The Maldives, a chain of 26 coral atolls to India’s southwest, is one of the smallest countries in Asia and the Pacific by population and land area. Its estimated 341,200 people are widely dispersed over 188 inhabited islands across an archipelago more than 800 kilometers long and 130 kilometers wide. The capital city, Malé, is home to one-third of the people, yet has a total land area of le…
This publication is based on an Asian Development Bank Technical Assistance (TA) implemented by the National Development Planning Agency in Indonesia. The TA was financed by The Netherlands Trust Fund under the Water Financing Partnership Facility for the project “TA 8432-INO: Improving Water Sector Planning, Management, and Development.” The report aims to disseminate the TA outputs of t…
Digital transformation – the effects on economies and societies of digitisation and the use of interconnected digital technologies and data – is offering new opportunities across the world, and holds promises for enhanced productivity growth and improved well-being of all citizens. However, a significant gender gap in the access, use and ownership of digital technologies is still present in…
The success story of economic growth in Southeast Asia over the past few decades is well known. It resulted from an outward-looking strategy of export-oriented growth, coupled with openness to foreign direct investment by more developed economies both within Asia and outside, generally market-friendly policies, and extensive investment in infrastructure. It led to deep economic integration of S…
Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf. The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark. On the bottom of the huge and glassy lag…
'No more lunches after today,' said Malemute Kid. 'And we've got to keep a close eye on the dogs--they're getting vicious. They'd just as soon pull a fellow down as not, if they get a chance.' 'And I was president of an Epworth once, and taught in the Sunday school.' Having irrelevantly delivered himself of this, Mason fell into a dreamy contemplation of his steaming moccasins, but was ar…
Not until Mister Haggin abruptly picked him up under one arm and stepped into the sternsheets of the waiting whaleboat, did Jerry dream that anything untoward was to happen to him. Mister Haggin was Jerry's beloved master, and had been his beloved master for the six months of Jerry's life. Jerry did not know Mister Haggin as "master," for "master" had no place in Jerry's vocabulary, Jerry …
"Him fella my brother belong me," was the answer. "Him fella die too much." "You sing out, him fella brother belong you die too much," the white man went on in threatening tones. "I cross too much along you. What name you sing out, eh? You fat-head make um brother belong you die dose up too much. You fella finish sing out, savvee? You fella no finish sing out I make finish damn quick." He…
Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tidewater dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the…