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on South East Asia |
| By: | Sarah Shair-Rosenfield |
| Abstract: | Does asymmetric decentralization fulfil the twin promise of regional self-governance within a peaceful nation-state? Despite the obvious appeal of pacifying restive regions with distinct authority while keeping them as parts of the larger country, the theoretical promise of asymmetric decentralization often goes unfulfilled in reality. This is especially true where regional grievances were sufficient to lead to deadly civil conflict, and where those grievances include especially high levels of (perceived) economic exploitation and extreme poverty in the region compared to the rest of the nation. Comparison between the special status regions of Aceh and Papua (in Indonesia) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and unsuccessful Cordillera Administrative Region (in the Philippines) highlights the importance of limiting veto players in agreeing on the design of special autonomy to resolving regional claim-making and mitigating regional economic deprivation. The comparative analysis suggests why special autonomy arrangements often fail to achieve the critical balance of solving existing regional grievances and preventing resumption of conflict and unrest. |
| Keywords: | asymmetric decentralization, regional self-governance, conflict resolution, economic inequality, Indonesia, the Philippines |
| Date: | 2026–02–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ida:wpaper:wp2607 |
| By: | Larsen, Mathias |
| Abstract: | This policy brief sets out how Vietnam has used the state-owned energy company, Vietnam Electric (EVN), to provide strategic financial support for renewables projects in order to attract overseas capital, and the lessons that other emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) can draw from this experience. |
| Keywords: | equity investor; feed-in tariffs; renewables; Vietnam |
| JEL: | R14 J01 L81 N0 |
| Date: | 2026–01–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137525 |
| By: | Dongsoo Kim (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade) |
| Abstract: | During the previous era of rapid globalization and relatively free trade, the primary goal of establishing global supply chains was to minimize costs and leverage comparative advantages. But as global geopolitical competition has intensified, major governments have erected trade barriers to shield their domestic industries. Export controls and other protectionist measures have led private and public actors alike to work to stabilize and de-risk their supply chains. Nowhere is this more evident than in the supply chain for critical mineral resources (CMR), which collectively represent the essential inputs in electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) batteries. The geopolitical climate is one of two major risks in CMR supply chains. The other is the overconcentration of CMR mining and processing in a handful of countries. This risk has led governments to pursue international cooperation with resource-rich developing countries such as Indonesia and Viet Nam. But many resource-rich countries often lack sufficient capacity to explore, mine, and refine enough CMR to meet global demand. With this in mind, this report investigates the current state of the CMR supply chains. Based on the results of the analysis, it proposes a suite of Executive Summary12 Cooperation for Establishing Critical Minerals Industrial Ecology in ASEAN sustainable CMR supply chain and industrial development cooperation measures targeting partnerships between advanced manufacturing countries and resource-rich developing countries. |
| Keywords: | critical minerals; critical minerals resources; CMR; ASEAN; South Korea; supply chains; batteries; battery industry; nickel; rare earth elements; REEs; mining; rare earths; Indonesia; development coop |
| JEL: | L72 L78 L61 L65 L52 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:kietop:022363 |
| By: | Zachary Bleemer |
| Abstract: | The Vietnam draft conscripted hundreds of thousands of young Americans into an integrated military. I combine near-random draft lottery variation with administrative voter data to study the long-run racial integration effects of coerced national service. Black and Native American veterans became more likely to marry white spouses, identify as Republicans, and live in more-integrated neighborhoods. Improved economic standing may partly mediate these effects. Effects are larger for Southerners and are precisely null for white veterans. Coerced military service generates substantial but asymmetric cross-racial political convergence and racial integration: Vietnam-era service caused about 20 percent of affected cohorts' interracial marriages. |
| JEL: | H56 J12 J15 R21 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34900 |
| By: | Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Masias, Ian; Minten, Bart; van Asselt, Joanna; Naing, Phyo Thandar; Ei Win, Hnin |
