILOT PROGRAMS

The Foundation is also implementing pilot programs on climate change governance and perception in Bangladesh; environmental education in Malaysia; and urban environmentalissues in Nepal.

PHILIPPINES: NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN METRO MANILA

The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters in the world, facing risks from flooding,typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanoes. To mitigate the impactsfrom these disasters, the Foundation is supporting policy andoperational reforms to vulnerable areas by working with com-munity organizations, non-profits, and government on low-cost

and safer housing options in metro Manila.

SOUTH ASIA: TRANSBOUNDARY WATER-SHARING

The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basin spansthe borders of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, while theIndus River basin straddles historical rivals India andPakistan. The use and development of these watersare highly contentious and are further threatened byclimate change, which is projected to result in reduced

flow of water in these rivers. The Foundation is contributing to the analysis of cross-border water issues and fostering increased cooperation for the management of theseshared waters.

government accountable for the responsible useand management of natural resources and theenvironment.

Through its 18 field offices in the Asia-Pacificand extensive network of on-the-ground partners, the Foundation is initiating high-impactprograms to strengthen the institutions andprocesses through which environmental resourcesare managed and improve the development andenforcement of sustainable environmental policy.

PROGRAM PRIORITIES

The Asia Foundation is addressing some of themost pressing challenges to achieving sustainabledevelopment in Asia. Recognizing the integratednature of these challenges through our work ingovernance, economic reform, regional coopera-tion and women’s empowerment, the Foundation’sEnvironment programs address and prioritize critical issues that benefit from a coordinatedeffort among these areas, coupled with a groundedunderstanding of the local context where we work.These priorities include:

• Natural Resource Management and Use• Transboundary Water ResourcesManagement

• Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience • Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

The Foundation is committed to long-termengagement on environmental priorities in Asia.It employs a distinct, integrated approachinformed by deep local knowledge and extensiveon-the-ground partnerships in order to:

• Improve understanding of the unique envi-ronmental challenges in each country wherewe work;

• Develop innovative, collaborative approachesto environmental issues alongside our Asianpartners;

• Develop greater consensus and cooperationamong government, elected officials, business,civil society, religious leaders, and local com-munities around environment, climatechange and disaster risk reduction issues;

• Promote cross-border collaboration andsharing of best practices in environmental

management among different Asian coun-tries; and

• Generate pilot projects and new models forachieving environmental progress and sus-tainability.

The Foundation’s added value and approaches toenvironmental programming include:

• Incorporating an understanding of the broadpolitical, social and economic dynamics ofgovernance reform in the countries in whichwe work, without which environmentalreform efforts cannot be effective.

• Utilizing extensive presence and networks inthe United States, Europe and throughoutthe Asia-Pacific region, which enables us towork with a wide range of local and interna-tional environmental organizations.

• Drawing on our reputation and capacity asan effective, neutral convener of diversestakeholders from government, business, andcivil society, which is essential for balancingsustainable environmental stewardship witheconomic development priorities, as well asensuring increased transparency, accountability,and public participation in environmentalreforms and decision-making.

• Utilizing our ability to access expertise in aca-demic, non-profit, research and governmentcommunities from the U.S., Asia, Europe,and Australia, in order to build the capacityof local partners.

• Identifying and integrating gender dynamics,economic development, governance reform,and regional cooperation to address criticalenvironmental management and climatechange challenges.

• Applying analytic and empirical approaches toenvironmental programming throughout Asia.

The Asia Foundation’s Environment programs are funded by a broad range ofpublic and private donors. Government and multilateral agencies supportingour programs include the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), SwissAgency for Development and Cooperation, the United Kingdom’s Departmentfor International Development (DFID), the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO)UK, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office ofDisaster Assistance (OFDA), and the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights,and Labor. Private supporters include the Rockefeller Foundation, McConnellFoundation, Skoll Global Threats Fund, and Give2Asia.

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) 392-8863info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) 588-9409info@asiafound-dc.org

www.asiafoundation.org

02/2014

Printed on mixed paper from certified, well-managed forests and 20% recycled material using dry toners without petroleum distillates.

The Asia Foundation

is a nonprofit international

development organization

committed to improving

lives across a dynamic

and developing Asia.

Headquartered in San

Francisco, The Asia

Foundation works through

a network of offices in

18 Asian countries and in

Washington, DC. Working

with public and private

partners, the Foundation

receives funding from

a diverse group of

bilateral and multilateral

development agencies,

foundations, corporations,

and individuals.