South Asian Public Administration – serie

This edited volume bridges the gap between theoretical underpinnings of South Asian public administration and practices on the ground to understand the future path of public administration in the region.

This edited volume bridges the gap between theoretical underpinnings of South Asian public administration and practices on the ground to understand the future path of public administration in the region.

This edited volume analyzes South Asian public administration and its role in development through the lens of SDG 16. Chapters explore how SDG 16 has influenced the development of effective and accountable public institutions and the initiatives taken within this region to promote an inclusive society, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Each case presented offers best practices, the challenges faced, and the opportunities SDG 16 provides for regional and national development, as well as valuable insights into the transfer of knowledge and learning within the South Asian region and for broader “South-South” and “South-North” exchange.The book is intended for policymakers, businesses, civil society organizations as well as academics across research fields spanning management, social innovation, and corporate sustainability, who are pursuing research on public administration, governance and the SDG Agenda.

This edited volume examines the impact of decentralized governance in South Asia, focusing on historical and contemporary efforts in rural and urban areas. Written with the ultimate goal of developing an understanding of how local governance contributes to democracy, development, and citizen empowerment, the book highlights the importance of democratic decentralization, political will, and administrative support. Including contributions by a collection of international academic experts and practitioners, the book covers themes like conceptual issues, historical perspectives, fiscal decentralization, grassroots democracy, engendering local governance and the influence of information technology. Addressing challenges, sharing experiences, and suggesting practical ways to improve decentralized governance, the volume will be of interest to researchers and students of public administration, governance, South Asian politics, and development, as well as professionals working in related areas.

South Asia is the most densely populated region in Asia, while Asia is the most populous region globally. These regions are at the forefront of the climate disaster. Rising sea levels, changing coastlines, increasing frequency of extreme weather events, and increased temperatures are among the most catastrophic events generated by climate change. All these factors threaten the regional and global community and present challenges to the policy framework. Specifically, vulnerable and marginalized populations are significantly impacted by these disasters. As these regions confront the complex effects of climate change, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and sustainable approach is essential. This book offers an extensive examination of disasters, climate change, and sustainability issues with special reference to South Asia.This edited volume offers new insightful knowledge to support policymakers and researchers to create a resilient future in South Asia, in the face of disasters, climate change, and sustainable development challenges. The book begins by delineating theoretical approaches for reducing climate change-induced disasters from a South Asian perspective. The subsequent chapters analyze many phenomena, including heat waves, riverbank erosion, climate-induced migration, policy challenges related to climate change, and the relationship between them. Providing a survey of the contemporary challenges and strategies for disaster response and climate change mitigation in the South Asian context, this volume offers a comprehensive resource for a diverse audience of academics, development practitioners, legislators and policymakers interested in disaster management, climate change, and sustainability studies in South Asia and beyond.

This edited volume explores the complex interplay between institutions, equity and social justice in South Asia. The book addresses critical questions concerning institutional development, governance practices, reforms, and the promotion of equitable and just societies in the South Asian region, while also examining the region’s progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chapters focus on topics such as the role of local governments and grassroots organization in fostering equity and social change, new methodological approaches to studying diversity and equity in governance, and barriers to inclusion in policymaking and implementation.Bringing together diverse perspectives and research, this volume aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how institutional dynamics shape equity and justice in South Asia, and how these can be leveraged to achieve the SDGs, ensuring sustainable development and social cohesion. As such, the volume will be of interest to scholars and students of public administration, governance, South Asian politics, comparative policy, gender, and the SDGs.

Elite Capture in Asia, drawing on experiences of eight Asian countries, explores the functioning of power in practice to demonstrate how public policy across South and Southeast Asia is influenced, directed, and often subverted by elites whose interests diverge from the broader public good. The book also makes efforts to venture beyond the state of elite capture to explore instances of resistance, reform, and potential for addressing the problem. Researchers in political economy, public policy, and development, policymakers and practitioners, students and engaged citizens can benefit from the empirical studies used in the book. This volume does not offer a single model or universal solution. Instead, it advances a shared analytical lens for understanding the extent of the challenge of policy capture and its consequences. The book aims to contribute to ongoing debates about governance in South and Southeast Asia.