Concrete Initiatives of JICA’s Programs in

Fiscal 2010

Region-Specific Activities and Initiatives

Southeast Asia───────────────── 32East Asia─────────────── 40Central Asia and the Caucasus─────── 44South Asia────────────────── 48Middle East──────────────────── 52Africa────────────────── 56Central America and the Caribbean──── 62South America────────────── 66The Pacific────────────── 70Europe──────────────────── 74

Issue-Specific Activities and Initiatives

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)─── 78Economic Infrastructure Development───── 80Public Policy──────────────────── 86Gender Mainstreaming───────── 92Peacebuilding──────────────── 94Poverty Reduction─────────── 96Human Development────────── 98Global Environment─────────────────104Rural Development────────────────────110Industrial Development──────────────116Research───────────────────────122

Laotian junior high school students

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Myanmar 2,750 (0.9%)

Indonesia 132,631 (41.7%)

Thailand 16,714 (5.3%)

Laos 5,923 (1.9%)

Malaysia 11,029 (3.5%)

Singapore 30 (0.0%)

Cambodia 15,824 (5.0%) Brunei Darussalam 3 (0.0%)

Southeast Asia ─ Strategic Cooperation for Sharing Prosperity between Japan and Southeast Asia

Region-Specifi c Activities and Initiatives

JICA Programs in Southeast Asia (Fiscal 2010)

Southeast Asia

Total: 317,925(Unit: millions of yen)

Key Aid Strategies

Achievement of Regional Economic Growth and the New Growth Strategy, Promotion of Inclusive Development and Efforts toward Common Issues within the Region

Southeast Asian countries have shaken off the 2008 global fi nancial and economic crises with minimum impact, and continue to record steady economic development as one of the growth centers of the world. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed on a roadmap for establishing the ASEAN Community by 2015, and is taking steps to achieve economic integration, including the elimination of tariffs within the region. In this context, it is necessary for Japan to build new partnerships for realizing growth together with the Southeast Asian countries.

Regional Economic Growth and the New Growth Strategy WithAsia deemedas the center of global economicdevelopment,Japan’srelationswithSoutheastAsiahavebecomeevermoreimperativeforthefutureofJapan.JICAaimstosupportthedevelopmentofSoutheastAsiancountries,andisreinforcingitslinkswiththeNewGrowthStrategyandtheAsiaStrategyoftheGovernmentofJapan. Specifically, JICA supports theeconomicand socialdevelopmentofSoutheastAsiancountriesthroughavarietyofprojects,namely:infrastructuredevelopment,includingroads,railroads,ports,airports,andwaterandseweragesystems;

Meanwhile, growth has brought widening disparities within the ASEAN region, along with individual countries which also face serious concerns about increasingly evident urban and environmental issues as well as disparities within a country. Furthermore, the region continues to confront many challenges, including the prevalence of natural disasters and civil unrest. JICA is addressing these new issues to contribute to sustainable growth in Southeast Asia, which also is critical for Japan.

improvementofinvestmentclimateanddevelopmentofthesupportingindustry;andstrengtheningpartnershipswithprivatefundsandcorporateactivitiesthroughthedevelopmentofthePublic-PrivatePartnership(PPP)scheme.Inaddition,JICAstrivestodevelopandstrengthenthebasisoftheactivitiesofJapanesecompanieswhichcontributetothedevelopmentofSoutheastAsiancountries.

Promotion of Inclusive Development JICAsupportstheeconomicgrowthoftheregionaswellasitsinclusivedevelopment.Inotherwords,itextendssupporttoremedytwotypesofdisparities:disparitieswithintheregionand

The fi gure shows the total value of JICA programs in each country including Technical Cooperation (Training Participants, Experts, Study Teams, Provision of Equipment, JOCV and Other Volunteers, and Other costs), ODA Loans (Disbursements) and Grant Aid (Newly concluded G/A Agreements).Note: Figures in parentheses denote the percentage share of overall JICA programs in the region.Note: Figures exclude JICA’s cooperation for multiple countries and international organizations.

Viet Nam 100,266 (31.5%)

Philippines 30,099 (9.5%)

Timor-Leste 2,655 (0.8%)

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Co

ncrete Initiatives

disparitieswithinthecountry. ThedisparitieswithintheregionincludethedisparityindevelopmentbetweentheASEAN’soriginalmembercountries—comprisingIndonesia,Malaysia,thePhilippines,Singapore,ThailandandBrunei—anditsnewermembers,namelyCambodia,Laos,MyanmarandVietNam. In the lattercountries, inorder toenhancethefoundationsofsocioeconomicdevelopment (basiceducationandhealthcare)andpromotegrowthbycapitalizingontheeconomicgrowthoftheSoutheastAsiaregion,JICAactivelyadvancessoftandhardinfrastructuredevelopmentaswellasindustry-relatedhumanresourcesdevelopmentthatare in linewitheachcountry’sstageofdevelopment. Meanwhile,inASEAN’soriginalmembercountrieswithahigherlevelofsocioeconomicdevelopment,disparitiesexistwithinthecountries,andtakingintoaccounttheirpotentialtobecomedestabilizingfactorsforsociety,JICAtakesmeasurestoremedyandpreventdisparities.

