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SDG 14 : Life below water : conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development (2025 update)
No full textAccording to the Sustainable Development Report 2024 (Sachs, Lafortune, and Fuller, 2024), global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been stagnant since 2020, and SDG 14 (Life Below Water) is off track. Achieving this goal hinges on the restoration, successful conservation and sustainability of marine and coastal ecosystems and the maintenance of the economic, food security and livelihood benefits of marine resources. Oceans, seas and coastal systems provide invaluable support to the planet for food security, transport, energy, tourism and many of the most critical ecosystem services, including climate regulation services. However, climate change, overfishing, habitat change, invasive species introduction, pollution – including from land-based activities – resulting from poor management practices and market failures threaten ocean health with serious harmful and irreversible consequences. Only 33 per cent of rivers in Southeast Asia are classified as having good water quality levels per nationally defined parameters, while only 10 per cent of rivers in Oceania meet these standards. The lack of robust data continues to hinder the assessment of progress for life below water, reflecting a need for improved statistical systems. It is vital to intensify efforts to mitigate marine pollution and enhance marine conservation while strengthening the long-term sustainability of marine resources. Additional support could be provided for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), custodians of vast Exclusive Economic Zones, and whose sustainable marine practices are critical to supporting local economies, communities, cultural identities and ocean biodiversity. SDG14 is the least funded of all the SDGs (World Economic Forum, 2022) and a lack of progress in most developing States may be due to a lack of investment, limited research capacity, patchy reporting and limited data
Reimagining Disability : is inclusion a macroforce that will shape Asia and the Pacific for the next 20 years?
No full textThe next two decades will be defined by several megatrends: climate and energy, health, geopolitics, digital transformation, AI and automation, and governance. These trends are reshaping critical areas such as sustainable energy, healthcare innovation, global power dynamics, technological disruption, and governance structures. This paper by the Griffith Asia Institute and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) explores how these megatrends can profoundly transform the Asia-Pacific region, particularly through the lens of disability inclusion. To ensure these changes benefit everyone—especially marginalised communities such as people with disabilities—policymakers must adopt an inclusive approach to navigating these trends. This paper highlights recommendations for how to do this
Leave no one behind : Kyrgyzstan country brief
No full textLeaving No One Behind (LNOB) tool helps discover how different circumstances interact to create unequal access to basic opportunities in Asia and the Pacific. The LNOB country brief for Kyrgyzstan provides insights into which groups are further ahead and further behind in various SDG indicators and where the biggest gaps are found in terms of access to opportunities or prevalence of barriers between the furthest behind and the furthest ahead groups in Kyrgyzstan
Pan-Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Pollution information : assessment of air quality remote sensing in Lao PDR
No full textThe Lao People’s Democratic Republic is primarily an agrarian economy (FAO, 2020a) which has become more industrialized in recent years. However, development in the industrial sector has been heavily reliant on fossil fuels and has not been supported by advanced production technologies and sustainable practices. This has created several environmental challenges in the country. Urban centres have seen an increase in the number of vehicles, along with increased usage of charcoal and wood for household cooking (FAO report, 2023). A rise in migration from rural to urban areas has also affected the environment and air quality in the country.List of Abbreviations.....................................................................................................4 List of Figures................................................................................................................6 I: Air Pollution in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Background and Mitigation Strategies.....................................................................................................................7 II: Existing Use of Remote Sensing for Long-range Transport........................................15 III: Status of Pandora and GEMS..................................................................................18 Recommendations......................................................................................................23 References..................................................................................................................2
Addressing climate change through integrated approaches in Asia and the Pacific
No full textIntegrated approaches to mitigation and adaptation are becoming important drivers for effective climate action as climate change, and the swiftly evolving social, economic and ecological realities increasingly require innovative strategies considering thoroughly the complex interactions between ecosystems and climate change. Several examples of policies, programs and initiatives presented in the sections of this working paper on Addressing climate change through integrated approaches in Asia and the Pacific: Linking adaptation and mitigation actions demonstrate how well-embedded and integrated approaches become a co-benefit for complex climate action projects and how these create important opportunities that need to be seized in timely manner for further applications tailored to specific national circumstances.
