Throughout Asia, there is a commitment by governments to sustainable development, yet economic development continues to degrade the natural resources of the region and pollute the environment in both urban and rural areas. Current thinking about sustainable development suggests that planners and development specialists should attempt to integrate social, economic and environmental dimensions at all planning levels. This paper examines work undertaken by the Asian Development Bank over the last 15 years in the area of subnational integrated economic-cum-environmental (E-c-E) planning. It evaluates five subnational E-c-E plans against a model developed by the Organization of American States (OAS). The study found that the Asian case studies (and six earlier Latin American case studies) often have common failings. Improvement of the E-c-E planning approach, building on the common success factors and improving on the common weaknesses, is proposed. An improved E-c-E planning approach at all levels may be pivotal in contributing to sustainable development.
Social Justice as Epidemic Control: Two Latin American Case Studies