| Abstract: | Resilient food and nutrition systems that support dietary diversity are central to improving welfare outcomes and fostering the formation of human capital, with lasting implications for socioeconomic development. Historically, while smallholders in developing countries have accessed food both from diversified farms or kitchen gardens, markets have increasingly become the more dominant source of diet diversity as agrifood systems continue their transformation. Yet little is known regarding how intensifying conflicts and social instability affect these linkages between agrifood systems and households’ dietary diversity. Addressing this knowledge gap is particularly relevant for countries like Myanmar, which is characterized not only by escalating conflicts in recent years but also by relatively lower levels of overall crop diversification and dietary diversity at the national level compared to many other countries in East and Southeast Asia. By using unique panel datasets from Myanmar that cover significant spatiotemporal variation in conflict intensity and addressing the potential endogeneity of crop diversification, we provide new evidence on the resilience of household dietary diversity in conflict-affected settings. We find that increased incidence of violent events at township levels (a proxy for conflict intensity) significantly lowers household dietary diversity during the post-monsoon season, particularly the diversity derived from purchased food items. These adverse effects are relatively more pronounced for healthier food items, such as pulses/legumes/nuts and vegetables/leaves. However, the negative impacts of conflicts on dietary diversity in the post-monsoon season are significantly mitigated by greater diversity in food crop production for farm households during the preceding monsoon season. Results are robust across different measurements of crop diversification and violent events. These findings suggest that in conflict-prone developing countries like Myanmar, household-level crop diversification remains an important strategy for farmers to safeguard household dietary diversity. |
| Keywords: | conflicts; diversification; diet; crop production; resilience; Myanmar; South-eastern Asia |
| Date: | 2026–03–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:181989 |
| By: | K Ullas Kamat (Justice K.S. Hegde Institute of Management, NITTE University, 574110, Mangalore, India Author-2-Name: Dr. A.P Achar Author-2-Workplace-Name: Justice K.S. Hegde Institute of Management, NITTE University, 574110, Mangalore, India Author-3-Name: Author-3-Workplace-Name: Author-4-Name: Neelesh G Jain Author-4-Workplace-Name: UK & Co, Grace Towers, Vasanth Nagar, 560052, Bangalore, India Author-5-Name: Author-5-Workplace-Name: Author-6-Name: Author-6-Workplace-Name: Author-7-Name: Author-7-Workplace-Name: Author-8-Name: Author-8-Workplace-Name:) |
| Abstract: | " Objective - This study examines why Japanese family businesses outlast their Indian counterparts, using cultural, legal, and governance frameworks. Methodology - Analyzing Japan's i.e., system—emphasizing adult adoption and tax incentives—against India's Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) laws, findings reveal Japan's meritocratic governance reduces succession delays (4 vs. 18 months) and equity fragmentation. Findings - Case studies (Suzuki, Bajaj Auto) demonstrate Japan's institutional resilience versus India's patriarchal gridlock. Recommendations propose legal reforms for non-biological succession, gender-inclusive policies, and digital governance tools, offering a model for emerging economies to enhance the longevity of family businesses. Type of Paper - Empirical" |
| Keywords: | Family Businesses, Japan, India, Succession Planning, Governance, Culture |
| JEL: | Z1 Z10 |
| Date: | 2026–03–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gtr:gatrjs:gjbssr675 |
| By: | van Asselt, Joanna; Aung, Zin Wai |
| Abstract: | The ninth round of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey (MHWS), a nationally and regionally representative phone survey, was conducted between July and October 2025. This round follows eight previous rounds carried out since December 2021 and reflects conditions during April – October 2025. This report presents updated evidence on the conflict, climatic, service, and economic shocks households face and the coping strategies they adopt. In April–October 2025, insecurity and lawlessness intensified across Myanmar. About 21 percent of households reported feeling insecure, an increase from late 2024, with rural insecurity exceeding urban levels for the first time. Trust deteriorated sharply, with 25 percent reporting low community trust. Lawlessness remained widespread: 16 percent reported gambling, 16 percent petty crime, and 13 percent drug use. Urban areas were disproportionately affected by petty crime, bribery, and mobility constraints, while perceived conscription risk rose markedly, exceeding 40 percent in some regions. Climatic shocks continued to compound conflict-related stressors. About 19 percent of farm households reported being negatively affected by at least one climatic shock between April and October 2025. Flooding was the dominant shock, affecting 13 percent of households nationally, with particularly high exposure in Kayin, Shan, Bago, and Magway. Irregular rainfall and strong winds were less prevalent but remained locally significant, especially in Chin and Mon, reinforcing spatial disparities in vulnerability. Climatic shocks continued to compound conflict-related stressors. About 19 percent of farm households reported being negatively affected by at least one climatic shock between April and October 2025. Flooding was the dominant shock, affecting 13 percent of households nationally, with particularly high exposure in Kayin, Shan, Bago, and Magway. Irregular rainfall and strong winds were less prevalent but remained locally significant, especially