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    485 research outputs found

    Does Learning the Social Model Improve Behavior towards Persons with Disabilities? A Randomized Experiment for Taxi Drivers in South Africa

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    Abstract This study examines the impacts of a training program related to the social model of disability, called Disability Equality Training (DET), using the method of randomized control trials. The targets of the study were taxi drivers in South Africa. This study collected the data on their understanding of disability and actual services toward passengers with disabilities through questionnaire and mystery shopper surveys. The main findings are that DET significantly encouraged taxi drivers to understand the social model, and that the combination of DET and practical support training had a significant impact on the time spent by drivers to support passengers with disabilities. These imply that learning the social model could lead to an improvement in the understanding of disability and, in part, actual behavior towards persons with disabilities.departmental bulletin pape

    The Cost Efficiency of Cambodian Commercial Banks:A Stochastic Frontier Analysis

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    Abstract Regulating a banking sector requires a deep understanding of the industry structure and behavior of banks, and their current market performance. The Cambodian banking sector has rapidly expanded in recent decades, in line with the Country’s sustained high economic growth. However, there are concerns about the performance of Cambodian banks and the country’s banking sector. The problem is that there is a paucity of empirical evidence to clarify the real issues in the banking sector, and this lack of evidence also makes it difficult to formulate effective policy measures to address any potential problems. In this study we provide empirical evidence on the behavior of Cambodian commercial banks by estimating the industry cost function and their cost efficiencies. Our study covers 34 commercial banks over the period from 2012 to 2015. We find that average cost efficiency scores range from 0.26 to 0.29 (depending on the output definition) for Cambodian commercial banks, suggesting that if they operated more efficiently they could cut costs by 71% to 74% while keeping the same output level. We also find that the Cambodian banking industry realizes economies of scale. Furthermore, by estimating the determinants of cost efficiency we find that expanding a branch network into local areas is inefficient for bank management. Secondly, holding excessive liquidity is associated with greater inefficiency, but diversification in bank business operations is positively associated with the improved cost efficiency of Cambodian commercial banks.departmental bulletin pape

    Heterogeneous Effects of Urban Public Transportation on Employment by Gender: Evidence from the Delhi Metro

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    Abstract The Delhi Metro is one of the leading examples of a recent urban mass transit infrastructure project in a developing country where women have traditionally suffered from constrained mobility. In this paper, we analyze the effects of the Delhi Metro on the work participation rate of women and men, using a three-period (1991, 2001, and 2011) panel data of townshiplevel zones within the city of Delhi. While the data has limitations in understanding the characteristics of individual residents in detail, we employ a difference-in-differences estimation controlling for a location fixed-effect, with a parallel trend test. The results suggest that the proximity to the Delhi Metro stations significantly increases the female work participation rate (WPR), whereas its effect on the male WPR is ambiguous with the potential to have an opposite sign. While there are number of potential mechanisms that can deliver this result, we develop a theoretical urban commuting model and argue that a larger reduction in the commuting cost for females (by offering a safer commuting mode of transportation, for example) can generate the quantified patterns of the effects on the WPR. Overall, our results relate to the literature on the quantification of the contribution of urban transport infrastructure towards inclusive growth and poverty reduction.departmental bulletin pape

    Economic Viability of Large-scale Irrigation Construction in 21st Century Sub-Saharan Africa:Centering around an Estimation of the Construction Costs of the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kenya

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    The main reason for the success of the 20th century Green Revolution in Asia was the development of large-scale irrigation projects. But, since the late 1990s, these investments were out of the development agenda, partly because the success of the Green Revolution reduced the need for such irrigation development and partly because the lower-than-expected performance of many large-scale irrigation projects resulted from difficulties in designing, constructing, operating, and managing large-scale irrigation schemes. This was the case in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as well. During the past decade, however, large-scale irrigation development seems to be coming back in SSA as a means to promote a Green Revolution there. This revival has evoked heated discussion as to whether the conditions that made the large-scale irrigation projects an infeasible option have been overcome. This paper examines whether large-scale irrigation construction in SSA is economically feasible by estimating how much it would cost if the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kenya, one of the best performing irrigation schemes in SSA, were to be constructed today as a brand-new scheme. The results show that the new construction of the Mwea Scheme may be economically viable if the shadow price of rice is as high as the world price that prevailed during the mini-rice crisis in 2008-2013; however, the viability is marginal, by no means robust. The project costs per unit of beneficiary irrigated area of our hypothetical ‘Mwea Project’ and a few 21st-century large-scale irrigation projects in planning or under construction are two to four times higher than those of 20th-century counterparts. For such expensive projects to be economically viable, the agricultural performance of these projects must be two to four times higher as well, which means, in terms of rice yield, 9 t/ha/year to 20 t/ha/year. There is certainly untapped potential in SSA for large-scale irrigation development, either construction of new schemes or rehabilitation of the existing ones, but the economically feasible potential remains limited. International donor agencies and national governments wanting to plan large-scale irrigation projects are recommended to assess seriously whether their plan is economically and technologically feasible and indisputably superior to other types of irrigation development, many of which were not available during the construction boom in the 20th century but are available now.departmental bulletin pape