Addressing Common Issues within the Region InendeavoringtoachieveregionaleconomicgrowthandtheNewGrowthStrategyaswellasinclusivedevelopment,JICAhasbolsteredregionalcooperationtowardscommonissueswithintheSoutheastAsiaregion,inadditiontoitstraditionalcooperationforindividualcountries.Forexample,inordertostrengthenregional“connectivity”neededtopromotecross-bordereconomicandsocialactivities,JICAhasenhanced“physicalconnectivity”throughthedevelopmentofhardinfrastructure,suchasroads,ports,andairports,aswellas“institutionalconnectivity”throughthedevelopmentofsoftinfrastructure,suchascapacitybuildingofcustomsandharmonizationofsystemsofeachcountry.Furthermore,“humanconnectivity”hasbeenenhancedthroughstrengtheningpartnershipsbetweentheuniversitiesofASEANcountriesandJapan. Additionally,inpromotingmeasurestowardscommonissueswithintheregion,theaimistofurtherdeepenJICA’spartnershipswithASEAN’soriginalmembercountriesbycapitalizingontheassetsofJICA’scooperationofmanyyearstothesecountries.

Priority Issues and Efforts

Assistance for ASEAN’s Original Member Countries ASEAN’soriginalmembercountrieshavecontinuedtorecordsteadyeconomicgrowth.However,inordertosustaingrowth,

urbanissuesarisingfromrapidurbanizationrequireanurgentresolution.JICA’sactivitiesare,therefore,designedtocreatecitieswhichareefficient,environmentallyharmonious,andposelittleburdenontheenvironment.Thisisachievedbysupportingtheformulationofurbanmasterplans,establishmentofurbanplanningsystemstocontroldevelopment,andtechnologicaltransfersandnecessaryinfrastructuredevelopment,includingJapan’spublictransportationsystem,energysupply,watersupply,andwastedisposalsystem. Inadditiontotheissuesrelatedtothedevelopmentof“hard”infrastructures,avarietyofissuesalsoexistwithrespectto“soft”infrastructures(systems).Inmoreindustrializedcountries,inordertoovercomethe“trapofmiddleincomecountries”*andachievesophisticationofindustries,itisdeemedessentialtoaddvaluebyenhancinghumancapitalandstrengtheningtheprotectionofintellectualpropertyrights,amongothermeasures.JICAhas,therefore,alsobolstereditsinitiativesfortacklingthesechallenges. Furthermore,countriessuchasIndonesiaandthePhilippineshaveexperiencedawaveofnaturaldisastersintheformoffloodingandearthquakes,whichareimpedimentstosustainedeconomicgrowth.JICAprovideshumanitarianassistancewhennaturaldisastersoccur,aswellasreconstructionanddevelopmentassistancesuchas for thedevelopmentofeconomicinfrastructure,andassistanceformid-tolong-termdisasterpreventionsuchasforthedevelopmentofearlywarningsystems.Inaddition,JICAalsoistakingmeasurestoaddressclimatechange,whichitdeemsasacriticalchallengefacingthisregion.Theyrangefromforestfirepreventionanddevelopmentofgeothermalandotherrenewableenergiestothedevelopment

Lying on lowland terrain and susceptible to frequent fl ood damages, the Kamanava area in the Metro Manila, the Philippines, was installed with fl oodgate (photo) and drains, etc. by ODA Loans.

* Many developing countries, after escaping from the “poverty trap,” achieve high growth temporarily. However, when the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reaches middle-income level, economic growth tends to stagnate in these countries, due to distortions accompanying rapid development, including a widening gap between the rich and the poor and increased prevalence of corruption.

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ofurbanhigh-speedrailinordertoalleviatetrafficandreduceexhaustgasemissions,aswellasadaptivemeasurestoaddresstheregion’svulnerabilitytotheeffectsofclimatechange.

Cross-Border Development of the Mekong Region TheMekongRiverregion inthe IndochinesePeninsula,includingMyanmar,Laos,Thailand,CambodiaandVietNam,iscalledtheMekongregion.Ofthesecountries,newerASEANmembers—comprisingCambodia,Laos,MyanmarandVietNam—fallbehindineconomicdevelopment,andtothisdayarestrugglingwithhighpovertyrates.InordertoachieveASEAN’sintegrationby2015,theintra-regionaldisparitiesbetweentheoriginalandnewerASEANmembersposeamajorchallenge. However,thisregioninrecentyears,particularlyVietNam,hasbecomeaprominentinvestmentdestinationforJapanesefirms.ItscontinuedhigheconomicgrowthleadstoexpectationsforfurtherdevelopmentinthefutureandevenstrongertieswithJapan. IntheTokyoDeclarationadoptedattheMekong-JapanSummitheldinTokyoinNovember2009,Japanpledgedtoprovidemorethan¥500billioninODALoanstofiveMekongcountriesoveraperiodofthreeyears.IntheMekong-JapanActionPlan63announcedsimultaneously,Japanalsocommitteditsassistanceforthe“ADecadetowardtheGreenMekong”initiative. BasedonthepolicyoftheJapanesegovernment,JICAisimplementingabroadrangeofprojectsinpartnershipwithothercountriessuchasThailandthatdrivethedevelopmentoftheregion,inordertoremedytheintra-regionaldisparitiesofASEANandfurtherdeveloptheMekongregion.