in Chin and Mon, reinforcing spatial disparities in vulnerability. Economic pressures remained high despite modest improvements. About 37 percent of households reported being negatively affected by high food prices, similar to 2023 levels but slightly lower than late 2024. Price shocks were highly uneven, exceeding 50 percent in conflict-affected regions. Fuel price shocks affected 33 percent of households, declining from late 2024 as prices stabilized, though impacts remained severe in conflict-affected regions. Households continued to cope by reducing expenditures. Reductions in non-food spending were more common than cuts to food consumption across all regions. Conflict-affected states recorded the highest shares of households reducing both food and non-food expenditures, often exceeding 40 percent. While fewer households reported cutting back on staples and vegetables, most continued to reduce consumption of meat and fish, reflecting persistent affordability constraints for animal-source foods. Financial buffers remained extremely limited. Fewer than one in five households reported holding any cash savings. Borrowing was widespread, particularly among wage-earning households, with over half reporting outstanding debt. More than 50 percent of loans were sourced from friends and relatives, reflecting the near collapse of formal credit. Debt was primarily used for food, health, and basic needs, with a growing share allocated to medical expenses. |
| Keywords: | households; communities; shock; economic shock; Myanmar; Asia; South-eastern Asia |
| Date: | 2026–01–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprwp:179640 |
| By: | Kumar, Anjani; Bathla, Seema; Singh, Dhiraj K. |
| Abstract: | This study examines gendered patterns of time use in rural India using nationally representative time use surveys from 2019 and 2024, capturing shifts in labor force participation amid significant socioeconomic changes, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis reveals a notable rise in rural women’s labor force participation—from 32 percent to 35.9 percent in agriculture—with a 38 percent increase in their paid agricultural work time. However, this progress coexists alongside entrenched gender disparities in unpaid domestic work, where women continue to spend nearly five hours daily, limiting their engagement in nonagricultural employment, which remains male-dominated and stagnant for women. Using multivariate regression and Gelbach decomposition, the study identifies gender, landholding, education, income, and caste as significant determinants of time allocation. Yet, much of the increase in women’s work time is driven by unobserved factors, likely linked to post-pandemic livelihood adjustments and structural constraints. The findings underscore that recent gains in women’s participation reflect genuine shifts rather than statistical artefacts but caution that without addressing time poverty, gender norms, and access to diversified livelihoods, these gains may not translate into sustainable empowerment. The paper calls for integrated policy measures, including gender-responsive agricultural support, public care infrastructure, skill development, and behavioral interventions to rebalance domestic responsibilities and facilitate women’s transition to higher productivity sectors. |
| Keywords: | gender; labour; multivariate analysis; rural areas; unpaid work; surveys; time study; India; Southern Asia; Asia |
| Date: | 2026–02–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:181545 |
| By: | Akira Kohsaka (Osaka School of International Public Policy, The University of Osaka) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines China’s industrial structural transformation over the past several decades, comparing it with Japan, Korea and the US. Using expanded sets of international comparable databases, we decompose aggregate productivity growth into sectoral productivity growth and inter- sector resource reallocation. Our findings reveal notable trend changes in labor shares across sectors with significant time differences, earlier de-industrialization in the US and latest industrialization in China. Notably, in the US, manufacturing has lagged behind trade, finance and business services in labor share, and ICT in productivity for years. In contrast, in China, while these service sectors remain minimal in labor share, their relative productivities surpass those of manufacturing. Despite her remarkable productivity growth, significant gaps persist in all sectoral productivity levels between China and the others. We explore how fast these gaps could be narrowed by current sectoral productivity growth trends. |
| Keywords: | structural transformation, productivity growth, reallocation, growth decomposition, China |
| JEL: | O47 O57 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osp:wpaper:26e002 |
| By: | Faisal, Md. Zaki; Uddin, Md. Shihab; Islam, Mohammad Tarikul |
