The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 …
Electricity consumption from the manufacture of artificial intelligence (AI) chips has soared by more than 350 percent worldwide between 2023 and 2024, according to new research from Greenpeace East Asia. In East Asia, the global hub for AI semiconductor production, growing electricity demand from AI chipmaking has been met primarily …
Weak consumption in the People’s Republic of China will partly offset robust domestic demand in South Asia. Disinflation is expected to continue, driven by lower food and energy prices, along with the lagged effects of previous monetary policy tightening. The region’s high-income technology exporters remain a bright spot, benefiting from …
In this report, ESCAP explores the future of urbanization in Asia and the Pacific, focusing on the dynamic shifts in the region’s urban landscape. It highlights the region’s demographic transformations, including population ageing, and the persistent challenges of urban poverty and inequality. The analysis covers urban areas of all sizes, …
At least 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024, including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, exacerbating an existing learning crisis, according to a new UNICEF analysis released today. Heatwaves were the predominant climate hazard shuttering schools last year, with …
In 2024, global employment expanded in line with a growing labour force, keeping the global unemployment rate steady at 5 per cent, similar to that of 2023. Slowing productivity growth remains a major bottleneck with respect to expanding the opportunities for decent work. On the back of stable unemployment rates, …
With global population increasingly concentrating in urban areas, cities are driving national economic growth, while also grappling with challenges such as inequalities, affordable housing shortages, extreme weather events, pollution, and loss of green space. National Urban Policies (NUPs) can play a key role in managing these challenges and unlocking the …
Growth in Asia and the Pacific outperformed expectations in late 2023, reaching 5.0 percent for the year. Inflation has continued to decline, albeit at varying speeds: some economies are still seeing sustained price pressures, while others are facing deflationary risks.In 2024, growth is projected to slow modestly to 4.5 percent. …
Developing economies in Asia and the Pacific are forecast to expand by 4.9% on average this year as the region continues its resilient growth amid robust domestic demand, improving semiconductor exports, and recovering tourism. Growth will continue at the same rate next year, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) …
The Survey, published annually since 1947, is a flagship publication produced by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). It provides analyses to guide policy discussion on the current and emerging socio-economic issues and policy challenges to support sustainable development in Asia and the …
Sociocultural Dimensions in Water Resources Management: Policies, Practices, and Challenges critically explores the complex challenges of ensuring sustainable development and effective water governance amid diverse cultural contexts. Through a compilation of insightful case studies and research from across Asia, the book emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and incorporating cultural values, …
The report, based on the results from the 2023 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation underscores the unwavering commitment of countries in the region to cultivate a seamless and efficient trading environment, despite these challenges. The report highlights the increasingly important role of trade facilitation in ensuring …
Typical agriculture sectors like animal production and processing, aquaculture and its processing, and fruit and vegetable processing, can be water-intensive and generate complex and sometimes severe pollution. Controlling pollution hinges on knowing its quantity (wastewater and solid waste volume) and characteristics (major pollutants and their concentration range, nature of wastes, …
This paper provides a comprehensive taxonomy of climate-attributable loss and damage in context of least developed countries and Small Island Developing States in Asia and the Pacific. It highlights the need for tailored strategies encompassing demographic, socioeconomic and political challenges, and suggests a three-pillar approach involving grassroots engagement, collaboration among …
Countries in Asia and the Pacific face a heightened risk of flooding as disasters increase worldwide due to climate change. Yet these countries often lack the infrastructure necessary to prepare for and respond to floods effectively. When flood protection measures exist, they generally rely only on grey, hard-engineered infrastructure, which …
This report presents key findings from a series of IRENA virtual knowledge exchanges on renewables-based clean cooking solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The world continues to fall short in its efforts to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030, with disparities in clean cooking access rates persisting across …
This publication highlights the importance of adequately investing in healthcare infrastructure and preparedness and of applying flexibility, innovation, and collaboration in preparing for future health emergencies. The publication examines health system preparedness in terms of efficiency, surge capacity, and access to medical countermeasures and funding. It underscores the need to …
Northern forests hold around 54% of the world’s total terrestrial carbon stock and contribute more than one-third to our global terrestrial carbon sink. This report reviews the impact of human induced climate change on northern temperate and boreal forests.
