## Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Energy Saving Project (India)

Environmental improvements in India are important in order to realize sustainable economic development in the country, as well as from the perspective of global-scale climate change countermeasures. In consideration of these circumstances, Japan provides the necessary mid- to long-term funding for energy conservation undertakings via ¥30 billion in ODA loans extended to micro, small, and medium enterprises in India. By utilizing a network of institutions including the issuer of the loan—the Small Industries Development Bank of India—as well as other intermediate financial institutions, Japan provides wide-spanning energy-saving assistance throughout all of India while also aiding the enhancement of financial screening skills of these financial institutions.

## Solid Waste Management Project in Dhaka City (technical cooperation project) and the Programme for Improvement of Solid Waste Management in Dhaka City toward the Low Carbon Society (grant aid) (Bangladesh)

Dhaka City, the capital of Bangladesh with a population of over 12 million people, has a low collection rate for household and other garbage and a large amount of garbage is left uncollected around the city. In addition, the amounts of garbage put out for collection continues to increase, creating serious sanitation and environmental problems. Through technical cooperation, Japan assists in the spread of garbage collection activities via resident participation, the creation of disposal sites that elicit little environmental burden, and the structural enhancement of Dhaka City Hall, which overseas waste countermeasures. As a result, voluntary collection activities by residents are advancing and the environment of disposal sites has been dramatically improved. In addition, grant aid was used to donate nearly 100 waste collection vehicles. Through the provision of collection vehicles that emit low amounts of $ CO_{2} $ , Japan has been able to simultaneously address greenhouse gas reduction measures as well.

### 3. Central Asia and the Caucasus

## Bilateral ODA for Central Asia and the Caucasus in 2008

Approximately US$163.78 million (approximately US$297.2 million)

Approximately 2.4% of total bilateral aid (approximately 1.4%)

Central Asia and the Caucasus regions are a geopolitically strategic area due to their proximity to Russia, China, South Asia and the Middle East. The regions are also strategically important to Japan as they have a large abundance of natural resources including oil, natural gas, uranium, and rare metals. Japan provides nation-building support to each

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In order to facilitate the transition from a planned economy to a market economy and realize economic development, Japan has provided a diverse range of assistance activities, including for social sector reconstruction such as for improvement of legal institutions and health and medical care, developing infrastructure for shifting to a market-based economy and economic development, and the development of human resources for institution-building. For example, Japan Center for Human Development (“Japan Center”) has been established in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyz Republic as bases for human resource development assistance. At these centers, business courses and other activities are provided based on Japan’s experiences, through which they contribute to cultivation of human resources that can be ready for the introduction of the market economy in the country in order to establish long-term stability and sustainable development in the regions, and in consideration of a broader regional perspective including regions that border Central Asian nations such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, hoping to help radiate basic values such as human rights, democracy, market economies, and rule of law.

region. Also, dialogue and collaboration have been undertaken at various levels under the framework of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue—established with the aim of promoting cooperation within the region in 2004.

There are many oil fields boasting world-class reserves on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, in which Japanese enterprises partially own their interests. The oil being exported from these fields runs through pipelines passing through Central Asia and the Caucasus. Therefore, stability and economic development in this region are important for stabilizing the international energy market as well as for securing access to energy resources. Japan provides assistance to this region such as improving public services, cultivating human resources, and developing infrastructure, including power plants.