Report of the First Phase Strategic Research
Urban Environmental Management Project

Phase 1 of the IGES Project on Urban Environmental Management was conducted during the three-year period from April 1998 to March 2001. Extensive studies were carried out in-house in addition to contributions made by numerous outside collaborators. Studies were conducted by various methods including literature surveys, statistical data collection and analysis, field visits, interviews and expert workshops. Case studies were also conducted in ten cities in Japan, Korea, China and Indonesia. Major findings of all these studies are being compiled into one report.
The project covered a wide range of topics. This report presents a summary of the entire activity, focusing on the following topics: (a) the current situation, processes and mechanisms of urban environmental transformation; (b) comparative studies of urban environmental management practices in selected cities; (c) Japanese experience in environmental management and its implications for other Asian countries; (d) financing for urban environmental infrastructure; (e) urban transportation with a focus on four mega-cities - Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai; (f) municipal solid waste management; and (g) a comparative study of urban environmental governance in East Asia.