Country Overviews and Priority Issues

Indonesia Despiteitspovertyrateof13.3%(2011,WorldBank)asof2010,Indonesia’srealGDPgrowthratereachedroughly6.0%in2010(2010,InternationalMonetaryFund[IMF]),andwithapopulationof240millionpeople,thecountryisemergingasadrivingforcefortheASEANregionaleconomy.Inrecentyears,thereisagrowingneedinIndonesiaforanimprovedinvestmentclimate,includinginfrastructuredevelopment;responsestoglobalissues,includingclimatechange;aswellassafeandsecuresociety-buildingthroughremedyingdisparitiesanddisasterprevention. BasedonthecooperationneedsofIndonesia,JICAcarriesoutinitiativesinthecapitalcityofJakartawhichconfrontsseriousinfrastructureshortages.Notably,JICAprovidescooperationforimprovingtheinvestmentenvironmentthroughconceptssuchastheMetropolitanPriorityArea(MPA)forInvestmentandIndustryinJABODETABEKarea.Furthermore,inordertopromotetheentryofprivatecompanies,JICAundertakeseffortstoenhancetheinstitutionaldevelopmentofPPP(PublicPrivatePartnership)[ See the Case Study on page 11]. Regarding climate changemeasures, JICA supports

improvementsto Indonesia’spolicyframeworkinthisareathroughtheprovisionoftheClimateChangeProgramLoan.JICAalsopromotescomprehensivemeasuresinthefieldofclimatechangethroughthe implementationof individualprojects,includingforestpreservationandgeothermalpowergenerationprojects[ See the Case Study on page 14]. Inaddition,JICAhaslongimplementeddisasterpreventionandreconstructionassistanceforIndonesia,which,likeJapan,isplaguedbydamagesfromvolcaniceruptionsandearthquakes.Supportinbothstructuralandnon-structuralmeasureshavebeenprovidedcontinuously,includingassistanceforthecapacitybuildingofengineersandtheestablishmentofanearlywarningsystem [ See the Case Study on page 109].Thesabo facilitiesconstructedwithJICAcooperationwhenMt.MerapieruptedinOctober2010contributedtothesignificantreductionofdamagesfrompyroclasticflow.

Philippines ThePhilippinesfacedtemporaryeconomicstagnationasaresultoftheeffectsofthefinancialcrisisof2008afterhavingregistered7.1%economicgrowth in2007,whichwasthehighestinthepast30years.Nonetheless,thePhilippineeconomydemonstratedaremarkablerecoveryin2010,recordingeconomicgrowthof7.6%(inrealterms).Thepovertyincidencehasalsoimprovedfrom33.1%in1991to26.5%in2009.Nevertheless,comparedwithotheroriginalmembercountriesofASEAN(Indonesia,Thailand,Malaysia),thePhilippines’GDPgrowthrateoverthepast50yearsislowandtheprogressofpovertyreductionisslow,whileincomedisparitiescontinuetobehigh.Thecountryalsofacesthechallengeofsupportingagrowingpopulationwithanannualaveragegrowthratecloseto2.0%. TheGovernmentofthePhilippinesaimstobecomeamiddleincomecountryalongsidetheotheroriginalmembercountriesofASEAN.Inordertofurtherdriveeconomicgrowthandcreateemployment,theGovernmentactivelypromotesinfrastructuredevelopmentthroughutilizationofprivatefinancialresourcesandimprovestheinvestmentclimate.Inaddition,thecountryisvulnerabletoexternalfactors,includingsoaringfoodpricesandnaturaldisasters,andtheGovernmentprovidesdirectassistanceespeciallyforthepoorwhoareconcentratedinruralareastoincludethemintothedevelopmentprocess.

The sabo dam constructed with JICA cooperation preventing debris fl ow after the eruption of Mt. Merapi (Indonesia)

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ncrete Initiatives

Contributing to Regional Development

Case Study Philippines Mindanao Container Terminal Project / Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project

Through the transportation network development program, JICA extended assistance to enhance the logistics and transportation infrastructure in the non-confl ict affected areas in Mindanao and to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region, and thereby, contributes to the development of the region.