The working paper provides a detailed overview of the results of a scoping study on the development and implementation of integrated mitigation and adaptation approaches, which included a survey and follow up discussions/interviews with renown regional and global experts, who provided their insights and findings based on their previous work on integrated policy development and pilot projects. The scoping study, which also contributed to a dedicated chapter in the 2024 review of climate ambition in Asia and the Pacific, provides an important overview of why it is important to promulgate and advance integrated approaches action, which support setting up ambitious sustainable development goals, reduce tradeoffs, amplify synergies and achieve tangible targets in climate action. The scoping study also demonstrated that integrating adaptation and mitigation can accelerate climate action in a fair and socially beneficial way that has multiple co-benefits and mitigate potential trade-offs. The scoping study also recommends that actions need to go beyond adaptation and mitigation framings and to broaden the policy integration beyond climate, including nature-based solutions and climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable land use planning, renewable energy solutions, urban infrastructure planning and development, and community-based and –led approaches.</p
Readiness to implement the action plan to strengthen regional cooperation on social protection : Thailand
No full textThe scope of social protection in this report refers to the extension of measures to provide basic
income security for all. This report also addresses the role of social protection in dealing with the impact of climate change in Thailand, which has potentially severe economic and social impacts. Recognizing the need to build resilience against these impacts, the report explores the potential linkages to harness social protection
measures to support climate change policies as well as mitigate against any negative impacts.
This report on Thailand’s Readiness to Implement the Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation
on Social Protection aims to:
- Share initiatives and ambitions of Government of Thailand to achieve more inclusive and
comprehensive social protection systems for all.
- Identify potential entry points to examine and strengthen links between climate change and
social protection.
- Highlight key progress and challenges faced by the Government of Thailand in implementing
the Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Social Protection.
- Examine the potential impact of broadening coverage on poverty and other areas.
- Propose recommendations to strengthen the social protection system including its links to
climate resilience and implement the Action Plan.Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... 4 List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... 5 Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... 7 List of Figures and Tables ............................................................................................................. 9 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: Overview of Social Protection in Thailand .................................................................. 12 1.1. Social Protection Coverage ............................................................................................... 15 1.2. Investments in Social Protection ...................................................................................... 16 1.3. Payments to Contributory Social Protection Benefits ........................................................ 17 Chapter 2. Social Protection System in Thailand .......................................................................... 20 2.1 Legislative and Institutional Framework on Social Protection ............................................. 20 2.1.1 Overview of legislative framework ...................................................................................... 20 2.1.2 Overview of national strategies and plans ........................................................................... 21 2.1.3 Overview of Institutional framework ................................................................................... 22 2.1.4 Overview of national and local level coordination .............................................................. 24 2.1.5 Overview of schemes ........................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Contributory Schemes....................................................................................................... 27 2.2.1 Overview of contributory schemes ...................................................................................... 27 2.2.2 Child benefits ....................................................................................................................... 30 2.2.3 Working age benefits ........................................................................................................... 30 2.2.4 Old age benefits ................................................................................................................... 33 2.2.5 Healthcare and services ....................................................................................................... 34 2.3 Non-Contributory Schemes ............................................................................................... 34 2.3.1 Overview of non-contributory schemes .............................................................................. 34 2.3.2 Child benefits ....................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.3 Working age benefits ........................................................................................................... 37 2.3.4 Old age benefits ................................................................................................................... 38 2.3.5 Health benefit care and services .......................................................................................... 38 2.4 Civil Servants and Other Public Employees ........................................................................ 40 2.4.1 Overview of civil servant scheme and public employee social protection schemes ........... 40 2.4.2 Working age benefits ........................................................................................................... 41 2.4.3 Old age benefits ................................................................................................................... 41 2.4.4 Healthcare and services ....................................................................................................... 42 2.5 Active Labour Market Policies and Employment Incentives ................................................ 42 2.6 COVID-19 related Responses ............................................................................................. 432.7 Key Gaps and Opportunities .............................................................................................. 44 2.7.1 Social protection as an investment for sustainable economic growth and well-being. ...... 44 2.7.2 Need for an overarching and cohesive legal and coordination policy framework .............. 46 2.7.3 Coordination of schemes and registries: Illustration from the healthcare system ............. 48 2.7.4. Importance of assessing impacts of existing social protection schemes ............................ 50 Chapter 3 Social Protection and Climate Resilience ..................................................................... 52 3.1 ESCAP Framework on Social Protection and Climate Resilience .......................................... 52 3.2 Key Climate Change-related Risks and Their Impacts in Thailand ........................................ 54 3.2.1 Rising temperatures ............................................................................................................. 54 3.2.2 Drought ................................................................................................................................ 55 3.2.3 Floods ................................................................................................................................... 55 3.2.4 Cyclones and storms ............................................................................................................ 56 3.3 Economic and Social Impact of Climate Change ................................................................. 56 3.3.1 Economic impact of climate change .................................................................................... 56 3.3.2 Social and human impact of climate change ....................................................................... 57 3.4 Climate Change Policies .................................................................................................... 59 3.4.1 The 20-Year National Strategy (2018–2037) ........................................................................ 