Publications

This chapter explores the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus as an integrated framework vital for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amidst growing global challenges. It introduces the concept of the WEF nexus, which transcends traditional resource management by emphasizing the interconnections between water, energy, and food systems...

Asia and the Pacific is a large and extremely diverse region, and home to 60% of the world’s population (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2024), with the smallest per capita area of forest (FAO, 2024a). Deforestation has taken place across the region but at different scales, and different paces at different times. Naturally...

The water budget in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) depends heavily on rainfall which play crucial roles in supporting agriculture, aquaculture, and local livelihoods. This study evaluated rainfall trends across the VMD from 1978 to 2022, revealing significant spatial and seasonal variations. While a few inland stations showed marginal increases...

The global food system confronts critical challenges, including food insecurity, small-scale producer vulnerability, and environmental degradation. While locally led initiatives emerge as potential solutions, they face obstacles, such as participant bias and scaling limitations. This study analyzes 157 international and 91 Japanese locally led food...

Local-level follow-up and review (FUR) is essential for realising the 2030 Agenda, given municipalities' crucial role in delivering SDG targets. However, Japanese municipalities face significant challenges, including capacity constraints, demographic shifts, financial limitations, and the absence of mandatory national SDG directives. This policy...

Climate-induced migration has emerged as a major concern in India and Bangladesh, due to their geographical vulnerability and socioeconomic conditions. Coastal areas, such as the Sundarbans and the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta, face relentless threats due to rising sea levels, cyclones, and floods. These factors force millions to relocate, resulting in...

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depends on well-designed and implemented follow-up and review (FUR) processes to monitor progress, review policies, and adjust strategies. However, despite the critical role cities play in implementing the SDGs, they lack official recognition in the FUR architecture of the 2030 Agenda. To engage...

This is the third chapter of a report on clean air and climate solutions for Southeast Asia. The third chapter focuses on strengthening subregional cooperation on integrated air pollution and climate planning.

This is the second chapter of a report on clean air and climate solutions for Southeast Asia. The second chapter reviews the experiences and challenges implementing 15 key solutions presented earlier in the report. The chapter underlines that many countries in Southeast Asia already have acheived success with these solutions. It further points to...

This presentation examines how Japanese municipalities are responding to long-term population decline, contrasting Yubari City’s failed growth-centric approach with Shimokawa Town’s efforts to ‘shrink gracefully.’ It highlights how local governments can move beyond pro-growth planning by adopting sustainable, community-oriented strategies better...