Promoting Logistics Network through Construction of Container Terminal TheCagayandeOroPortservedastheentryport ofNorthernMindanao,whichmainlyhandledcargosofthenearbyPHIVIDECindustrialpark(whereJapanesecompaniesarealsolocated).DuetotheovercrowdingofthePort,however,shipswereforcedtowaitoff-shoreforalongerperiodoftimeandlogisticsandtransportationintheareahadbecomeinefficient. In response, theMindanaoContainerTerminalwascompletedin2004withinthePHIVIDECindustrialparksupportedbyanODALoan,inordertoresolvethecongestionoftheCagayandeOroPortandpromotesmoothlogisticsandtransportation. SincetheTerminal’scompletion,thevolumeof importedcontainercargo increasedby3.3 times,while thevolumeofexportedcontainercargoincreasedby28%from2008to2009.Tomeet the increasingdemand,maritimefreightforwarderswithofficesattheterminalincreasedfrom7companies(asofthecommencementoftheTerminal’soperationin2004)to19companies(asof2010).Thiscontributedtoestablishinganactivelogisticsnetworkintheareaandtotheimprovementofthebusinessenvironmentforlocalcompanies.

Excluding2009whentheglobaleconomiccrisiswasseverelyfelt,exportsfromtheareahaveincreasedespeciallyformajorindustriesinsectorssuchasfoodandminingproducts.Thus,theTerminalalsohadapositiveimpactontheregionaleconomy.

Promoting SMEs Development through Industry Cluster Activities Meanwhile, inDavao,thelargestcity inMindanao,theDavaoRegionalDevelopmentCouncilhasbeenstrivingtorevitalizeregionalindustriesbasedonthe“industrycluster”*approachtoachieveregionaleconomicgrowth.SinceOctober2007,JICAhasimplementedaTechnicalCooperationprojecttopromotethisapproachaswellastobuildcapacityoftheagenciesconcerned. Clustersarecreatedforeachoftheeightmajorindustriesoftheregion(banana,mango,coconut,seaweed,timber,mining,tourism,andinformationandcommunicationstechnology[ICT])inDavao.SMEs,governmentagencies,universitiesandresearchinstitutessharedtheirknowledgeandexperienceswithaddressingcommonissuestodevelopthe industries.JICAhasprovidedtechnicalassistancefor

developingstrategies,makingworkplans,andimplementingpilotprojects.Throughtheimplementationofactualworkplans,JICAalsoassistedtostrengthenthecapacitiesofclusterteammembers,governmentagencies,andstaffoflocalgovernmentstoenhancetheimplementationoftheclusterapproach.

Project Wins ODA Best Practice Award TheTechnicalCooperationprojectasdescribedabovehashelpedtojump-starttheactivitiesoftheclusterteams.Inthemangoindustry,inordertoimprovetheyieldratioofmangoes,pesticidemanagementmethodswereimprovedasapilotprojectforclusteringactivities.Trainingprogramswerealsoprovidedtopromotetheplannedproductionofmangoes,soastopreventoverlapsinproductionandshipmentperiodswithotherregions.Inthebananaindustry, localfarmershavejoinedtogether to launchanewfederation.ThefederationconductsmarketresearchofJapanandothercountriesandisworkingoncreatinganewexportingchannel. Furthermore,jointdevelopmentactivitiesamongclustershaveincreased.Newideasareactivelyproposed,and information isproactivelyexchanged.Variousspillovereffectshavebeenobserved,whichwerenotinitiallyexpected. The project was completed in June2010.Itsoutcomesandimpactwerehighlyacknowledged, including thepromotionofexportsofbananas, timber,andotherproducts.TheprojectconsequentlywontheODABestPracticeAwardgivenbytheNationalEconomicDevelopmentAuthority(NEDA)ofthePhilippinesinDecember2010.SomemembersoftheclusterteamshavereceivedinquiriesfromJapanesecompaniesregardingfurtherbusinessopportunities. Asdescribedabove,thedevelopmentofacentralportinMindanaoandtherevitalizationof local industriesareexpectedtoactivateintra-regionaltransportationandtopromoteeconomicdevelopment.

In the banana industry cluster, a federation of cooperative associations was launched to establish a new banana production center for export.

Mindanao Container Terminal

* The industry cluster approach aims to improve the regional business environment through the development of a network of organizations, including SMEs, venture companies, and research institutions.

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Chulalongkorn University, one of the universities responsible for the region cooperation, ASEAN University Network / Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network (AUN/SEED-Net). The project aims to develop human resources who will support industry.

JICA’scooperationtothePhilippinesfocusesonthefollowingpriorityissues:1)sustainableeconomicgrowthaimedatcreatingemploymentopportunities;2)supportfortheself-relianceofthepoorandimprovementoftheirqualityoflife;and3)peaceandstabilityinMindanao.Undertheabovepriorityissues,JICAprovidesassistancefor:infrastructuredevelopmentthroughPublicPrivatePartnership;policyandinstitutionalimprovementaimedatimprovingtheinvestmentclimate;disasterriskreductionandmanagement;andcommunitydevelopmentintheconflictaffectedareasofMindanao[ See the Case Study on page 35].

