Across the developing world, governments are grappling with the problem of industrial pollution. A new report from Cambodia looks into a system of pollution levies that would encourage polluting firms to clean up their emissions. This study sets out a series of charges that are projected to...

The 'polluter pays' principle is one of the bedrocks of environmental policy. However, implementing this approach in a way that does not unduly handicap businesses is a challenge for I policy makers across Southeast Asia. A new study from the Philippines has looked at the commercial implications...

Across Southeast Asia, there has been a massive increase in electricity consumption over the last decade. This trend looks set to continue as industry develops and the region's population rises. Although renewable sources of energy production such as wind and solar have a role in supplying the...

As anyone who has coughed their way through a traffic jam in a Southeast Asian city will tell you, urban traffic congestion is one of the region's major challenges. This study from Sri Lanka has focused on one key aspect of this problem - the health impacts of diesel vehicles in the country's...

Across the developing world, governments are grappling with the challenge of how best to support small-scale farmers in ways that do not damage the environment. A new study from China - where the problem is particularly acute - has found that government subsidies for crop insurance are a...

One of the obstacles many conservation strategies face is the amount of time and money it actually costs for people t o be involved in their implementation - in other words, their "transaction costs" (TCs) . A new study from China has looked at how these costs have affected an innovative...

Over the last decade the global movement toward involvement of the private sector in the provision of municipal water supply and sanitation services has been rapidly gaining momentum--and so has the political opposition. Is it true that poor households in developing countries oppose private...

Wetlands provide rich environments for wildlife as well as agriculture. This frequently results in a conflict between wetland conservation and agricultural development. This, in turn, means that research into the interplay between development decision making, agricultural productivity and...

This study provides an assessment of whether residents in Metro Manila would be willing to pay a fee for the protection and conservation of the four main watershed areas that provide them with water. It also investigates how such a 'water user fee' would best be organized and implemented and...

This study assesses the different water supply options available to people in Vietnam's Mekong Delta (VMD). It ascertains which source is the cleanest and most sustainable, and then sees whether people can be encouraged to switch to this source. The study finds that there are three main sources...