Infrastructure For A Seamless Asia

This study examines major challenges and issues associated with developing regional infrastructure through the fostering of regional cooperation in Asia, and provides a framework for pan-Asian infrastructure cooperation. The study's long-term vision is the creation of a seamless Asia (an integrated region connected by world-class, environmentally friendly infrastructure) in terms of both "hard" (physical) and "soft" (facilitating) infrastructure. The soft part supports the development and operation of the hard component. Findings indicate that the benefits of upgrading and extending Asia's infrastructure networks are substantial, and that all countries in the region would benefit. A logistics network is only as good as its weakest link; each country in a regional supply chain gains from infrastructure improvements made in others. Improving connectivity in the region would bring Asia large welfare gains through increased market access, reduced trade costs, and more efficient energy production and use. According to the study, to achieve this Asia needs to invest approximately $8 trillion in overall national infrastructure between 2010 and 2020. In addition, Asia needs to spend approximately $290 billion on specific regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy that are already in the pipeline

Infrastructure is essential for development. This report presents a snapshot of the current condition of developing Asia's infrastructure---defined here as transport, power, telecommunications, and water supply and sanitation. It examines how much the region has been investing in infrastructure and what will likely be needed through 2030. Finally, it analyzes the financial and institutional challenges that will shape future infrastructure investment and development.

This book addresses the prospects and challenges concerning both soft and hard infrastructure development in Asia and provides a framework for achieving Asian connectivity through regional infrastructure cooperation towards a seamless Asia. Key topics included are: ' demand estimates of national and regional infrastructure in transport, electricity, information and communication technology, and water and sanitation; ' empirical results on the costs and benefits of regional infrastructure for economies and households; ' the impact of infrastructure development on the environment and climate; ' sources and instruments of infrastructure financing; ' best practices and lessons learned from the experiences of the Asian region and other regions; and ' experiences of public_private partnership projects. This insightful book will serve as a definitive knowledge product for policymakers, academics, private sector experts and infrastructure practitioners interested in the regional and national infrastructure demand, investment and benefits in the region. Concerned officials from private and public sectors, and other experts involved in environmental and natural resources studies will also find this compendium invaluable.

Developing Asia's demand for high-quality, integrated infrastructure requires a steady but equitable supply of land. However, obtaining rights over land can be complicated by hurdles imposed by geography, settlement patterns, conflicting cultures, sociopolitical factors, and land use problems unique to each country. This timely volume identifies policies that can balance the rights and interests of first peoples, informal settlers, and rural landowners against the development imperatives of land procurement for the greater public good. It provides instructive case studies of the state of Asian land registration, eminent domain, and redevelopment in situations of vulnerable communities. The collected chapters also propose and assess some promising models that might be customized to local conditions, such as long-term land leasing with options to buy. This is a companion volume to ADBI Press' pioneering series of titles (all available through Brookings Press)—Infrastructure for a Seamless Asia; Financing Infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific: Capturing Impacts and New Sources; and Principles of Infrastructure: Case Studies and Best Practices. This volume will be of interest to policymakers, practitioners, academics, and students.

This book analyses how closer regional connectivity and economic integration between South Asia and Southeast Asia can benefit both regions. With a focus on the role played by infrastructure and public policies in facilitating this process, it provides a detailed and up-to-date discussion of issues, innovations, and progress. Country studies of national connectivity issues and policies cover Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, examining major developments in trade and investment, economic cooperation, the role of economic corridors, and regional cooperation initiatives. Thematic chapters explore investment in land and sea transport infrastructure, trade facilitation, infrastructure investment financing, supporting national and regional policies, and model-based estimates of the benefits of integration. They also identify significant opportunities for strengthening these integration efforts as a result of the recent opening up of Myanmar in political, economic, and financial terms. For the first time for these regions, the book employs a state-of-the-art computable general equilibrium (CGE) model incorporating heterogeneous firms to estimate the advantages of integration.Providing perspective on the latest thinking on integration policy, Connecting Asia is an essential resource for academics, policymakers, and business people alike.

This book explores the establishment process, mechanism design, and role orientation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) under the new background of global economic governance. After the international financial crisis in 2008, the process of economic globalization and the comparison of international forces have presented a new situation, and the global economic governance system since has entered a period of deep adjustment and transformation. At the same time, the problems and drawbacks of the original multilateral development financial system have become increasingly prominent. This not only provides a historical opportunity for the establishment of the AIIB, but also gives it a new important role in the global multilateral development financial system. The innovation of the AIIB’s governance model, such as organizational structure, equity, and voting rights allocation, makes it more efficient in operation. And in practice, it is playing an increasingly important role in promoting policy connectivity, infrastructure connectivity, trade connectivity, financial connectivity and people-to-people connectivity of Asian region.

Case studies, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, East Asia.

This insightful book examines the impact of two competing visions of Asian-Pacific economic growth paths and development governance. It discusses law, development and finance in the context of the Indo-Pacific Strategy versus the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), whilst also comparing parallel development financing systems.