Ideas for Developing Asia and the Pacific

Call for Papers on Rural Economic Transformation: Pathways to Inclusive and Sustainable Prosperity in Post-COVID-19 Asia

Rural Economic Transformation: Pathways to Inclusive and Sustainable Prosperity in Post-COVID-19 Asia
Asian Development Bank Institute

High growth across Asia and the Pacific over the past few decades has helped communities cope with shocks such as the COVID-19 crisis. The challenge for the region’s policy makers is to manage downside risks and safeguard hard-won reductions in poverty. Moving forward, new ways to advance prosperity may be needed, particularly in rural areas where opportunity gaps remain wide.

Approaches could include removing structural obstacles to inclusive rural development and enabling greater sustainable growth, for example, through food system strategies that draw on local comparative advantage, sectoral interdependencies, and livelihood diversification that enhances the wellbeing of rural households

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is seeking original, unpublished papers on rural economic transformation and its role in increasing inclusive and sustainable prosperity in post-COVID-19 Asia. Selected papers will be featured during a related conference to be held on 15-17 November 2021, either in Tokyo or virtually, and considered for publication in a special issue of the journal Economic Analysis and Policy.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • State versus market failure and accounting for uncertainties
  • Nature-based solutions that interact with rural-urban interface
  • Rural rent creation – rural income prospects in climate adaptation
  • Narrowing urban-rural bias – equality in access and opportunity
  • Rural non-farm employment – broadening income diversity
  • Attracting the service sector to rural areas – scope for livelihood diversity
  • Gender and youth – transforming attitudes and boosting aspirations
  • Information and communications technology pull – erasing borders through digital tools for communication and finance
  • Social Infrastructure – health and education; building skills and improving the quality of labor
  • Agency and leadership issues – engaging the disengaged

Submission Procedure

Authors should submit full papers of 8,000-10,000 words in English using this link by 2 October 2021. All manuscripts must comply with the submission guidelines for Economic Analysis and Policy.

Authors of selected papers will be notified by 2 November 2021.

All papers will undergo peer review and be assessed by:

  • Thilak Mallawaarachchi, School of Economics, University of Queensland
  • Dil Rahut, Asian Development Bank Institute
  • Clevo Wilson, Editor-in-Chief, Economic Analysis and Policy

Arrangements for Selected Papers

Authors of selected papers will be invited to present at the 15-17 November 2021 conference. Should conditions allow the conference to take place in Tokyo, ADBI will provide travel support to one author per paper. The author must be a citizen of an Asian Development Bank member economy.

The conference will be held virtually in the event of COVID-19 travel disruptions.

Contact

Inquiries may be directed to Dil Rahut.

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