Toward an environmental strategy for Asia : a summary of a World Bank discussion paper

A summary of a longer paper by the two authors published as no. 224 of the World Bank discussion papers. This paper proposes a framework for accomplishing improved environmental management. The first of its five components is the need to set priorities - an obvious but difficult step imposed by shortages of financial and administrative resources. The paper then addresses the four key components of national environmental strategies: designing cost-effective policy instruments; improving institutional capacity; increasing public and private sector investments; and improving technology, even in areas not fully supported by the market. This framework is then applied to specific sectoral issues in the urban, industry, energy, agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, and water sectors. The report emphasizes that there are real institutional and resource constraints in all sectors and that any strategy to achieve greater sustainability must be continually updated as these constraints change. The last section of the report outlines the World Bank ' s role in assisting Asian countries to address environmental issues. The environmental focus of the Bank ' s lending program and analytical work has grown over the last several years, and is expected to grow further. The strategies employed vary by country, as do the relative areas of emphasis (such as natural resource management vs. pollution abatement), partnerships with other donors, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, and the role of technical assistance.