Thailand TheGovernmentofThailandispursuingthe10thNationalEconomicandSocialDevelopmentPlan(2006–2011),whichaimstoenhancehumanresourcesandpoliciestofacilitateadaptationtofuturechange,andachievefurtherglobalization.Withthisaim,Thailandistakingstepstostrengtheninternationalcompetitiveness,boostdomesticdemandandstrengthengrassrootseconomies.TheGNIpercapitaofThailandhasreachedUS$3,760(2009),asthecountryshiftsitsfocustodevelopmentthataddresseschallengesinworkingtowardbecominganupper-middle-incomecountry. JICAisextendingitscooperationtoThailandinthreepriorityareas:1)EnhancementofCompetitivenessforSustainableGrowthtodrivefurtherdevelopment;2)AdaptationtotheDevelopmentIssues inaMaturingSocietywithaviewtoresolving thechallengesthatcomewithgrowth;and3)JointCooperationtoThirdCountries,takingintoaccountThailand’sshifttobecomingadonornation. Basedonthesethreepriorityareas,JICAistakingbothhardandsoftinfrastructureinitiatives.Theseinitiativesincludedevelopmentofhumanresourcesandinstitutionsforindustrialpromotion,developmentofinfrastructuresuchastheMassTransitSysteminBangkok,supportforstrengtheningenvironmentalmanagementsystemsandclimatechange-relatedpolicies,measuresforremedyingthedisparitiesbetweenurbanandruralareas,cooperationondevelopmentissuesfortheagingsociety,supportforthesociallyvulnerableincludingmeasuresagainsthumantraffickingandcooperationonpromotionofSouth-South

Cooperation[ See the Case Study on page 37].

Cambodia TheCambodianeconomyisrecoveringsince2010,afterlosingmomentumin2009fromthehighsofover10%peryearduetotheeffectsoftheglobalfinancialcrisis.NominalGDPin2010wasUS$11.6billion(IMFestimate)—nearlytwiceashighasfiveyearsago.However,CambodiacontinuestoranklowamongtheASEANcountriesonvariousdevelopmentindexes,includingpercapitaGNIandinfantmortalityrate.InviewofASEAN’sintegrationby2015,inorderforCambodiatoachievefurthereconomicdevelopmentandovercomepoverty,thecountrymustdevelopitseconomicandsocialinfrastructureandcontinuetoengageininstitutionalbuildingandhumanresourcesdevelopmentinavarietyofsectors.Tomeettheseneeds,JICAisprovidingsupportforthedevelopmentofbothhardandsoftinfrastructure. Specifically,JICAisassistingwiththedevelopmentofcriticaleconomicinfrastructure,suchasports,majorarterialroadsandbridgesandelectricpowerfacilities,aswellastheestablishmentofspecialeconomiczonestostimulatetheprivatesector.JICAisalsoprovidingassistancetoimproveinvestment-relatedservices,aswellasdevelopirrigationfacilitiesandimprovedistributionforraisingtheproductivityofthekeyagriculturalsector[ See

the Case Study on page 117].Torealizeinclusivedevelopment,JICAisextendingassistanceinruralareasfortheestablishmentofwatersupply,theenhancementofhealthcareservices,andhumanresourcesdevelopmentintheeducationsector[ See

the Case Study on page 101].JICAalsocontinuestohelpstrengthenthenation’seconomicfoundationandenhancegovernanceasthebackboneforsocialdevelopment.These initiativesincludeassistanceforimprovingthelegalsystem;improvingadministrativecapabilitiesincludingforlocalgovernment;andstrengtheningnationaltaxation-andcustoms-relatedcapabilities.

Laos Laos is theonly landlockedcountry inASEAN.Withapopulationofjust6.3millionpeopleinacountryaboutthesizeofJapan’sHonshuisland,thepopulationdensityisextremelylow.Meanwhile,Laosisalsoamultiethniccountrycomprisedof48ethnicgroups.Some80%ofthecountry’sworkforceisengagedinagriculture.Laosisdesignatedasaleastdevelopingcountry(LDC)bytheUnitedNations(UN)inthecontextofitslowpercapitaGNIandeconomicvulnerability.Mountainousterraincomprises80%ofthelandmassinLaos,andalongwithanundevelopedinfrastructure,communitiestendtobeisolated,makingitdifficultforpeopletoaccesssocialservices.Basedonthesecircumstances,theGovernmentofLaosispromotingmarketeconomyprinciples.Identifyingpovertyreductionasanationalgoal,LaosaimstoachievetheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)by2015andgraduatefromLDCstatusby2020. JICA’sapproachtoextendingassistancetoLaosrevolvesaround:supportforthesteadyachievementoftheMDGs;supportforbuildingafoundationforeconomicgrowththatwillserveasadrivingforceforthecountry’sindependentandsustainablegrowth;andsupportforcapacitydevelopmentasaprerequisite

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ncrete Initiatives

Maximizing Community Strengths

Case Study Thailand Project on the Development of a Community Based Integrated Health Care and Social Welfare Services Model for Older Persons

Thailand is facing a rapidly declining birthrate and aging society. For an expected project period of four years beginning in 2007, JICA and the Government of Thailand are developing a model for providing sustainable care for the elderly. This model, rooted in community practices, will draw on the strengths of the community, including community members, volunteers and senior persons’ clubs.