60 3.4.2 Thirteenth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2023–2027) ........................ 60 3.4.3 Climate Change Master Plan (2015–2050) .......................................................................... 61 3.4.4 National Adaptation Plan ..................................................................................................... 62 3.4.5 National determined contributions ..................................................................................... 64 3.5 Shock-responsive Social Protection ................................................................................... 65 3.6 Synergies with Green, Climate and Alternative Funding Frameworks ................................. 67 3.6.1 Disaster risk management ................................................................................................... 67 3.6.2 Loss and Damage Fund ........................................................................................................ 68 3.6.3 Multilateral climate funds .................................................................................................... 69 3.6.4 Humanitarian assistance ...................................................................................................... 69 3.6.5 Contingency funds ............................................................................................................... 70 3.7 Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 4: Extending Social Protection Carries Great Impact ....................................................... 76 4.1 The Impact of Extending Social Protection ......................................................................... 77 4.2 Pitfalls of Poverty-Targeting .............................................................................................. 79 Chapter 5 Progress to Implement Action Plan and Way Forward ................................................. 81 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 9
Air quality status and trends in the Asia-Pacific region
No full textThis report leverages science-based solutions and the latest available technologies to analyse the status and long-term trends of air pollution in the Asia-Pacific region. A new perspective is introduced by examining air pollution through the framework of hotspots and airsheds. In East Asia, significant improvements have been observed over the past decade, largely due to the enforcement of stricter emission regulations. In contrast, South and Southeast Asia continue to experience high seasonal pollution levels, driven by agricultural burning and synoptic meteorology. Interpreting these findings through a policy lens highlights both areas of progress and persistent challenges. Air pollution at regional level is ideally observed through the framework of hotspots and airsheds, instead of a country-based approach. Finally, the report provides actionable recommendations to strengthen regional cooperation - an essential step toward achieving sustainable development and improved public health outcomes across Asia and the Pacific.Financial support from Clean Air Fund and Energy Foundation ChinaCHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES.................................................................................8
Air pollution: a burden with no borders...............................................................................................9
Implications for human health, environment, economy and society.................................................10
Underestimation of the impacts of air pollution ................................................................................12
CHAPTER 2 SPATIO-TEMPORAL PATTERNS AND TRENDS .........................................................14
Present status of air pollution.............................................................................................................15
Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) ..............................................................................................................16
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) .......................................................................................................................19
Sulfur dioxide (SO2).............................................................................................................................21
Ozone (O3)...........................................................................................................................................22
Interannual Trends..............................................................................................................................23
East Asia ..............................................................................................................................................24
South and Southeast Asia ...................................................................................................................25
Decadal trends....................................................................................................................................26
High PM pollution throughout the year in South Asian cities ............................................................28
PM2.5 concentrations and association with country wealth and inequality .....................................30
CHAPTER 3 AIR POLLUTION HOTSPOTS AND AIRSHEDS...............................................................33
Introduction to the concept of hotspots ............................................................................................34
Definition of hotspots.........................................................................................................................34
Major hotspots....................................................................................................................................36
Airsheds and transboundary flows.....................................................................................................41
CHAPTER 4 STRENGTHENING REGIONAL COOPERATION..............................................................43
Key insights .........................................................................................................................................44
Recommendations..............................................................................................................................4
ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness : 2024 annual report
No full text2024 marked 20 years since the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and a pivotal opportunity on reflect on the achievements and learnings of the Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness.
2024 was the hottest year on record at 1.55 degrees Celsius (C) above pre-industrial temperatures and Asia-Pacific remains the most disaster-impacted region in the world. Early Warnings for All and investments into holistic disaster preparedness for high-risk low-capacity communities remain priorities for the region. Representing a collective commitment to strengthen shared early warning solutions, the Trust Fund has directly benefitted 23 countries through 32 projects since 2005.
2024 saw the completion of the Strategy 2021-2024, as a key programme was successfully concluded and a second extended to sustain impacts. A ‘20-year cost-benefit analysis and evaluative review’ of the fund has also been ongoing, to inform the future strategic direction of the Trust Fund into 2025-2030.
2024 brought together the Indian Ocean basin countries to synthesize the shared learnings of two decades in tsunami warning and mitigation. The Tsunami Preparedness Capacity Assessment in the Indian and Pacific Ocean, together with UNESCO-IOC, has brought the achievements of tsunami warning and mitigation in line with the Early Warnings for All initiative and advocated for geophysical hazard preparedness to be accounted for within the multi-hazard framework. Participating in a number of global, regional and national level 20th commemoration events, the Trust Fund continued to highlight the success of multilateral approaches to reducing risk of transboundary hazards.
2024 was the year of the highest number of distinct contributions since inception. The ESCAP Trust Fund secretariat acknowledges with gratitude that six donors (Sweden, Thailand, Asian Development Bank, Italy, Switzerland, the Philippines) have provided financial contributions and co-financing support in 2024 totalling US 17,330,000.
This Annual Report will highlight the 2024 achievements from the programmes of work and strategic studies, as well as the advocacy engagements that have been instrumental in ensuring investments continue to address the regional gaps in multi-hazard early warning value chains, the critical link between global innovation and local action.</p