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 present edition of the Review of Maritime Transport takes the view that the long-term growth prospects for seaborne trade and maritime businesses are positive. There are ample opportunities for developing countries to generate income and employment and help promote foreign trade.
The working paper explores the development potential of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and identifies options and mechanisms to expedite sustainable socioeconomic development. This paper is the first of its kind to provide an SDG-focused assessment of the CHT.
Egypt faces two nutritional challenges. The first is the “growth-nutrition disconnect.” High economic growth has not been accompanied by reduction in chronic child malnutrition, at least throughout the 2000s. Instead, the prevalence of child stunting increased during this decade—an atypical trend for a country outside wartime. The second challenge is …
This paper examine the role of governance and vulnerability to climate change in green growth using a global panel data set. It find that governance has a positive effect on environmental performance and vulnerability to climate change has a negative effect. Promoting good governance and reducing climate change vulnerability can …
China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to expand the ancient land routes that connect China to the Mediterranean Sea and corresponding ocean-based routes, is expanding global cooperation with profound socioeconomic and ecological implications. As China and associated countries are developing specific policies to implement the initiative, it is …
This report explores for the first time the scale of the challenge for 20 cities across the world to reach selected targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More than half of the targets included will require a profound acceleration of efforts if they are to be achieved …
The collection, analysis and distribution of reliable weather, water and climate information— collectively referred to as climate and weather services—has the potential to greatly benefit efforts by African nations to reduce poverty, build resilience and adapt to a changing climate. For over 30 years, the international development community has made …
The collection, analysis and distribution of reliable weather, water and climate information— collectively referred to as climate and weather services—has the potential to greatly benefit efforts by African nations to reduce poverty, build resilience and adapt to a changing climate. For over 30 years, the international development community has made …
Cities in the developing world are rapidly expanding, boosting countries’ economies, reducing poverty, and fueling global prosperity. But as more people, assets, and economic activity become concentrated in cities, and infrastructure struggles to keep up with rapid growth, the risk posed by natural disasters and climate change is rising. The …
Urbanisation offers substantial opportunities to reduce poverty, in part because it is more cost-effective to meet many basic needs in cities than in rural areas. This paper demonstrates that providing electricity to the 200 million urban residents who currently lack access would require only US$1.37 billion per year to 2045. …
Focusing the 2015 Annual Trends and Outlook Report (ATOR) on nutrition will contribute to a broader understanding of the critical role of nutrition in achieving international, continental, and national economic growth targets through agriculture, food security, and nutrition. This report presents information and analysis in support of evidence-based policy making …
On World Food Day, a new report from Friends of the Earth International finds that current strategies to raise investment in agriculture are most likely blocking rather than aiding the achievement of food security and food sovereignty. One key reason is that trade and investment agreements focus on attracting agribusiness …
India’s rapid economic growth is helping drive down the number of poor people living in Asia, a new report says. The number of people living below the poverty line, on $1.90 a day or less, in South Asia decreased by 37 million in 2013 from a year earlier according to …
The publication gives a brief outline of the integrated approach and the inter-linkages of the different religions; of religion, culture and the environment; and of the environment and socioeconomic dimensions of sustainable development. It uses the five specific areas critical to success - people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership - …
Urbanization has both benefits and costs. In a market economy, the trade-off between benefits and costs determines the level, speed, and place of urbanization. This paper summarizes research findings on how urbanization enhances productivity and economic growth in both rural and urban sectors, taking the case of India.
The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017 assesses the competitiveness landscape of 138 economies, providing insight into the drivers of their productivity and prosperity. This year’s edition highlights that declining openness is threatening growth and prosperity. It also highlights that monetary stimulus measures such as quantitative easing are not enough to sustain …
The advent of the Sustainable Development Goal era, in the context of new threats and instabilities to peoples worldwide, offers an ambitious agenda for revitalizing political commitments to human well-being—for future generations as well as our own. The High-level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth provides a special opportunity …
The new Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report by UNESCO, shows the potential for education to propel progress towards all global goals outlined in the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). It also shows that education needs a major transformation to fulfill that potential and meet the current challenges facing …
A decade of intense domestic attention to farmers and food production has generated “the most successful development effort” in African history, with countries that made the biggest investments rewarded with sizeable jumps in both farm productivity and overall economic performance, according to a new report released by the Alliance for …
Steady growth endures in developing Asia despite external slack. Half-year results prompt this Update to affirm overall growth projections published in March in Asian Development Outlook 2016. External weakness is offset by resilient domestic demand in large regional economies led by the People’s Republic of China, where policy regulates growth …
