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Integrated straw management in Pakistan
Get PDFThe burning of crop residue generates severe air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plain area of South Asia. Crop residue burning affects people's health, degrades soil health that impacts agricultural production and food security and emits greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Given its nature, it has a cross-border implications as the flow of air determines the outreach of air pollution. Crop straw yields have continued to grow, sustaining a high level with increased agricultural production in South Asia. The lack of suitable agricultural technology and machinery to sustainably utilize the straw or promote its recycled usage has led to straw burning, causing a high level of air pollution, including through transboundary sources.This paper presents the status of crop straw management for major crops in Pakistan, namely wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane and cotton. For each of these crops, data is provided on the area and production levels, harvesting methods and machinery used for the management of straw that is produced, uses of straw and issues related to straw burning. Different types of agricultural machinery and equipment that have been developed and used for planting and harvesting of crops as well as for the management of the straw in Pakistan are documented. The potential for the use of biomass for the generation of electricity is also briefly examined. The paper highlights major issues that affect the adoption of suitable technologies for the management of crop residues. Recommendations are made on actions that can be taken at the federal, provincial and international levels for the sustainable management of crop residue in Pakistan.
JEL Codes(s): O13, Q16, Q53, Q55</p
Asia-Pacific trade and investment trends brief 2022/2023 : Thailand
No full textThis brief covers recent trends and developments in trade and investment. It has been produced as an accompaniment to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023.</p
Enhancing fiscal space and ensuring sustainable financing
Get PDFThe pandemic has worsened the budget balances of many economies, with expenditure increasing in parallel to significant reductions in the availability of public and private financing for SDG investments. The elevated public debt levels threaten debt sustainability and will keep fiscal space constrained. Fiscal sustainability is likely to become a serious policy challenge, with rising external debt and the shift in the composition of debtors from multilateral donors to sovereign bond markets, as well as increased share of non-guaranteed debt, leading to increased debt service burdens, possible contingent liabilities, and liquidity concerns. However, premature fiscal consolidation can delay recovery, and instead innovative policy actions are needed to create additional fiscal space. Domestic measures like curbing non-developmental expenditure in defence and fossil fuel subsidies, along with public-private partnerships, can reorient finances towards development. Tax reforms through more equitable direct taxation, strengthened administrative capacities, and taxation of intergenerational wealth and immovable properties can help reduce fiscal deficits. Enhanced public debt management with clear objectives and transparent frameworks, strong fiscal-monetary coordination, accountable offices, and better monitoring and reporting of data can lower costs and enable better risk management. Innovative finance mechanisms like thematic bonds, diaspora bonds, debt swaps, and in some cases, supplementing weak domestic financial markets with offshore public bonds, can generate much-needed finance for SDGs. Regional and International cooperation must be leveraged to accelerate financing for climate action, facilitate multi-stakeholder debt discussions, and combat tax evasion practices. ESCAP’s technical expertise and regional convening role can provide capacity building to member States and the necessary neutral platform for inclusive dialogue among sovereign debtors, creditors, and other stakeholders to discuss a way forward on these issues
Assessing the policy and regulatory frameworks for fostering the markets of intellectual property and copyright patents on digital technology, products, and services in Mongolia
Get PDFThe report has been commissioned by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries (ITTLLDC).
The main purpose of this report is to analyze the current situations of the policy and regulatory frameworks, which will be used as foundational materials for fostering the markets of intellectual property and copyright patents on digital technology, products, and services in Mongolia.
The assessment has been conducted on policy and regulatory framework related to information and communications technology and intellectual property in Mongolia through literature review and interviews as well as discussion with the Mongolia experts of the Intellectual Property Office of Mongolia and business sectors as well as representatives of the Mongolian Institute of the Certified Appraisers.
The Digital Nation Program initiated by the Government of Mongolia includes E-Mongolia applications; approval of 5 new laws and related regulations; establishment of the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications (MDDC) from 1 January 2022; and other initiatives which have laid grounds for advancing digital transformation in Mongolia. To accelerate Mongolia’s digital transformation, there is a need for “new development paradigms, policy, and regulatory frameworks in a more flexible, adaptive, and corroborative way”. 1 There are over 100 software development companies in Mongolia that should be encouraged and protected properly, which have produced valuable software for promoting almost all sectors of Mongolia and for supporting citizens, government organizations, and businesses.
One of the main leading offices is the Intellectual Property Office of Mongolia (IPOM), whose primary mission is to protect intellectual property by improving industry laws, implementing state policies on intellectual property protection, legally securing intellectual property, protecting the legal rights and interests of their authors and copyright holders, and providing legal advice and services in this regard.