Rapidly Aging Society InThailand,theratioofelderlypersonsovertheageof65hasalreadyreachednearly10%.Duetotheextremelyrapidpaceofpopulationaginginthecountry,theproportionofelderlypersonsisexpectedtosurpass14%in2023andmakeThailandan“agedsociety”asdefinedbytheUnitedNations. TheprojectisbeingimplementedjointlybytheMinistryofPublicHealth,whichoverseeshealthcareservices,theMinistryofSocialDevelopmentandHumanSecurity,whichoverseessocialwelfare,andJICA,withthecooperationofthelocalmunicipalitiesandcommunitymembers.Throughmodelactivities,theprojectisintendedtoestablishanintegratedhealthcareandwelfareservicesmodelforelderlypersons.Inthefuture,themodelisexpectedtobeexpandedacrossthewholecountry.Specifically,communitymembersareimplementingactivitiesinthefourprojectsitesbytakingintoaccountcommunityneedsandavailableresources,withsupportfromtheproject.

Expanding the Model Across the Country InSuratThaniinthesouth,accesstohealthcareandwelfareservicesispoorduetothelackoftransportationmeans,amongotherreasons.Inlightofthesecircumstances,theMobileOne-StopServicesmodelhasbeendevelopedand

isimplementedeverymonth.Underthismodel,healthcareandillnesspreventionstaff,welfarestaff,andcommunityvolunteersjointlyvisiteachvillageandofferconsultationonhealthchecksandwelfare. Whileprojectactivitiesdifferbyeachprojectsite,theyallsharethebasicframework,namely,“communitymembers,includingvolunteers,playalargerole,”“relevantorganizations,includinglocalgovernments,providetechnicalassistance,”and“communitymembersandlocalgovernmentsworktogether.”Inaddition,throughthedispatchofshort-termexpertsforprovidingtechnicalcoursesforcentralgovernmentemployeesindementiacareandcaremanagement,aswellas trainingforcommunitymembersonbasicnursingcareskills,humanresourcesaredevelopedatboththelevelsofthecentralandlocalgovernments. InAugust2010,anationalconferencewasheldinBangkoktosharetheoutcomesoftheactivitiesinthefourprojectsites.Anactiveexchangeofviewstookplacewiththeparticipationof260peoplefrom50provincesacrossthecountry. Bytheproject’sterminationinNovember2011,JICAwillsummarizetheachievementofmodelactivitiesasthelessontobeappliedtootheractivitiesforthecareofelderlypersonsandcreateamanualwhichexplains thedetailsoftheactivitiesateachprojectsite.Acompilationofrecommendationswhichwill

offerpracticalknow-howforleadingfurthersuccesseswillalsobecreated.Throughtheseefforts,JICAaimstoexpandtheoutcomesofthemodelactivitiesacrossThailand.

From Our Expert

Keiji TakebayashiChief Advisor InBangSiThongTown,NonthaburiProvince,theseniorpeoples’clubandcommunitymembersplayedkey roles in thestartupof illnesspreventionandhealthpromotionactivities.Furthermore,theyhelpedtoestablisharehabilitationcenterwiththecooperationofthetown(whileitsoundsfancy,itisreallyanordinaryhome).Communitymemberswhohavereceivedtrainingproviderehabilitationservicesasvolunteers. Theseactivitiesstemfromthefirmbeliefofthecommunitymembersthatservicesprovidedbynonprofessionalsarebetterthannothavinganyservicesatall. Attheendof2010,thevicechairmanoftheseniorpeoples’clubinthecommunity,whowasacentralfigureintheseactivities,sufferedacerebralhemorrhage.Becauseofhisdailyinvolvementinhealthactivities,perhaps,thevicechairmandetectedtheabnormalityhimself,tookataxitothehospital,andonthewaybecameunconscious.Althoughhehasparalysisoftherightsideofthebody,hewasdischargedfromthehospitalandhasstartedrehabilitationwithvolunteers—aservicehehimselfhelpedtoorganize.Andnow,heisabletowalkwiththeuseofacane. Ibelievethingswouldhavebeenalotmoreworsehadhenotquicklygonetothehospitalorhadhenotquicklystartedrehabilitation(andIbelievethemajorityofthepeopleinThailandfallunderthisworse-casescenario).Itgavemehopethatevenwithscarcemedicalresources,somethingcanbedonetoacertainextentwiththestrengthsofthecommunityandthepeople. Ibelievethisisoneoftheoutcomesoftheproject.

Elderly persons participating in community health exercises (Khon Kaen)

Mr. Takebayashi, JICA expert, visiting the house of an elderly person with a volunteer

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Remedying intra-regional disparities is one of the key challenges for ASEAN’s regional integration by 2015. JICA and the ASEAN Secretariat have therefore begun providing cooperation to support the efforts made by Laos, a country that falls behind other ASEAN countries in development, toward integration with ASEAN. Through this assistance, JICA and the ASEAN Secretariat jointly aim to develop a scheme for supporting newer ASEAN members in order to remedy the intra-regional disparities within ASEAN.

