August 2019

Outreach lecture on “Urban Governance and Waste Management” at the joint workshop on “Strengthening Governance for Low-carbon Integrated Solid Wastes Management and Circular Economy” organized by UNITAR, GTC Korea, and UNEP

Since 2018, Dr. Sohee M. Kim, Assistant Professor at UEM has been participated as a guest lecturer in the capacity building & training programs and student workshop on “Low-carbon Integrated Solid Wastes Management and Circular Economy”, organized and funded by United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Green Technology Center (GTC) of Korea, and UN Environment.

Keywords Circular economy, Sustainable consumption and production, Solid waste management, Urban governance

(more…)
By , ago

Spatio-temporal analysis on urban development and scenario-based flood risk assessment in Lower Mekong region

The project aimed at spatial and policy assessment on the future vulnerability to flood hazards in the context of urban growth for Lower Mekong region. Activities performed include: 1) development and dissemination of a flood risk assessment system combined with open-source global-scale geospatial and socioeconomic datasets on a cloud-based platform; and 2) organizing policy dialogue with key stakeholders and producing policy brief on the integration of flood risk considerations into urban development strategies for urban risk reduction and resilience.

Keywords Flood risk, Disaster risk reduction, Climate change, Sea level rise, Urban planning

Read more
By , ago

Cities by Women: Embedding Climate Change Resilience in Himalayan Cities

The research focuses on gender mainstreaming in the nexus of climate change, land use, and informal livelihoods in Himalayan cities. Expected activities include:
1) survey and mapping to examine how women in informal settlements use the urban spaces for their livelihoods and what the impacts of climate change on their daily activities are;
2) stakeholder workshop and networking to address and inform the urban policy about women’s role in building climate change resilience in Himalayan cities.

Keywords Gender, Climate change, Informal livelihood, Urban space, Urban planning

(more…)
By , ago

Technology needs assessment in Asia for climate change mitigation and adaptation

Several Asian Countries are conducting a country-driven Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change mitigation and adaptation following specific methodology to come up with sector/technologies prioritization to deploy, identification of barriers, and technology action plan for short/medium/long term. AIT is the regional center to provide all technical guidance related to processes and provide inputs, and advices on the outputs of all Asian participating countries to complete the project. Countries are expected to come up with technology action plan for both mitigation and adaptation.

Keywords climate change, national assessment, mitigation, adaptation technologies

(more…)
By , ago

A national survey on experiences of discrimination and social attitudes towards LGBT people in Thailand

There is a lack of comprehensive research on attitude toward LGBT people and challenges they face, making it difficult for advocates, development partners and policy makers to promote effective policies and make informed decisions. To address this the ‘Being LGBTI in Asia’ UNDP program, which is aimed at advancing the well-being of LGBTI people and reducing inequality and marginalization on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, supported a study in collaboration with Love Frankie and AIT. This national study examined the experiences of and social attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. It involved a survey with 2,210 participants from across the country, including 1,349 LGBT people and 861 non-LGBT people, and focus group discussions in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok and Pattani. The study found that there are overall favourable attitudes towards LGBT people in Thailand and significant support for inclusive laws and policies, but also persistent experiences of stigma and discrimination, violence and exclusion.

Keywords LGBT, SOGIE, Gender Equality, Thailand

(more…)
By , ago

Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Municipal Water Supply System Improvement in the Slum Areas of Mandalay, Myanmar

As requested by JICA-RI, AIT acted as a technical advisor to the impact assessment of urban water supply in Myanmar. JICA has supported the effort of the Government of Myanmar to expand the access to safe water and to improve the water supply system in the managerial and the technical manner. The project was implemented for the introduction of the water supply system in Pyi Gyi Tagon Township and disinfection facilities for the existing water supply systems in other parts of Mandalay. JICA normally measures the outcomes of water supply projects in terms of served population or the daily maximum water flow rate. This project assessed the household-level impacts on the economic and social aspects of the livelihoods and health of the beneficiaries. The survey data were collected in 2018 and 2019, with which the panel data set was constructed. Currently, the data analysis is underway, and the results will be reported to the Mandalay City Development Council (MCDC) and wider scientific audience in due course.