Mongolia approved four major Intellectual propertyrelated laws (Law on intellectual property, Law on patents, Law on copyright, and Law on trademarks and geographical indications) in 2020-2021. They identify software and database as intellectual property protected by the Law on copyright. A number of organizations are involved in the intellectual property application, registration, verification, and granting process, including the Association of Mongolian intellectual property agents, the Mongolian Institute of Certified Appraisers, Mongolian Intellectual Property Protection Association.</p
Vanuatu tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin : post disaster needs assessment
No full textTropical Cyclone Judy (TC Judy) struck the archipelago of Vanuatu on 01 March 2023, making landfall on Efate Island, where the capital city of Port Vila is located. On 03 March, 2023, Vanuatu was hit by Tropical Cyclone Kevin (TC Kevin). Both TC Judy and Kevin were Category 4 cyclones that caused significant damage due to wind, heavy rains, flooding and storm surge. Early on March 3rd Vanuatu was also affected by two earthquakes, of magnitude 6.5 and 5.4, with the epicenter around 30 km west off the island of Espiritu Santo, although their impact was fortunately not significant.
According to the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), a total of 197,388 people (43,623 households) were affected by TC Judy and Kevin, representing approximately 66 percent of the total population. However, more than 80 percent of the population (251,346 people) were affected by cyclone winds of Category 2 to 3. To date, there are no reports of casualties.
TC Judy and Kevin follow on the footsteps of TC Harold which struck Vanuatu on April 2020, which affected 188,000 people. The impact of TC Harold was felt in Vanuatu in parallel to the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, a double impact that had serious consequences for the country. Combined TC Harold and the Covid-19 crisis cost VUV 68 billion (USD $617 million) in damage and losses, equivalent to about 61 percent of GDP in 2020.1 Not long before, in 2015 Vanuatu was struck by another disaster, TC Pam which affected 160,000 people.
The Government of Vanuatu (GoV) declared a State of Emergency on March 02, 2023 (Order No 29 of 2023) in the provinces and districts of Mere Lava, Penama, Ambrym, Paama, Shefa, and Tafea, which was subsequently amended to include the whole country on March 05, 2023 (Order 30 of 2023). Rapid assessment teams were deployed by the GoV on March 7th, initially to 39 Area Councils and subsequently expanded to multisectoral rapid needs assessments in all provinces covered under the state of emergency.
These assessments helped to inform the initial humanitarian response and the development of the National Response Plan with a budget of 6.7 billion Vatu. In addition, the GoV developed an Early Recovery Plan to 1) provide an overview of the sectoral early recovery needs and priorities, and 2) ensure a smooth transition from humanitarian response to recovery. Early recovery needs were estimated to be 3.3 billion Vatu for a period of six months.
The Government of Vanuatu, with the guidance of the Recovery Operations Centre (ROC) conducted a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) with support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pacific Community (SPC). The PDNA, which took place during the months of April and May 2023, was implemented in collaboration with ADB, FAO, UNFPA, UNWOMEN, UNICEF, WHO, ILO, the World Bank.
The purpose of the PDNA was to identify the damage and loss caused by TC Judy and Kevin across all sectors, to assess the macro-economic and human impact of these disasters, to estimate the recovery needs in all sectors, and to inform Vanuatu’s short-, medium- and long-term recovery and reconstruction process through a well-planned Recovery Plan aligned to the country’s National Sustainable Development Plan 2016-2030. This report presents the final results of the PDNA.ABD; DFAT; FAO; GIZ; EU; ILO; MFAT NZ; SPC; UNDP; ESCAP; UNICEF; UNWOMEN; WB
Evaluation of the project on Enhancing Regional Cooperation and Integration among ESCAP Member States in East and North-East Asia and with the Rest of the Asia Pacific Region for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, 2019-2023
Get PDFCommissioned by Subregional Office for East and North-East Asia , ESCAPThe aim of the project to enhance multilateralism in the subregion needs to be understood within the
context of a lack of a generic sub-region wide intergovernmental mechanism across the six countries
in the ENEA subregion covering all aspects of the 2030 Agenda. Enhanced cooperation across the
countries, including on cross-border issues, was meant to provide a means for acceleration of SDG
achievement. Thus, the Incheon project focused on support to development of capacities for
cooperation and partnerships for reaching the SDGs with a particular focus on environment and
resilience, trade related issues, transport-, energy- and ICT connectivity as well as enhancing
multilateral cooperation mechanism and supporting the means of SDG implementation. The project
built on an earlier phase of similar support by SOENEA in the period 2016-18, also supported by the
City of Incheon. The project was implemented by the sub-regional office in close cooperation with
ESCAP divisions, making use of existing multilateral cooperation mechanisms and in partnership with
government agencies and university, civil society and other stakeholders
Promoting inclusive business in ASEAN
Get PDFTo meet the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the private
sector must play a greater role in supporting development objectives. Inclusive
businesses demonstrate that it is possible to provide goods, services and livelihoods – on
a commercially viable basis – to people often overlooked by pure profit-orientated
businesses
Meaningful youth engagement in climate action in Asia and the Pacific : building sustainable futures today
Get PDFThis policy brief on Meaningful Youth Engagement in Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific intends to guide governments and other institutions in Asia and the Pacific towards achieving more meaningful youth engagement in climate action and provides a set of general recommendations to do so. It builds off the ongoing work of ESCAP and partners from the Issue-Based Coalition on Raising Ambitions on Climate Action and comes in advance of Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023, where regional policymakers, businesses, and civil society will convene to exchange solutions, barriers, and opportunities for climate action ahead of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).</p