A Cooperation Scheme for Remedying Intra-regional Disparities Toward ASEAN’s Regional Integration

Case Study Laos Pilot Program for Narrowing the Development Gap towards ASEAN Integration (LPP)

Capitalizing on the Strengths of Nature-rich Laos ThecooperationstartedinOctober2010basedonthe“Clean,GreenandBeautifulLaos”conceptinthefollowingthreeareas:Tourismpromotion;Promotionofsafeagricultural

products;andEnvironmentalmanagement.ThepartnershipbetweenJICAandtheASEANSecretariatisafeatureofthisprogram,which,throughspecificassistance,willaimtodevelopa tripartitecooperationmechanism(JICA,ASEAN,andcounterpartgovernment) fornewerASEANmemberstatesandstandardizethe procedures for pro jec t p lann ing,implementation,monitoring,andevaluation.This“pilot”programwillbeexpandedtootherASEANcountriesinthefuture. TheprogramofficewasestablishedinthecapitalcityofVientiane,andthefirststeeringcommitteemeetingwasheldinMarch2011.With2012theYearforTourisminLaos,thetourismcomponenthasbeenjumpstartedwiththeJICAprojectteamandtheLaoNationalTourismAdministrationholdingameetinginFebruaryandthreeprovincesbeingselectedaspilotprovinces.

JICA and ASEAN concluded an MOU between Secretary General of ASEAN Surin Pitsuwan (right) and President of JICA Sadako Ogata in June 2008.

forLaostoachieveself-reliantefforts.JICAisprovidingavarietyofcooperationforthefollowingpriorityareas:improvedaccesstobasiceducation,expansionofhealthcareservices,ruraldevelopment,socialandeconomicinfrastructuredevelopment,strengtheningof theprivatesectorand improvementofadministrativecapabilities[ See the Case Study on page 10]. WithLaosfallingbehindotherASEANcountriesindevelopment,JICAcommenced theLaosPilotProgram(LPP)asanewinitiativeforremedyingintra-regionaldisparitiestowardASEAN’sintegrationby2015.InpartnershipwiththeASEANSecretariat,theprojectaimstoextractthecharmsofLaos,acountryrichinnature,andpromoteitssustainabledevelopmentbasedontheconceptof“Clean,GreenandBeautifulLaos”[ See the Case Study

below].Also,themanyunexplodedordnancesthatremaininLaosnotonlyhinderitsdevelopmentbutalsotakethelivesofmanypeople.JICAhasstartedtakingcountermeasures,drawingonitsexperienceinminecleaninginCambodia.

Myanmar Myanmarhelditsfirstgeneralelectioninapproximately20yearsinNovember2010,andanewadministrationwaslaunchedunderformerPrimeMinisterTheinSeinasPresidentinMarch2011.Japan,whilecloselyfollowingtheprogressofdemocratizationandimprovementofhumanrightssituationsinMyanmar,willconsiderandimplementonacase-by-casebasisprojectscenteringonbasichumanneedswhichwoulddirectlybenefitthepeople. Specificassistanceincludescooperationfor:thepreventionofthethreemajorinfectiousdiseasesofmalaria,HIV/AIDSand

tuberculosis;theprovisionofwatersupplytovillagesinthecentraldryzonethatfaceacriticalwatershortage;drugcontrolmeasuresinnorthernShanState;thepreservationofagriculturallandsandmangrovesintheAyeyarwadydeltawhichwereheavilydamagedbyCycloneNargis;andtheprovisionofcyclonewarnings.

Viet Nam VietNamhasachievedsteadyeconomicgrowthofabout7%inrecentyears,andpercapitaGDPregisteredoverUS$1,000in2009.PovertyreductionhasprogressedwiththeshareofpeoplelivingonlessthanUS$1.25aday(povertyrate)decliningfrom50%in1998to12.3%in2009.Meanwhile,thedevelopmentofahighqualityworkforcetosupporttheeconomicgrowth,aswellasbasicinfrastructure,suchaselectricityandtransport,havenotsufficientlycaughtupandserveasbottleneckstogrowth.

The Project for Strengthening Capacity of Training Teams for Basic Health Staff (Myanmar)

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Co

ncrete Initiatives

Roads are frequently blocked due to road surface damages from heavy rainfall during the rainy season (photo is of the Government’s restoration work). JICA supports capacity building in road maintenance work (Timor-Leste).

