Goal 9

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

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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

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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

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International Workshop Disaster Resilience and Business Continuity Planning

Disaster Resilience and Business Continuity Planning at the various level for Advocating Safety of Public and Private Hospitals, Schools, and other Critical Structures are one of the key components for mainstreaming resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in higher education. This workshop will contribute in exchange of knowledge and dialogues which will help in developing actions and projects for mainstreaming resilience furthermore and thus reducing the risk of disasters. This event being organized at Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, Thailand gives a great opportunity to our institutional corporation to join hands toward the effort in Mainstreaming Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in Education.

Keywords Business resilience, DRR, SFDRR

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