Activities and Initiatives by Region South Asia Contributing to “Quality Economic Growth” and “Foundation-Building for a Free and Democratic Society”

JICA Programs in South Asia (Fiscal 2018) region linking ASEAN and the Middle East and Africa, is vital for overall global stability and development. South Asia Focusing on human security, JICA is extending cooperation Total: 483,589 that meets the needs of individual countries and strengthens Af hnstn (Unit: millions of yen) national and regional connectivity. Under the Partnership

Nepl for Quality Infrastructure, the vision of a Free and Open Pstn Bhutn Indo-Pacific, and intergovernmental joint statements on strengthening partnerships, JICA is working with various countries and international organizations to promote quality economic growth and foundation-building for a free and Ind democratic society. Bn ldesh In fiscal 2018, JICA gave priority to (1) developing economic foundations and improving connectivity, (2) ensuring peace and stability and improving basic public service delivery, and (3) improving access to basic human needs. JICA activities in these priority areas during fiscal 2018 are described below.

1. Developing Economic Foundations and Improving Connectivity Sr Ln In India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, under intergovernmental Mldves joint statements, JICA formulated and extended cooperation Total value of that contributes to developing economic infrastructure JICA programs Composition The figures show the total value of JICA (Unit: millions of yen) ratio programs in each country including Technical focused on transport (roads and ports) and power, and India 278,293 57.5% Cooperation (Training Participants, Experts, Bangladesh 153,612 31.8% Study Teams, Provision of Equipment, JOCV improving connectivity. There is great demand for developing Sri Lanka 20,091 4.2% and Other volunteers, and Other costs), Finance and Investment Cooperation (disbursements), infrastructure in both hard and soft aspects and for improving Nepal 12,794 2.6% and Grants (newly concluded G/As) in fiscal Pakistan 10,950 2.3% 2018. the investment climate in South Asia, with its large population Afghanistan 5,991 1.2% Note: and high pace of urbanization. JICA puts importance on projects Bhutan 1,776 0.4% • Figures exclude JICA’s cooperation for multiple countries and/or multiple regions that strengthen industrial competitiveness and promotes the Maldives 81 0.0% and international organizations. private-sector investment that is essential for lasting growth.

Regional Issues 2. Ensuring Peace and Stability and Improving Basic Public Service Delivery South Asia embraces a variety of religions, ethnicities, To promote the democratization process in Nepal, JICA cultures, and languages, and more than half of the region’s provided support for building the foundation for nationwide population of 1.8 billion are said to be under age 25. While the implementation of community mediation, and helped to region shows great growth potential and economic growth is improve dispute-resolution capacity at the community level. rising steadily, the number of people living in absolute poverty JICA implemented projects in Bangladesh covering health, (about 250 million) accounts for one-third of the world’s total.* sanitation, and water supply for the camp for displaced people Joint efforts are needed to reduce national and regional from Myanmar and neighboring communities in order to cope disparity, and build inclusive and sustainable communities: with the protracted stay of the displaced people. the purposes of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). JICA also provided cooperation for enhancing counter- Despite steady economic growth, there has been insufficient terrorism and security capabilities, including strengthening development of social capital in both hard and soft aspects and airport security in Pakistan, and improving police capabilities human capital. This is a bottleneck for future growth. As the in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. region is also beset with an unstable security situation and is vulnerable to natural disasters, the proper management of the 3. Improving Access to Basic Human Needs downside risk is essential. JICA formulated projects aimed at eradicating polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and at assisting measures to counter JICA Initiatives non-infectious diseases in Sri Lanka, as a means of strengthening

* Calculated from data contained in World Bank “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: The stability and development of South Asia, a strategic Piecing Together Poverty Puzzle”

28 JICA Annual Report 2019 Activities and Activities and Activities and Cooperation with Partners Initiatives Initiatives by Region Initiatives by Issue 29 - Bangladesh: Health and sanitation nurses at the camp for displaced people from Myanmar with sanitation supplies (Project for Capacity Building of Nursing Services) JICA Annual Report 2019 JICA Annual Report In an effort to increase the response rate Government statistics such as the and improve data collection efficiency, the Economic Census 2018 was the firstNational statistical survey by the Nepal government to utilize IT survey methods, including ac cepting responses over the internet and the the and internet the over responses cepting use of tablet devices by census collectors. From the experience gained in this economic census, the government will utilize IT in the population census scheduled for 2021 to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of its implementation. National Economic Census 2018 in Nepal are expected be used for policy formulation and Nepal’s of stability the planning to ensure economic structure. - - - Considering that South Asia is home to many poor people andConsidering that South Asia is home to many young people. In ODA Loan projects for Indian agriculture, JICA young people. In ODA Loan projects for Indian technologiesof outstanding use and introduction the promoted that havedeveloped by Japanese small and medium enterprises under JICA’s SDGsbeen proven effective and applicable to India partnerships. Business Supporting Survey for public-private government vulnerable to natural disasters, and also Japanese Open Indo-Pacific, policies including the vision for a Free and that focuses on JICA will continue to promote cooperation enhancingstrengthening intra- and inter-regional connectivity; investmentthe improving including competitiveness, industrial security; improvingenvironment; ensuring peace, stability, and global issues. JICAaccess to basic human needs; and addressing will who personnel key training for assistance provide also will for receiving foreign play a leadership role through programs students and training participants. Although there have been censuses cov With cooperation from the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, JICA is extending comprehensive technical cooperation from census planning to implementation, tabu lation, publication, and analysis of results based on Japanese know-how. ering population and agriculture in Nepal, the government has never conducted an economic census (national census on busi ness establishments and companies). The economic census provides vital information for policy formulation as the data gained on budgets and implementation systems can lead to an understanding of the national economic structure and scale. JICA is strengthening and expanding collaboration with localJICA is strengthening and expanding collaboration In the area of disaster risk reduction, JICA began technical In the area of disaster risk reduction, JICA Census collector (right) asking a Kathmandu bakery owner questions for the census Japanese know-how used in Nepal’s first economic census Nepal: Project on Capacity Development for the Implementation of Economic Census 2018 Census Economic of the Implementation for Development on Capacity Project Nepal: Partnerships with Local Governments and the Private Partnerships with Local Governments Sector when extending governments and private-sector companies implementing a cooperation. For example, JICA is currently in Bangladesh withhuman resources development project in ICT developing and Japan both facing issues addressing of aim the and private- countries: local governments, universities, sector companies in Japanese regions with a declining labor for jobs of shortage a with countries developing and population, institutional capacities to prevent infectious and non-infectiousand infectious prevent to capacities institutional In the field of agriculture and rural diseases in the region. recognize to India in amended were laws state development, female farmers in the decision-making the participation of Associations at the encouragement of process in Water User stage in the irrigation and farming JICA from the very early examples other to led has This implemented. currently projects mainstreaming. JICA also formulated an of promoting gender covering the fieldsODA Loan program in India comprehensively SDGs. the to achieve agriculture and health, education, of basic nation cooperation that contributes to disaster-resilient housing and schools building, through extensive rebuilding of such as hospitals, and reconstruction of public infrastructure Nepal as assistancebased on the concept of Build Back Better in Risk Reduction. JICA under the Sendai Framework for Disaster cooperationalso started to formulate ODA Loans and technical to counter for landslide disasters and technical cooperation urban flooding in Sri Lanka.