Development of Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China: How can public participation play its role beyond environmental authoritarianism?

China is well known as one of the longest-standing authoritarian countries ruled by a Communist party in the world. Nevertheless, both non-participatory and participatory approaches to decision making in environmental governance can be observed under this form of regime. How then can we identify their combinations in China’s environmental governance? In exploring this question, this study focuses on the recent development of environmental public interest litigation (EPIL) cases after the enactment of the revised Environmental Protection Law (EPL) in 2015, and tests the pro-authoritarianism assumption, “non-environmental spillover effects,” as a characteristic of Chinese “environmental authoritarianism” raised by earlier writers. Looking into the recent development of EPIL cases by NGOs and procuratorates carefully, it can be concluded that a kind of division of work between NGOs and procuratorates stipulated in the revised EPL could restrain authoritarian spillover effects, although there are disproportionately increasing numbers of cases by procuratorates than NGOs. Also, there are some cases where NGOs and procuratorates cooperate in EPILs. Furthermore, local NGOs can mobilize numerous volunteers in this process. The experience and knowledge accumulated among the broader group of locals in the country might bring an “environmental spillover effect,” which means a spillover toward pro-environmental democracy, to push EPIL reform toward a more participation-friendly style of involvement.departmental bulletin pape

Scaling up Interventions to Improve Basic Reading: Evidence from Madagascar after the COVID-19 Pandemic Shock on Education

departmental bulletin pape

Perceived Home and Host Country Institutional Environment Pressures by Bilateral Development Cooperation Agency's Constituents

Neo-institutional theorists assert that institutional environments control organisational behaviour. They have extensively researched private multinational corporations (MNCs) but have scarcely touched public sector organisations. Prior studies have also tended to overlook the heterogeneity of constituents. The current study examines how four distinct groups of bilateral development cooperation agency (BDCA) staff (Headquarters [HQ] management, HQ non-management, overseas offices [OOs] management, and OOs non-management) perceive institutional environment pressures from home and host countries. For this, the author developed six hypotheses and then statistically tested them. Data were obtained through an online survey primarily using a five-point Likert scale (strongly disagree=1, disagree=2, neutral=3, agree=4, strongly agree=5). 131 valid responses were analysed by the Mann–Whitney U test. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the horizontally distant groups in perceived institutional environment pressures. Both the HQ and the OOs staff felt an identically powerful home country accountability pressure (Md=5 for both). Host country government and technical cooperation project counterpart expectation and demand pressures were modest for both the HQ (Md=3 and Md=3) and the OOs staff (Md=3.5 and Md=3). Meanwhile, significant differences were identified in perceived home country accountability pressure by the HQ management and the HQ non-management staff (p<.01) and in perceived host country government expectation and demand pressures by the OOs management and the OOs nonmanagement staff (p<.05). The OOs staff, both management and non-management, perceived a dual institutional environment pressure or what Kostova and Roth (2002) call 'institutional duality' (Md=4). The perceived level of institutional duality marginally differed between the OOs management and the OOs non-management staff (p=.11). These findings, seen through the lens of a neo-institutionalist perspective, suggest that OOs prioritise legitimacy to the home country’s accountability pressures over host countries’ requirements and demand pressures. Powerful institutional environment pressures perceived by management staff may even strengthen the OOs’ legitimacy-driven behaviour towards their home country.departmental bulletin pape

From Project to Outcome: the Case of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory in Indonesia

This study analyzes how and under what conditions technical cooperation may generate larger effects on endogenous and long-term capacity development in developing countries. To this end, we use the case of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory in Indonesia, where the task for producing GHG inventories was first outsourced to external experts through a dedicated project, but is now managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). While investigating the long-term process through which the country developed its capacity on this issue, we evaluated how and the extent to which the five-year technical cooperation supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency contributed to this by generating catalytic effects. This paper contributes to and complements the existing literature by applying a model of strategic issue diagnosis, by which we traced the evolving issue interpretations at the ministry and their consequent actions. This study finds that the technical cooperation interacted with changes in the institutional environment, raising the issue urgency, feasibility, and interdependence as perceived at KLHK, creating momentum to change their situation, and igniting endogenous capacity development. The study highlights that, as the substantial uncertainty in their reported GHG inventories was identified through the technical cooperation, the issue came to be defined by the ministry as the problem to be solved. This paper identifies the country’s specific context as an important factor to explain a project’s catalytic effect, or the absence thereof. It emphasizes that contexts must be factored in when evaluating projects, as they are often embedded in longer timeframes and in the wider scope that goes beyond the direct beneficiaries.departmental bulletin pape