| Abstract: | In an era defined by escalating climate change, Bangladesh stands as one of the world's most vulnerable nations, where the well-being of millions and the prospects for sustainable development is intrinsically linked to the health of its environment. This research was undertaken to address a critical question at the heart of this challenge: How effective is local government in strengthening environmental governance and building resilience at the grassroots level? With such a basic unit of rural governance as the Union Parishad, this study evaluates the role, influence of the institution and the systemic pressures that limits its performance. The results indicate a deep and disturbing paradox. A majority of the rural communities agreed that environmental degradation, which is coming in the form of massive floods, uncontrollable erosion of rivers and globally advancing salinity is a grave and imminent danger to their lives and livelihood. Such strong local action should in theory have a strong mandate because of this high level of public concern. However, the study also revealed a very profound and widespread sense of disillusionment between the people and the very establishments that are supposed to defend the people. The paper has concluded that, this disjoint is not due to indifference of the citizens, but is the effect of a malfunctioning system of governance. The Union Parishad, which in theory is the foundation stone of local action, is substantively disempowered and in practice emasculated by three kinds of paralysing problems: a debilitating shortage of financial resources, the corrosive effects of corruption which eats away at its credibility, and the unwarranted political interference which eats away at the proper planning and fair action. These fundamental problems are further enhanced by the inferior institutional capacity, insufficient technical skills and inability of the local, regional and national organizations to coordinate their efforts. |
| Keywords: | Bangladesh; climate change; environmental governance; local government; resilience; sustainable development; Union Parishad |
| JEL: | N0 |
| Date: | 2026–03–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137518 |
| By: | Cheang, Bryan; Mehrotra, Praharsh |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the limits of mission‐directed entrepreneurial states by drawing on the theory of recombinant innovation and F.A. Hayek's insights on the spontaneous growth of knowledge in society. First, the use of discretionary policymaking curtails the range of knowledge generated in the process of social interaction, limiting the scope for ideas to be fortuitously recombined. Second, by privileging a single overarching mission, the state may foster a social culture that encourages compliance with authority, limiting the epistemic curiosity in individuals necessary for creative innovation. We make this argument through a comparative historical analysis of Singapore and Hong Kong, which adopted divergent approaches to development. Despite rapid growth in both, the former's technocratic governance came at the expense of its creative sectors, while the latter's reliance on spontaneous solutions enabled strong creative industries to develop despite little state support. By using creative performance as a proxy for innovation‐led development, we exemplify the limits of top‐down governance. Rather than fostering creative destruction, the entrepreneurial state may end up being a creative destroyer. |
| JEL: | R14 J01 N0 |
| Date: | 2026–02–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137148 |
| By: | Andlib, Zubaria |
| Abstract: | This study examines mental health outcomes among incarcerated adults using primary survey data in a developing country correctional system. Using validated mental health scales for depression, anxiety, and well-being, the study documents a high prevalence of psychological distress among incarcerated individuals. The empirical findings show that perceived overcrowding, exposure to violence, and social isolation are strongly associated with worse mental health outcomes, while regular family contact is associated with reduced psychological distress. These relationships persist after controlling for demographic characteristics and prison fixed effects. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that pre-trial detainees and long-term inmates are particularly vulnerable to institutional stressors. The findings highlight the role of prison environments as determinants of psychological well-being. In LMICs where mental health infrastructure is limited, prisons serve as critical components of public health systems. The results suggest that low-cost screening programs, violence reduction strategies, and policies that reduce overcrowding and facilitate family contact may generate meaningful improvements in inmate well-being. By providing systematic survey-based evidence from a developing economy context, the study contributes to the global literature on incarceration and health and informs policy debates on correctional reform and public health investment. |
| Keywords: | Mental health, Incarceration, Family contact, LMICs, Correctional institutions |
| JEL: | I12 I18 K14 J15 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1721 |
| By: | Toshiyuki MATSUURA; Masahiro ENDOH; Hisamitsu SAITO |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the regional economic consequences of tourism expansion, conceptualizing it as a positive demand shock to the local tradable service sector. While traditional regional development strategies emphasize manufacturing exports, we examine how inbound tourism, a growing form of service trade, can promote regional revitalization. Focusing on the rapid increase in inbound tourists to Japan during the 2010s, we employ a shift-share instrumental variable approach using a novel commuting zone-level dataset to identify causal effects. By disentangling the impacts of international and domestic tourists, we identify the distinct effects of inbound tourism on key regional economic indicators: per capita income, youth demographic shifts, and commercial land prices. These gains are spatially concentrated and moderated by regional heterogeneity, with leisure-oriented and seasonal destinations experiencing more pronounced growth. Our findings suggest that strategic promotion of foreign tourism can effectively mitigate regional decline by optimizing resource utilization and population dynamics. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:26020 |
