Presented by John Ward and Alex Smajgl of the Mekong Region Futures Institute (MERFI) discussed what wellbeing actually means in the context of sustainable development projects.

1. Connec&ng sustainable development and wellbeing
Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
john.ward@merfi.org
alex.Smajgl@merfi.org

2. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Three children and a flute (Amartya Sen “ The idea of Justice”)
Arun (young boy who makes a wooden flute)
Chantrea (young girl and the only one of the three that plays
the flute)
Maly (young girl, the poorest of the three who has no toys at all
let alone a flute )

3. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Recent calls to address sustainability and
wellbeing
Stiglitz and Sen (2009)
the development of a ‘statistical system
that complements measures of market
activity by measures centred on people’s
wellbeing and by measures that capture
sustainability’.

4. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Objective wellbeing
the externally approved, normatively endorsed,
non-feeling features of a person’s life.
Subjective wellbeing
feelings of the person whose wellbeing is being
estimated.
• positive and negative affects;
• life satisfaction (the cognitive element);
• eudaimonia

5. The GMS wellbeing commission
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Your task today
ASEAN has iden-fied a need to standardize measures
of wellbeing that also account for sustainability goals.
The GMS Wellbeing Commission has been established
to iden-fy and priori-ze measures of wellbeing.
You have been appointed to one of three working
groups that will advise the ASEAN Secretariat

6. The GMS wellbeing commission
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Each Working Group has been asked to
independently debate and iden-fy the most
important factors of wellbeing.
If there are more than one factor, these will
need to be ranked from most important to
least important.
A facilitator will help you through the process

7. The GMS wellbeing commission
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
WG 1
• Treasury
• Investment
• Energy
• Public works
• Industry
• Mining
• Forestry
• Agriculture
WG 2
• Health
• Environment
• Educa-on
• Arts and
culture
• Defense
• Civil Society
• Jus-ce
WG 3
• Academics
• Private Sector
• NGOs
• Consultants
• Na-onal
experts

8. Wellbeing factors
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
WG 1 WG 2a WG 3a
Access to educa-on,
energy, housing and clean
water
Access to educa-on Basic needs food nutri-on
water and sanita-on
Job safety opportunity
security
Access to basic health
care
Healthy environment
Economic growth Good environment water
and air quality
Services health and
educa-on
Food security Low Child mortality Income access to markets
ability to meet aspira-ons
Environmental protec-on Green infrastructure Freedom and democracy
Quality investment Fair jus-ce Equality
Energy security Voca-onal educa-on Spiritual social and
cultural well-being

9. Wellbeing factors
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
WG 1 WG 2b WG 3b
Clear place to live water
shelter and hygiene
Educa-on
Access to jus-ce & Safety in
protec-on
Health
Governance
Access to food Livelihoods
Educa-on Environmental quality
Health care Economic opportuni-es
Peace Access to markets
Sustainable development Decision making
Social jus-ce

10. Subjec&ve well being in the GMS
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
38 possible factors: Social, Environmental and
Economic dimensions of subjec-ve wellbeing.
Wellbeing was quan-fied as an index of
dissa-sfac-on: IDS
IDS = The importance of the selected factor, the
number of people that selected the factor and the
level of dissa-sfac-on (scored 1-10)

11. Subjec&ve well being in the GMS
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Society –
Family an community
Nature –
Natural environment
Economy an services
A1 Family rela-ons B1 Air quality C1 Work availability an security
A2 Community rela-ons B2 Water quality (water in nature) C2 Income
A3 Personal/family safety B3 Soil quality C3 Housing & ameni-es
A4 Trai-onal culture B4 Access to the natural areas C4 Health services
A5 Personal/family health B5 Bioiversity C5 Recrea-onal facili-es
A6 Civil an poli-cal rights B6 Recrea-onal ac-vi-es in the
nature
C6 Roads and Public transport
A7 Personal/family euca-on levels B7 Fishing and water produce C7 Land ownership
A8 Personal/family job types
sa-sfac-on
B8 Hun-ng an collec-ng prouce on
lan
C8 Training an educa-on services
A9 Personal/family contribu-on to
local community
B9 Beauty of nature (mountains,
rivers, forest….)
C9 Markets (wholesale an local)
A10 Social status
B 10 Condi-on of nature
(mountains, rivers, forest….)
C10 Electricity / upgrading rural power
grids
A11 Buhism/ Religion B 11 Other specify C11 Irriga-on infrastructure
A 12 Government rural policies
C12 Domes-c water supply and clean
drinking water
A 13 Other specify C14 Food availability an security
C14 Other specify

12. Subjec&ve well being in the GMS: wellbeing
factors
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
1) high importance and high dissa-sfac-on have
high IDS scores and a major contribu-on to
overall wellbeing;
2) high importance and low dissa-sfac-on or low
importance and high dissa-sfac-on score modestly;
3) both low importance and low dissa-sfac-on have
low IDS scores and low contribu-on to overall
wellbeing

13. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
0 20 40 60 80 100
Income
Personal/family health
Family rela&ons
Domes&c water supply
Personal/family safety
Food availability and
security
Hu Sai Bart
0 20 40 60 80 100
Income
Personal/family health
Family rela&ons
Water quality
Food availability and
security
Work availability and
security
Tonle Sap

14. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Income
Personal/family health
Water quality
Work availability and
Family rela&ons
Community rela&ons
Mekong Delta
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Income
Family rela&ons
Personal/family health
Housing & ameni&es
Health services
Water quality
Xishuangbanna

15. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Roads and Public transport
Domes&c water supply
Electricity
Work availability and
Family rela&ons
Food availability and
Health services
Nam Ngum
0 20 40 60
Income
Personal/family health
Family rela&ons
Roads and Public
transport
Work availability and
security
Water quality
Domes&c water supply
Regional IDS

16. Income IDS and actual household income
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
Actual household income was compared to IDS
income scores
Correla-on: r< 0.2 for all studies which is consistent
with interna-onal results in developed economies
That is increasing household incomes does
not necessarily result in increasing wellbeing.

17. MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
* Roads/ Public transport
Domes&c water supply
* Electricity
Work security
* Family rela&ons
* Food security
* Health services
* Family job types
* Family health
* Irriga&on infrastructure
* Government rural policies
* Air quality
Housing & ameni&es
* Water quality
* Family educa&on
* Income
Nam Ngum 2012 Nam Xong 2015
IDS Income rank
7th Nam Xong
24th Nam Ngum

18. Wellbeing factors: revised
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
WG 1 WG 2 WG 3

19. Wellbeing factors: revised
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute
WG 1 WG 2 WG 3

20. Thank You
Dr John Ward (MERFI)
john.ward@merfi.org
Dr Alex Smajgl (MERFI)
alex.smajgl@merfi.org
MERFI - Mekong Region Futures Ins&tute