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...

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...

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...

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...

This study investigates the impact of proposals to reduce the height of dykes in Vietnam's Mekong River Delta. The proposals are designed to reduce wetland water levels to an environmentally sustainable level, however it has not been clear how this will affect farmers in the region. High dykes...

Providing a high-quality water supply to all sectors of society is one of the most pressing and difficult challenge facing cities across Southeast Asia. Water supply is an expensive proposition in low income countries and often tradeoffs have to be made among such attributes as purity,...

Water supply is an on-going challenge for many countries across Southeast Asia. One of the key issues relating to this challenge is the protection of watersheds. Many of these vital areas are heavily deforested with a large area converted to apiculture and other land uses. Their capacity to...