    Interrogating “Comprehensive Development:” The Colonial-Wartime Background to Japan’s Development Cooperation

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    In Memoriam: History Professor Aaron Moore (1972-2019) Dr. Aaron Moore (Arizona State University), the author of this paper, passed away in September 2019. He did not have the time to complete the revision himself, but the final touches have been offered by his dear colleagues and friends, Profs. Hiromi Mizuno (University of Minnesota) and Ian Miller (Harvard University) at the request of his bereaved family. Professor Moore was an outstanding historian of modern Japan who focused on the intersection of technology, history, and geo-political power. With his excellent command of the Japanese language, he delved into the unexplored archives of the Japanese consulting company, Nippon Koei, during his fellowship in the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo in 2018. We publish this paper to remember his work and celebrate Dr. Aaron Moore's contribution to the scholarship on Japan’s development trajectory across Asia.アーロン・ムーア博士(1972-2019) への追悼文 ムーアさんと最初に出会ったのは、かれこれ 10 年近く前の全米アジア研究学会 (AAS)の時であった。日本の近現代の対アジア政策についてのパネルでご一緒した。興味関心が近かったので、翌朝、ホテルで朝食をともにした。会議のときはすべて英語であったが、朝食では流暢な日本語で話かけてきたので本当に驚いた。新世代の日本研究者の到来を感じた。2013 年に上梓された彼の単著 Constructing East Asia: Technology, Ideology, and Empire in Japan’s Wartime Era, 1931-1945 (Stanford University Press) は、日本研究の枠を超えて、歴史学の業績として高い評価を得た。インフラを中心とする人工物とテクノロジーを介した日本のアジア関与と、その思想的源流を歴史的に明らかにすることは彼のライフワークであった。個人的には、日本語の拙著『持たざる国の資源論』(東京大学出版会、2011 年)を英語の学術誌 International Journal of Asian Studies 誌上で書評をしてくれた恩を、今でも忘れることができない。 本バックグラウンドペーパーもその一部である、「日本の開発協力の歴史」を研究していて気付くことの一つは、いくつかの重要テーマの空白を外国人の日本研究者が埋めてきたということである。筆者が知っている範囲でいえば、日本の経済協力行政に関する政治学的研究は米国人の独壇場である。ムーアさんが晩年取り組んだ久保田豊のダム建設をめぐる研究も、戦前と戦後の見事な連続性を見せつつ、コンサルタントという、これまで学術的な光が当たってこなかったア クターを表舞台に登場させた点で、日本人研究者の間隙をついた。2018 年度には筆者の職場である東京大学東洋文化研究所で訪問研究員として受け入れ、2018 年 6 月の国際開発学会での発表もお願いし、今回の JICA 緒方研究所のバックグラウンドペーパーも手掛けてくれたムーアさんは、まさにわれわれの仲間である。 ムーアさんは 2019 年 9 月にこの世を去った。このペーパーは、ムーアさんが最後に取り組んだ仕事の一つである。人知れず病魔と闘っていたムーアさんに、このバックグラウンドペーパーを完成に至らせる時間は残されていなかった。しかし、私たちは彼が残した珠玉の仕事を繰り返し読み、彼がやりたかったであろう研究を想像し、引き継ぐことができる。 彼の命は残された書き物に宿り、その火に薪をくべる仕事は私たちに託された。ムーアさん、ありがとう。ムーアさんの仕事が私たちの「歴史研究」の血肉となって生き続けるところを天国から見守っていてください。departmental bulletin pape

    Prospects of Integrating Biodiversity Offsets in Japan’s Cooperation Projects: A Review of Experience from Developing Countries

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    Abstract Development-induced biodiversity losses continue unabated because most developments invariably result in some residual biodiversity loss. Mitigation measures in traditional environmental impact assessment (EIA) can rarely achieve the goal of No Net Loss (NNL). Biodiversity offsets are applied to the field of international development assistance to achieve NNL in accordance with mitigation hierarchy. However, there are few available references for planning offset projects for the aid practitioners in charge of cooperation projects in developing countries. The purpose of this working paper is to present a practical approach for incorporating offsets in Japan’s cooperation projects. The paper is based on a review of publications in academic journals and experience drawn from the four recent case studies on preparation of offset projects in developing countries. The paper advocates the need to integrate offset planning within the EIA framework. Based on the analysis of the case studies, prospects of biodiversity offsets in achieving NNL are analysed. The paper concludes that the introduction of offset policy, the political will for policy operation, and the long-term support to developing countries are important for the success of biodiversity offsets in cooperation projects. Japan’s initiatives toward biodiversity offsets can positively influence in promoting conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in developing countries.departmental bulletin pape

