Publications

Flood risks are on the rise in many ASEAN countries and understanding and addressing underlying vulnerabilities and sensitivities assume importance for an effective risk reduction. Given the multi-faceted nature of flood vulnerabilities, a mixed-methods approach is necessary to consider both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of...

Increasing resilience to natural hazards and climate change is critical for achieving many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In recent decades, China has experienced rapid economic development and became the second-largest economy in the world. This rapid economic expansion has led to large-scale changes in terrestrial (e.g., land use and land...

Although keystone species in the home garden agroforestry system provide multiple contributions to people, they have not been thoroughly researched, particularly in indigenous crops. Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a domesticated home garden perennial crop in large parts of southern Ethiopia. This study explores the diverse contributions of enset in...

This short course on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is designed to help local officers in vulnerable countries to learn how to integrate NbS into policy/financing processes addressing various challenges, including climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. The course contains three lessons: Lesson 1 broadly introduces the concept of NbS...

INAS showcases Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for policymakers, practitioners, and local communities. NbS are actions for effectively and adaptively addressing various societal issues through functions of nature to achieve societies in harmony with nature. NbS encompass ecosystem-based approaches and green infrastructure, which have been developed...

This presentation examines the future challenges of shrinking cities. In particular, it focuses on Japanese shrinking cities, exploring how sustainability values are reshaping policies to tackle urban shrinkage. It concludes by questioning how can Japanese cities begin adapting now to the challenges ahead and which sustainable alternatives can help...

This article outlines ASEAN’s plan to transition toward a resilient and net-zero emission world, based on the ASEAN's first State of Climate Change Report launched on 7 October 2021.

We analyse the current status of impact reporting for Japan's green bonds, identify challenges, and make recommendations for the future. The green bonds covered by the analysis are those issued in the two-and-a-half-year period from January 2017 to June 2019 and those which include renewable energy in their use of proceeds. As a result, a total of...

This presentation examines how Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) are supporting the localisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It draws upon the analysis of VLR reports presented between 2018 and 2020 to argue that VLRs ease the implementation of the SDGs by fostering horizontal...

This article asks how to achieve food waste prevention in Asia from a governance perspective by looking at Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam as case studies. Aligning stakeholders behind preventive measures on food waste requires a context-appropriate mix of hierarchical, market, and network modes of governance. This article analyzes current food waste...