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 …
South Asia has experienced significant progress in improving human and physical capital over the past few decades. Within the region, India has become a global economic powerhouse with enormous development potential ahead. To foster human and economic development, India has shown a strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) …
The state of food security and nutrition in the world, including that of the Europe and Central Asia region, was marked in 2020 by the outbreak of COVID-19 and resulting disruptions to markets, trade and food supply chains. The pandemic has had a negative effect on food security in the …
Combining longitudinal conventional macroeconomic data with various climate-related variables, we examine macro-dynamics of income, employment, and distribution within the climate change framework by using the Global Policy Model of the United Nations. By focusing on a group of thirty countries, this paper uses a transition analysis method between 1978 and …
The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that manufacturing remains the backbone of the economies. Yet, it also shows the vulnerability of our production systems to sudden shocks. For the recovery to take hold, it is critical to understand how the pandemic has affected the industrial sector—and the prospects for the future …
This working paper applies the Social Protection Reform Simulation (SPRS20) costing model to analyze the costs associated with social protection in 30 Asia and Pacific countries against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the SPRS20, the authors seek to estimate the cost of delivering standardized social protection packages through …
In recent years, various factors have diverted the world off the path to eradicating hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this trend. Latin America and the Caribbean is no exception. This edition of the Regional Overview of Food Security and …
This paper is part of WRI’s Energy for Development Initiative, which integrates clean energy into strategies for improving development outcomes across the Indian states of Assam, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan. The paper provides an overview of national and state healthcare, education, and multisectoral policies to show how they address integration across …
Shimla tops the list of cities scoring highest on urban Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) index. Coimbatore and Chandigarh were at second and third position in the ranking of urban SDG index launched by NITI Aayog, Nov 23, 2021 In its journey towards localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and instituting …
The Transport and Communication Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific is a peer-reviewed journal that is published once a year by the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Bulletin attempts to widen and deepen the debate on the issues …
This paper explores the conceptual framing and measurement of transboundary impacts in the context of the 2030 Agenda. It starts by defining transboundary impacts and reviewing different measurement approaches used so far. It then proposes a typology of transboundary impacts, classified depending on the type of international flows involved: financial …
South Asia’s pace of progress towards the SDGs to date has been less than adequate. The COVID-19 outbreak, which has escalated into a global humanitarian crisis responsible for erasing developmental achievements attained over many years, places more hurdles along the subregion’s sustainable development pathways. The pandemic has exposed critical development …
The Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) was launched in 2017 as an international partnership to support countries to meet the targets related to water and sanitation under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those of Goal 6. GWSP provides client countries, other development partners, and World Bank staff …
Protected areas (PAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation that provide co-benefits for achievement of the SDGs, in support of a nature-positive future. This report presents the global status of PAs and OECMs and opportunities for action, focusing on coverage and quality elements …
Energy and agri-food systems are deeply connected. Agri-food systems consume about 30% of the world’s energy. While, energy is responsible for a third of agri-food systems’ emissions. A joint approach to the Energy Transition and Food Systems Transformation is therefore essential to meet current and future demand for food and …
The current report was compiled by the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (NENA) and is aimed at providing member countries with a source of reliable and timely data on the status of forest resources in the region and supporting them in their evidence-based decision-making and planning …
In an increasingly interconnected world, one country’s ability to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is affected by positive or negative spillovers from other countries. Yet, little research has considered these spillovers in monitoring SDG progress. Ignoring these effects may result in achieving one country’s SDGs at the …
The Global Urban Competitiveness Report (GUCR) is a cooperative research conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and UN-Habitat focusing on sustainable urban competitiveness, urban land and urban finance. Led the project is participated by experts from CASS, UN-Habitat and well-known scholars in relevant fields. Through theoretical research …
The report provides insights into the relationship between cooling and already-agreed-upon climate and development goals; presents the barriers, critical step-changes, and solutions needed to accelerate innovation and transformation; proposes aspirational targets and actions for each decade with the aim of achieving net-zero GHG emissions from cooling applications by 2050; considers …
This report is the first of its kind. It brings together various data sets to present the current status of hand hygiene, highlight lagging progress, and call governments and supporting agencies to action, offering numerous inspiring examples of change. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hand hygiene received unprecedented attention and became …
The book’s primary intention is to serve as a roadmap for professionals working in developing countries interested in the Nexus Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) approach. The book shows a multi-disciplinary approach, showcasing the importance of the proper use of Nexus WEFE when implementing certain development programs in regions around the globe. It …