Unpacking the Influence of Business Approaches to Development on the Expansion of Women’s Choices and Empowerment: A Case Study of a Handicraft Business in the Kyrgyz Republic

Over the last decade, collaboration with the private sector in international development has accelerated to empower target populations and realise a sustainable society without inequality and poverty. Existing studies show that paid work could empower vulnerable people, such as women, by expanding their opportunities and the lifestyles to which they have access. However, interrelationships between economic (e.g. income) and non-economic (e.g. empowerment) benefits are not as straightforward as the literature on inclusive business suggests. This paper explores the case of a development project in the Kyrgyz Republic supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with a Japanese retail and manufacturing corporation. The felt business upon which they collaborated eventually involved hundreds of women (producers) in villages scattered around Lake Issyk-Kul. This study analyses interviews with local stakeholders, especially felt producers and their families, and reveals both the economic and non-economic effects of the business and their impacts on producers, families, and communities at large. Paid work allows producers to contribute to their household economy, which, in turn, enhances their self-respect. In contrast, the data also show that women’s decisions to participate in the business depended on their individual circumstances, such as the availability of family support and particularly the understanding of their husbands. The paper suggests that the application of business approaches to development has both potential benefits and limitations, since the creation and maintenance of choices and empowerment for women are affected by the intricate relationships between the economic and non-economic aspects of their lives.departmental bulletin pape

「アジアの経験をアフリカに」

「アジアの経験をアフリカに」というテーマは日本の開発協力のマニフェストとして有効に機能するか。アジアにおける日本の支援の成功を他の地域で再現する要因とは何か。本稿はこの問いを念頭に「カイゼン」と「緑の革命」を事例として、支援（介入行動）と成果及びそれらに影響を与える条件を検討した。 少なくとも本稿の観察期間である初期〜中期段階では、アジアとは異なる条件の存在から、アフリカでの成果は両支援とも限定的であった。カイゼンでは普及員に対する生産管理技術の移転が、緑の革命では基礎的技術（畔、均平化、条植）が普及員不足で障害となり、企業や農家に浸透していなかった。 いずれもアジアでは障害として認識されるほどには顕在化しなかった普及の問題が、介入行動が適切に実施される制約となり成果にも重大な影響を及ぼした。 上記のテーマ自体の正当性は認められる。製造業の生産性／品質向上、食糧自給率向上や農家の所得上昇は、日・アフリカ双方で重要性が認識されていた。ただし成功経験を他地域に適用するタイプの事業では、両者の違いをいかに支援に反映させるか、成功した介入行動が機能しえた条件がターゲット地域でも実現するかという問いを、フィジビリティスタディに反映するには限界がある。また上記の文脈では、普及員拡充が成果をもたらすというシナリオは（例えば教育と経済成長の関係は一方向ではないという伝統的な内生性の問題が想起されるように）事前の精査にノイズとなる可能性もある。よって事業実施で発見しつつ経験学習を通じて介入行動を修正するという長い取り組みが前提となろう。departmental bulletin pape