Furthermore,incomedisparitiesbetweenurbanandruralareasandenvironmentaldegradationalsoposechallenges.Governanceshouldalsobestrengthenedto tackle thesedevelopmentchallenges. JICAisengaginginawiderangeofcooperationfocusingonthefollowingpriorityareas:1)promotionofeconomicgrowthandstrengtheningofinternationalcompetitiveness;2)improvementinlivingandsocialconditionsandcorrectionsofdisparities;3)environmentalconservation;and4)strengtheningofgovernance.Thecooperationcoversvariousissues,suchas: improvingbusinessenvironmentanddevelopmentofsupportingindustries;infrastructuredevelopmentofhighways,railways,waterandseweragesystems;improvinghealthcareservices;disasterprevention;andclimatechangemeasures[ See the Case Studies

on pages 10, 83, 87, 129, 113].

Timor-Leste Timor-Lestewillsooncelebrateits10thanniversaryofitsindependence,gainedin2002.Inthelastseveralyears,thecountryhasachievedarapidlystabilizingsecuritysituationanddouble-digiteconomicgrowthsince2008.InJuly2011,Timor-LesteannouncedtheStrategicDevelopmentPlanthatsetsoutavisiontoward2030,andthecountryhasbeguntakingstepstograduatefromthe“reconstruction”stageandtoembarkonfull-fledgedeconomicdevelopment. JICAhasbeenprovidingassistancetoTimor-Lesteinthefollowingpriorityareassofar:humanresourcesdevelopmentand institutionbuilding; improvementandmaintenanceof infrastructure;agriculturalandruraldevelopment;andconsolidationofpeace.However,with thestabilizationofthesecuritysituation,JICA isshifting itsassistancefrom“consolidationofpeace”togivegreaterfocustothedevelopmentofeconomic infrastructurewhichcontributestoeconomicopportunitiespromotion.Thesustainabilityofthecountryrequiresthedevelopmentofindustriesthatcanreplacetherevenuesfromoilindustry.JICA’sassistanceaimstocreateamorefavorableenvironmenttothisend. Inadditiontotheabove,JICAwillcontinuetomakeeffortsinthefollowing:ruraldevelopmentthatcontributestopovertyreduction(oneofthekeydevelopment

challengesofTimor-Leste);assistancetoimproveagriculturaltechnology;anddevelopmentofhumanresourceswhoselackofskillsalsoservesasaseverebottlenecktodevelopment[ See

the Case Study on page 97].

Malaysia Malaysia isonasteadygrowthpathasoneofthemostdevelopedASEANnations.Itwasamongthefirsttoescapefromthecalamityoftheworldfinancialcrisisandisbackonastablegrowthtrack.TheMalaysiangovernmentannouncedtheNewEconomicModel(NEM),along-termeconomicroadmap,inMarch2010.TheNEMplanoutlinespoliciesthataimtoincreaseannualpercapitaincometoUS$15,000by2020byshiftingtoknowledge-intensiveindustries,amongotherstrategies.InJune2010,theTenthMalaysiaPlanwasannounced,whichestablishesguidelinesonthedevelopmentbudgetallocationsforthenextfiveyears. InresponsetotheseactionstakenbyMalaysia,JICAhasbeenprovidingassistanceinordertoforgecooperativerelationsasamoreequitablepartnerofMalaysia,withafocusonthefollowingfourpriorityareas:1)enhancementofmutualbenefitsbetweenJapanandMalaysia;2)overcomingchallengesassociatedwithrapidgrowth;3)overcomingregionalissues;and4)strengtheningaidimplementationcapacitiesandpromotingJapan-Malaysiaaidcoordination. SomeexamplescurrentlybeingimplementedthroughODALoansincludethePahang-SelangorRawWaterTransferProjectforsupplyingwatertotheMalaysiancapitalofKualaLumpurandtheHigherEducationLoanFundProject,orHELP3initiative,whichgives localstudentsachancetostudyscienceandengineeringinJapan.OtherexamplesbeingimplementedthroughTechnicalCooperationaretheBorneanBiodiversity&EcosystemsConservationProgrammePhaseII(BBECII)initiativeinSabahandtheImprovementofAbilityinMaritimeSafetyandSecurityprojectaimedatenhancingthecapabilitiesoftheMalaysianMaritimeEnforcementAgency(MMEA). Basedontheabovenewdevelopmentpolicytrends,etc.,JICAisnowconductingacountryanalyticalworktostudyhowJICA’sODAtoMalaysiashouldbeimplementedinthenextfewyears.

Singapore Singaporehasachievedremarkableeconomicdevelopment.Thecountry,which“graduated”fromJICA’sODAassistanceinfiscal1998,andJapanhavebeencooperatingwitheachothernotasadonorandanaidrecipientbutasapartner,andcarryingoutapproximately20trainingcoursesayearmainlyforotherASEANnations.SincethelaunchoftheJapan-SingaporePartnershipProgramme(JSPP)infiscal1994anduptofiscal2009,morethan250trainingcourseswereimplementedwiththeparticipationofover4,600trainingparticipantsfrom87countries. Since fiscal2009,asanew initiative,JICAhasbeendispatchingaresearchfellowtotheLeeKuanYewSchoolofPublicPolicyoftheNationalUniversityofSingaporetobuildnetworkswithrelevantorganizationswhichcanenhanceJICAprograms,throughsuchactivitiesasjointresearchandseminars.

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