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 …
Road crashes resulted in an estimated 720,000 fatalities in the Asia-Pacific region in 2019, accounting for 56% of global fatalities. n addressing the road safety crisis, voluntary performance targets for road safety risk factors and service delivery mechanisms were adopted by the global community on 21 November 2017. One of …
The Population Data Sheet, published annually by ESCAP, features a range of key indicators on population and development. The focus is on population size, structure and growth rates, as well as fertility, mortality and migration, at country, subregional and regional levels. The Data Sheet is a useful reference tool for …
No one should have to surrender their human right to migrate in order to find a living wage, the UN human rights office, OHCHR said in this new report, highlighting the importance of temporary migratory labour programmes. The report, We wanted workers, but human beings came, published just ahead of …
For many decades, cities in the Asia Pacific region have followed unsustainable patterns of transport development: worsening congestion and traffic safety, deteriorating air quality, high consumption of fossil fuels, and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, many city governments are now developing sustainable transport strategies to target these issues and promote …
Climate change is reshaping the development scope of the Asia-Pacific region, with the risks from tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and storms increasing significantly. Although some countries in the region are among the lowest carbon emitters in the world, they are some of the most impacted by climate-related extreme weather. Countries …
Countries in the world’s largest carbon-emitting region are not investing nearly enough in renewable energy to meet global targets for avoiding dangerous planetary heating, according to this new study by Fair Finance Asia, a network of over 90 Asian allied civil society organisations (CSOs) committed to ensuring financial institutions’ funding …
This document is published annually to provide statistical and analytical perspectives of disaster data. ADRC retrieves data from the Emergency Event Database (EM-DAT) in order to better understand the occurrence, deaths, people affected, and economic losses from disaster events. The overview is divided into three key sections: (1) disaster data …
Renewable energy auctions have become a popular instrument for the deployment of renewables around the world, and Southeast Asia is no exception. Within the region, however, countries have different contexts and starting points, and auction design elements and outcomes have varied greatly. Experience in Southeast Asia shows that the success …
This report assesses social protection measures in Asia, shows how they help tackle crises such COVID-19 and climate change, and outlines the need for more inclusive, shock-responsive policies to cut poverty and spur equitable development. Centered around ADB’s Social Protection Indicator, it assesses data from 26 economies to show how …
The ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Report aims to capture the diversity of urban contexts across ASEAN Member States, in particular the increasing importance of secondary cities and the need to fully harness their potential. It seeks to support a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges of urbanisation and highlight common …
Labour markets are recovering from the COVID-19 crisis in Asia and the Pacific, but now face new challenges like inflation and geopolitical tensions. The report gives the regional labour market context and makes a first-time assessment of regional sectoral estimates to highlight which sectors are growing as sources of jobs, …
Economic losses from drought, floods and landslides have rocketed in Asia. In 2021 alone, weather and water-related hazards caused total damage of US$ 35.6 billion, affecting nearly 50 million people, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The State of the Climate in Asia 2021 report …
The global energy crisis has exposed weaknesses in energy systems across Southeast Asia and underpins a need for more ambitious energy transition pathways and a revised approach to energy security. The four countries have largely focused on short-term measures alleviating social welfare impacts and securing fossil fuel supply in their …
This study explores the growth of solar power in seven key Asian countries, the potential for future growth and the avoided fossil fuel costs due to solar electricity generation between January and June 2022. The report was jointly developed by Ember, CREA and IEEFA. It combines electricity generation analysis, energy …
This ESCAP, UNEP and UNICEF joint assessment report: 2022 Review of Climate Ambition in Asia and the Pacific: Raising NDC targets with enhanced nature-based solutions conveys several recommendations for national policy and engagement and regional policies for the Asia-Pacific region for achieving 1.5°C pathway. The Special Feature on Engagement of …
Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate hazards including extreme temperatures, flooding, droughts, cyclones, and sea level rise. The most vulnerable communities need financial support to help adapt to the climate crisis – they cannot do so alone. Developed countries have promised $100 bn in climate finance to developing countries every …
This paper presents targets pertaining to renewable energy as put forward by the HKH countries, and the potential of the HKH region to contribute to the national climate targets related to renewable energy. Provide an overview of the energy scenario, including the electricity consumption, production, and imports in different countries …
This report explains how rising climate and disaster risk can increase the vulnerability of Asia and the Pacific region’s urban poor and how engendering systemic change can strengthen their resilience. It emphasizes the need to put them at the center of decision-making and for targeted actions to tackle the drivers …
Far-reaching efforts are needed to reduce Asia's emissions and realize a 1.5°C temperature drop required to fight climate change and associated threats to sustainable development. Asia and the Pacific accounts for over 50% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, driven by rapid economic growth and energy consumption in developing …
This working paper outlines how to scale up the private sector's involvement in climate adaptation and harness its financial clout, technical know-how, and ingenuity to help build climate resilient economies in the Asia and Pacific region. It assesses the role businesses currently play and looks at the technical, financial, and …