Transport and Equity: Toward Inclusive Transport Development

SDGs 2030 target 11.2 aims at providing “access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons” by 2030. This vulnerable population also includes low-income people, especially in the context of developing countries. In developing countries’ cities, poverty is likely to be concentrated in the urban periphery far from the CBD (Central Business District) where jobs and other activities are concentrated. Thus, one of the goals of investment in public transport is to reduce these spatial and social inequalities by improving accessibility to jobs and other opportunities for vulnerable populations. This literature review aims to summarize recent empirical evidence on urban transport and equity in developing countries as well as to introduce the theoretical foundations of transport equity so that gaps for further research may be identified. Overall, the existing literature reveals that it is mainly lower-income segments that are likely to be disadvantaged as measured by potential accessibility. Possible factors underlying this transport inequality may include disadvantageous fare structures for lower-income populations and so on, but the mechanism behind this depends on its context in each city. These consequences may relate to the traditional appraisal methodologies for transport projects that highlight economic efficiency. To plan and design more inclusive transport projects, further studies including improving appraisal methodologies focusing more on equity aspects are necessary. In this regard, this literature review identifies research gaps including differing methodological points of view in the transport projects. Filling these gaps would also contribute to planning more inclusive transport projects from a practical point of view.articl

ポストコロナのレジリエント（強靭）な都市づくり：主に都市計画の観点から

本レビューは、今後のJICA の都市開発分野の協力において、従来から提唱されているレジ リエント（強靭）な都市づくりの観点に、COVID-19 の影響を踏まえた感染症への更なる考慮 も必要との認識にたち、COVID-19 を中心とした都市計画と感染症に関する先行文献をレビュ ーしています。また、途上国都市を念頭に置いたポスト・コロナの都市のレジリエンスを考察 する上での論点や今後の研究課題を提示しました。articl

Progress in the Global Framework for Infectious Disease Control in over the Past Thirty Years; What Did We Achieve and Where Are We Going?

In the past 30 years, the accelerating spread of emerging or reemerging infectious diseases resulted in outbreaks in which originating countries could not contain infections within their territory. Given the challenges facing limited number of organizations tasked to handle increased global devastation caused by these numerous infectious diseases, there has been progress during the late 20th century and the early 21st century toward a revised framework for global infectious disease control, including innovative measures to cope with more frequent pandemics. The progress in the framework includes the establishment of UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and new public-private partnerships, such as the STOP Tuberculosis partnership. Although these new entities/organizations had a significant impact on targeted infectious diseases control through the provision of abundant funds and globally unified strategies for developing countries, there were disadvantages to these disease specific (so-called vertical) approaches that led to a shift to horizontal approaches to strengthening health systems. Additionally, there have been innovative changes in programmatic components of infectious disease control, such as the introduction of the concept of “global health security” and the revision of the International Health Regulations. The concept of “global health security” has linked the concept of health security to a global strategy for the prevention of communicable diseases across national borders, though there are persistent discrepancies between developed and developing countries in their understanding of the concept, which hampered international collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this general progress and new initiatives, international aid failed to strengthen health systems in developing countries, which might have subsequently led to limited capacities for infectious disease control as well. These situations collectively resulted in difficulty controlling the Ebola virus outbreak in West African countries in 2014. These tragic experiences led to the proposal of several important initiatives to prevent future pandemics, including reforms of WHO and the preparation of emergency funding mechanisms. The most important points, which strongly relate to the current pandemic of COVOD-19, were 1) focusing on resilience to strengthen health system and 2) a better understanding of the significance of community involvement. Conceptual debates on how to develop resilient health systems have continued, with discrepancies between developed and developing countries’ understanding of the concept exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is therefore important to focus on developing practical road maps for the establishment of resilient health systems that are applicable to each country based on its context and prioritize “building trust” within countries and among international society.research repor

Understanding Financial Inclusion in Mongolia from a Micro Perspective: Is There a Gender Gap?

This paper investigates the determinants of financial inclusion in Mongolia – a country where persistent “reverse” gender gap in financial inclusion exists. When applying multivariate logistic models to nationally representative data, results show that women, and those who are more educated and older are more likely to be financially included. Women are four percentage points more likely than men to have access to formal finances; men are more likely to report barriers to finance and use informal finances. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique is employed to analyze the “reverse” gender disparity in financial inclusion. The results demonstrate that the disparity is largely due to coefficient effects that reflect behavioral or unobserved differences towards financial inclusion between men and women.departmental bulletin pape