Palau

Two of the characteristics of the Palauan economy are the large scale of its public sector and the high dependency on imports. The current core of the private sector is the construction industry, which is dependent on foreign aid, and tourism. With no choice but to rely extensively on imports for energy resources, food and consumer goods, the small island nation of Palau is vulnerable to changes in external economic conditions. JICA is focused on environmental conservation, particularly of coral ecosystems, improving basic education primarily in the areas of mathematics and science, and building economic infrastructures such as for electric power.