Reducing Poverty In Asia

‘The edited collection presents thoughtful and up-to-date analyses that significantly improve our understanding of poverty in Asia, both from a theoretical and empirical standpoint.’
– Ugo Pica Ciamarra, Progress in Development Studies

‘This is a rich collection of papers by distinguished authors. . . this book clearly contributes to the empirical understanding of poverty in Asia, and can spur debate and better understanding in designing poverty reduction strategies in Asia. It will certainly be important reading for policymakers and scholars of development economics and Asian studies.’
– Vivi Alatas, Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies

In this book, a group of distinguished authors addresses three broad questions: what broad strategies and macroeconomic policies best support poverty reduction efforts in Asia; what role should targeted antipoverty interventions play, and how should such interventions be designed; and how is poverty measured, what new approaches are needed, and how does measurement affect our understanding of poverty. Each of these three broad themes is also considered together in chapters examining the poverty situations in a number of countries in Asia and the Pacific.

The book represents a major scholarly contribution of the Asian Development Bank to the literature on poverty in the region it serves. The organization adopted poverty reduction as the principal objective of its lending in 1999. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of development economics and Asian studies, and will be useful reading for policymakers and development practitioners working in national, international or nongovernmental organizations.

A Joint Publication with the Asian Development Bank

Contents: Foreword by Tadao Chino Introduction Part I: The Macroeconomy, Globalization, and Pro-Poor Growth 1. Marginalization in a Globalizing World: Some Plausible Scenarios and Suggestions for Measurement 2. Balanced Development: An Approach to Development Policy and Priorities 3. Poverty Analysis and Measurement within a General Equilibrium Framework 4. Macroeconomic Policies and Poverty Reduction: Stylized Facts and an Overview of Research Part II: Targeting Urban or Industrial Sectors 5. New Technologies, Competitiveness, and Poverty Reduction 6. Use of Information Technology for Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Efforts in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh 7. Small and Medium Enterprise Development in Equitable Growth and Poverty Alleviation Part III: New Developments and Issues in Poverty Measurement 8. Poverty Lines: Eight Countries’ Experiences and the Issue of Specificity and Consistency 9. Poverty Comparison in the Philippines: Is What We Know About the Poor Robust? 10. Assessing the Poverty Impact of Policy- and Sector-Based Lending Part IV: Country Studies 11. Pathways of Poverty Reduction: Rural Development and Transmission Mechanisms in the Philippines 12. Structural Adjustment, Macroeconomic Policies, and Poverty Trends in Pakistan 13. The Poverty Situation and Policy in Sri Lanka 14. Pacific Islands: Is Poverty an Issue? 15. Opening Doors to More Inclusive Societies: The Case of the Pacific Island Countries Index