The high cost of renewable energy technologies and uncompetitive prices of power from renewable sources under present market conditions are among the factors impeding a necessary shift away from fossil fuels. This research examines policy options that could help to overcome these obstacles, focusing on two driving factors: the policy framework and...
No natural disaster in recent history has affected so many people’s lives as the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The world’s response in the wake of the tsunami seems so far to have revolved around recognition of the need for early warning systems linking countries and regions that are likely to be affected by the same tsunami or similar...
Where do policies originate? What environmental policy trends and issues are receiving the greatest attention globally? What makes environmental policies successful or unsuccessful? Who should be involved in designing and implementing them? How do policies pass from one country to another? How should they be chosen, and what should be in them...
This chapter discusses how and why environmental policies have changed over time, both internationally and in the developing world. It provides an overview of policy diffusion and policy integration. The main policy paradigms and principles, policy instruments, selection criteria and methods of making environmental policy choices, and factors...
Governments are increasingly involving local communities and non-governmental organizations in the management of natural resources. The ways in which different stakeholders are involved varies from being consulted to taking a central role in planning and monitoring, andinfrequentlybeing given the legal right to manage resources. There can be many...
This edition featuring on best practices on environmental policy is based on the outcomes of the Research on Innovative and Strategic Policy Options I (RISPO I) conducted by IGES during FY2001-2004 under the framework of the Asia-Pacific Environmental Innovation Strategy Project (APEIS) which involves various research institutes related to...
Resource efficiency and recycling and strategies for sustainable production and consumption need to be further developed throughout Asia. To improve resource efficiency the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that occupy a majority of industrial sectors and contribute a large proportion of Asian gross domestic product must become central actors...
Local people contribute much to wetland conservation, and the Pacific island countries offer invaluable information demonstrating the cultural value of wetlands vis-à-vis sustainable livelihoods. Drawing primarily on examples from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji, but generalizing for many of the Pacific countries, this paper argues...
This chapter introduces and describes the methodology used in a recent research program aimed at identifying useful lessons about what has made environmental policies successful in developing countries, particularly in Asia-Pacific. These lessons are intended mainly for policymakers. The study used qualitative research methods, including textual...
Environmental policymakers in developing countries, including those of the Asia-Pacific region, often face a tough dilemma. They realize that formulating good policy requires careful consideration of various options to arrive at policies that are well suited to the particular circumstances of their country or area, but can still achieve the desired...