    アジアにおける都市大気環境の改善に向けて—バンコク首都圏における微小粒子状物質(PM2.5)に関するケーススタディーとその政策的含意—

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    近年健康影響の観点から、微小粒子状物質(PM2.5)への関心が高まっている。特にアジアでは、著しい経済成長や都市化の進展により、大都市圏のPM2.5による大気汚染が大きな問題となっており、改善に向けた取り組みが喫緊の課題となっている。しかし、PM2.5の発生要因は国によって大きく異なり、例えばタイの調査研究からは、自動車交通とバイオマス燃焼(稲わらの野焼き等)が、主要な要因となっている状況が明らかとなった。こうした各国毎の状況を踏まえ、PM2.5を含む大気環境汚染の改善に向けて、①エネルギー政策、農業政策、都市・国土利用政策等を含む総合的な対策が必要であること、②その対策には、「インセンティブ(Incentives)」と「イノベーション(Innovation)」の2つの「I」が不可欠であること。そして、③PM2.5を含む大気汚染の状況を踏まえた上で、現場の実情にあわせた政策検討を行うこと、以上3点が重要である。articl

    Bridging the Gaps in Infrastructure Investment for Flood Protection in Asia

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    Abstract Investment is crucial in mitigating damage caused by flooding and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) emphasizes it as a priority action. Policy makers need estimates of financial impact to consider investing in DRR, but such estimates are rarely available. This paper aims to estimate the financial gaps relating to infrastructure for flood protection in Asia and proposes polices and approaches to filling these gaps. It was found that nine major flood-prone economies in the region invested USD33.6 billion in flood protection, or 0.21 percent of their GDP, in 2015. Regression analysis suggests that the annual demand for flood protection infrastructure in developing Asia will be USD94.5 billion, or USD98.4 billion with climate change effects, for the period 2016-2030. The financing gap between future needs and current investment levels is around USD61 billion, USD65 billion with climate change effects annually, or around 0.24 percent of GDP in developing Asia. Developing economies thus need to turn flood disasters into opportunities for expanding this type of investment. By reviewing the past experience of the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, and Japan, it is clear that integrating flood protection in national development planning and formulating sectoral long-term plans are effective in securing commitment to investment. Increasing finance for climate change adaptation and mobilizing the financial resources of the private sector can be used as other sources. Also, innovative approaches are needed to decrease costs and achieve sustainability.departmental bulletin pape

    The Variety of People in Refugee Settlements, Gender and GBV:The Case of South Sudanese Refugees in Northern Uganda

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    Abstract The aim of this paper is to show part of the actual situation in refugee settlements in Uganda. In particular, the paper focuses on the Kuku, an ethnic group of South Sudan and the gender-based violence (GBV) program in the refugee settlements. Scholars have conducted research on gender and GBV in South Sudan and in refugee settlements. Various studies have demonstrated that changing people’s understanding of gender or their gender situation in the context of the lives of refugees. However, previous works have shown the strong effect of aid on refugees and have described aid workers as monolithic. This paper attempts to describe the variety of people who make up a refugee settlement. It then looks at how this variety affects the relationship between aid and refugees, and the way that refugees view both gender and GBV.The main field site for this study, Adjumani, is situated in Uganda near the border with South Sudan. As of August 2017, it had 18 refugee settlements. NGO staff are based in each settlement, and NGOs have contracted refugees as incentive workers. Incentive workers are intermediaries between refugees and staff. Various kinds of relationships between staff, incentive workers, and refugees have developed within the settlements. These relationships have made the refugee/staff boundaries ambiguous and have influenced the understanding of gender and GBV among refugees. However, refugees also have their own social space that is inaccessible to aid workersdepartmental bulletin pape

    A Spatial Equilibrium Analysis of Air Pollution in China

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    Abstract Weconstructaspatialequilibriummodelwithendogenousairpollutionasaby-productof production andconsumption,wherespatiallymobileskilledandunskilledworkersareaffected negativelybutheterogeneouslybyairpollution.Usingacalibratedversionofthemodelbased on dataforChinain2010,weshowthatstrictregulationcanbea centripetal forcethatattracts workersandproductiontowardtheregulatedplace,whilereducingthelocalandoverallemission of pollutants.Thisresultisincontrasttotheinsightsoftraditionaltheoriesthatseeenviron- mental regulationasa centrifugal forceforthelocaleconomy.Themigrationofworkerswho care environmentalquality,input-outputlinkagesindomestictradenetworks,andopennessto internationaltrade,workinthemechanismdeliveringthisresult.Wethenconsiderahypothetical policy toreducenationalindustrialemissionby10percentandcomparestrategiesonhowto allocate reductionresponsibilitiesacrosscities.Wefindthatconcentratingresponsibilityina limited numberofrichcitiesmayoutperformamoreequalallocationintermsofwelfareand economic output.departmental bulletin pape

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