Keywords urban water supply, impact assessment, economic impact, social impact, panel survey, Giffen goods

(more…)
By , ago

Building a participatory civic platform in Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan through project-based ecotourism for the mitigation of ocean plastic pollution

Based on the request from Prefectural University of Hiroshima, AIT acts as a focal point in Thailand for this trilateral civic engagement project to address the ocean plastic pollution problem. Annually, eight million metric tons of plastic waste is discharged into the oceanic zone, causing serious damage to fisheries and cultural ecosystems in each country. This project will examine the potential for problem solving based on civic participation by assessing a new ecotourism model, building a civic platform, and establishing a system for monitoring, analysis, and communication of the plastic pollution through partnership with Iriomote Island, where Japan’s first ecotourism association has been spearheading the monitoring, analysis, and communication of garbage washed ashore, as well as Prefectural University of Hiroshima and Vietnam National University Hanoi Campus. Thailand and Vietnam were selected since market economy has penetrated and world-class tourism destinations flourish. The project will also engage participants from other countries in ASEAN such as Lao PRD and Cambodia.

Keywords plastic pollution, ocean environment, microplastics, common-pool resource management, ecotourism, multilateral partnership

(more…)
By , ago

Delivery of Training Program for Technology Clinic for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand

The project was initiated based on the request from the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) which is the operational arm of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Technology Mechanism and hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and supported by 11 partner institutions with expertise in climate technologies. This CTCN Assistance project is intended to deliver a training program on a Technology Clinic for SMEs (= SME Clinic) in Thailand in its agro-food processing sector. The project will undertake the following key activities: (i) preparation and finalization of training program; (ii) development of training materials; (iii) organization of an SME Clinic workshop; and (iv) preparation of a synthesis report and recommendations based on the workshop outcomes. The clinic workshop will cover topics to build the capacities of SMEs to a) acquire and streamline specific climate technologies into their processes; b) apply new business models; c) upgrade or develop new products or services; and d) develop business plans or proposals. The training material will cover, but not limited to, the transfer and commercialization of precision farming technologies for SMEs in agro-food sector, and discuss business case studies that demonstrate good practices relevant to the training program. These will be used to provide concrete examples on successful climate technology transfers from other countries and to provide ideas and guidance to participants in preparing their strategic action plans.

Keywords SME, capacity building, agriculture, food processing, business model, climate change

(more…)
By , ago

Investigating the Miraculous Growth of the Thai Cassava Processing Industry

Thailand is the world’s No.1 exporter of processed cassava products, especially tapioca starch powder. Any other country pales in comparison. While it is well known that tapioca production and export have grown dramatically over the last several decades in Thailand, it is not widely known why this industry has grown so successfully only in Thailand. Our major research question is whether the growth and development of this industry were driven by substantial foreign direct investment. Qualitative interviews with selected factories were conducted in in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in November 2019. To further investigate the mechanism of growth, the project will conduct a structured questionnaire survey with owners and/or managing directors of various cassava processing factories in the nation in partnership with the Thai Tapioca Starch Association. Through the survey, we will collect information on their profile, practices, performance, relationship with other value chain actors as well as the Tapioca Starch Association. the operation size at present and in the past, sources of technology and market information, history of mergers and acquisitions, composition of nationalities of capital, and constraints on further growth.

Keywords industrial growth, cassava, tapioca, foreign direct investment, technology transfer

(more…)
By , ago

Low Business Opportunities in Forestry Project

This project is designed to train university lecturers, NGOs, and government officials from ASEAN member states on identifying the low-carbon business development opportunities created by forestry climate change project. Trainers were from Japan, ASEAN, and AIT. Training was held in Siem Reap in 16 – 23 March 2019 (3 days for fieldwork and 5 days for in-class lectures), for which more than 60 people attended. Trainers were from Asian Institute of Technologies, Japanese Universities, local universities in Cambodia, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wildlife Fund for Nature, and more from ASEAN member states.

Keywords REDD+, low carbon business, forestry, carbon credits

(more…)
By , ago