| By: | J. Lu Jin; X. Lai Xiaopeng; L. Wang (Audencia Business School); K. Wang Kunyi |
| Abstract: | While prior literature has emphasized that coopetition is a critical strategic choice that can enhance a firm's competitive advantage, the antecedents and consequences of the strategy in the international context remain underexplored. Based on the relational view, this study examines whether resource complementarity and goal compatibility foster coopetition between foreign and local partners in international joint ventures (IJVs) and in turn improve performance outcomes.Drawing on the empirical analyses of coopetition between partners in 165 IJVs in China, this study finds that partner resource complementarity and partner goal compatibility are positively associated with coopetition, which in turn correlates with improved IJV performance.Institutional and industrial environments are associated with the effectiveness of resource complementarity and goal compatibility. These findings offer valuable insights for IJV managers seeking to manage cooperation and competition between partners. |
| Keywords: | Market competition, Legal inadequacy, Goal compatibility, Resource complementarity, International joint venture, Coopetition, Coopetition International joint venture Resource complementarity Goal compatibility Legal inadequacy Market competition, CoopetitionInternational joint ventureResource complementarityGoal compatibilityLegal inadequacyMarket competition |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05460936 |
| By: | Jeffrey W. Lockhart; Jamshid Sourati; Feng Shi; James Evans |
| Abstract: | How nations shape the scientific frontier matters for technological competition, but standard metrics, including publication counts, citations, and disruption indices, look backward and fail to distinguish between fundamentally different leadership strategies. We develop and validate two forward-looking model-based measures and apply them to tens of millions of articles since 1990. The first embeds research pathways within an evolving hypergraph of concepts and scientists to identify leadership in emerging areas--work that anticipates where the scientific crowd is heading. The second embeds evolving samples of ideas and disciplines drawn upon in past research to identify leadership in surprising new directions as unexpected combinations become routine and science reorganizes around them. China became the global leader in emerging areas roughly a decade ago, well before it led in volume, reflecting a capacity to detect and amplify nascent consensus at scale. The United States and Europe show the opposite profile: declining emergence shares but persistent leadership in prescient work, especially research bridging disciplinary boundaries. These patterns replicate across databases, attribution methods, and strategic domains, including AI, biotechnology, energy, and semiconductors. Nations lead science by reading the landscape or by reshaping it, and the institutional requirements for each strategy lie in tension. The distribution of these strategies promises to shape the global structure of technological leadership for decades. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.01117 |
| By: | Larsen, Mathias |
| Abstract: | This policy brief describes the key state-led policies China has enacted to steer capital towards a green transition and draws out lessons for other countries, particularly emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). |
| Keywords: | battery technology; central banks; China; EMDEs; green transition; renewables; solar; state owned enterprises; state policies; wind |
| JEL: | N0 F3 G3 |
| Date: | 2026–01–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137523 |
| By: | Saumitra N Bhaduri (Madras School of Economics, Gandhi Mandapam Road, Behind Government Data Centre, Kotturpuram, Chennai, 600025, India.); Ekta Selarka ((Corresponding author), Madras School of Economics, Gandhi Mandapam Road, Behind Government Data Centre, Kotturpuram, Chennai, 600025); Alankrti Aggrwal (Madras School of Economics, Gandhi Mandapam Road, Behind Government Data Centre, Kotturpuram, Chennai, 600025) |
| Abstract: | The paper examines the market reaction to the climate policy announcement (COP26) for the Indian listed firms using a novel measure of firm-specific exposure to climate-change developed by Sautner et al. (2023). The findings suggest that, while the overall market reaction is negative, firms with higher climate change exposure experience a significantly muted negative response. In contrast to the prevailing assumption that investors in emerging markets predominantly price exposure to risk, the findings indicate that firms engaging in proactive climate risk management receive favorable response. |
| Keywords: | Event study, Stock market, Climate change, Climate exposure, COP26 |
| JEL: | G14 G28 Q58 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mad:wpaper:2026-294 |