ADBI News: Volume 3 Number 3 (2009)
ADBI News: Volume 3 Number 3 (2009)
ADBI News: Volume 3 Number 3 (2009)
www.a dbi .o rg
ADBI News 2009 Volume 3 Number 3
ADBI Dean Kawai and Hiroshi Watanabe discuss with Asian policymakers the vision of a seamless Asia with regards to regional
infrastructure.
In light of the current global financial and facilitate the hard infrastructure, promotion of a top-
economic crisis, it has become increasingly evident down in addition to a bottom-up approach, and its
that this is the time for Asia to expand its role as a acknowledgement of the need for private sector
center for global growth by harnessing its vast participation in these large-scale projects.
potential through a seamlessly integrated, pan- Achieving a seamless infrastructure network in
Asian infrastructure network. The newly released Asia will remain a pressing and important topic
publication, Infrastructure for a Seamless Asia, for the region and discussions will continue
the joint flagship study by ADB and ADBI, reports through a series of dissemination seminars held by
that to realize pan-Asian connectivity in energy, ADB and ADBI in major cities across the Asia and
transport, and tele-communications, a total of Pacific region in the months to come.
US$8.3 trillion will need to be invested in See more details about the dissemination seminar at
infrastructure over the next decade (20102020), www.adbi.org/event/3325.dissemination.seminar.book.
infrastructure.seamless.asia/.
amounting to US$750 billion per year.
The first dissemination seminar for this
publication was held on 29 September and was In this issue
attended by more than 100 delegates, including
distinguished experts as speakers and panel
discussants. Delegates and speakers took up an
engaged discussion on the key messages of the book
and regional infrastructure for Asias economic
integration. Those in attendance agreed upon the
timeliness and relevance of the study given the
current global and regional state of affairs and the
books focus on the soft infrastructure required to
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A s i a n D e v e l o p m e n t B a n k I n s t i t u t e
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A s i a n D e v e l o p m e n t B a n k I n s t i t u t e
address their rising population dependency ratios, Asian economic community is hardly paved, recent
inefficient service sectors, and depressed domestic developments in the Chiang Mai Initiative and
consumption. Meanwhile, the Peoples Republic of Asian bond markets, as well as efforts to promote
China, as the largest US creditor, is confronted by regional exchange rate stability are steps in the
the risks of US dollar devaluation. Mr. Chung right direction to address East Asias needs.
recommended that these three countries change
See a more detailed summary of this event at
their export-led growth paradigms and boost www.adbi.org/event/3276.chung.distinguished.speaker.post.
domestic consumption. While the road to an East crisis.east.asia/.
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A s i a n D e v e l o p m e n t B a n k I n s t i t u t e
Recent Working Papers* named Discussion Paper series; the numbering of the papers has
continued without interruption or change.
Enhancing Biodiversity Through Market-Based Why was Japan Hit So Hard by the Global
Strategy: Organic Agriculture Financial Crisis?
Authors: Marie Mondeil and Sununtar Setboonsarng Authors: Masahiro Kawai and Shinji Takagi
The diversity of plant genetic resources from which the The authors of this paper use vector autoregression
worlds food crops are derived is steadily declining, due in analysis to investigate the effects of the global financial
part to the reliance of modern agriculture on a limited crisis on the real economy. They find that Japan has
number of improved varieties. This paper argues that a become more responsive to global shocks due to the
comprehensive system of market-based incentives is changing structure of its trade and economy, and make
necessary to ensure that smallholder farmers continue to appropriate policy recommendations.
conserve the worlds plant genetic resources. Read Working Paper 153 at www.adbi.org/working-
Read Working Paper 155 at www.adbi.org/working- paper/2009/10/05/3343.japan.gfc/.
paper/2009/10/15/3347.biodiversity.organic.agriculture/.