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COVID-19 pandemic and the Asia-Pacific LDCs : impacts, challenges, gaps and way forward
Get PDFThis working paper was prepared as background document for the preparation of Chapters 2 and 3 of the Asia-Pacific Countries with Special Needs Development Report 2021, Strengthening the resilience of least developed countries in the wake of the coronavirus disease pandemic (Sales No. E.21.II.F.7). This working paper presents data and information that were available by the end of December 2020.This paper provides an evaluation of the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on least developed countries (LDCs) in Asia and the Pacific. Drawing on analysis and estimates from various regional and national sources, this paper finds that these impacts are large relative to the number of COVID-19 cases for several reasons. First, the size of stimulus packages to cushion the economic impacts of the pandemic was significantly smaller than other developing countries. Second, their undiversified export baskets suffered from disruptions in regional and global supply chains and in tourism-related activities. Third, due to the presence of large informal sector and the lack of social protection, job losses have directly translated into income losses. All these factors are further compounded by bleak external conditions surrounding official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI) and remittances.
Accordingly, the paper argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has dimmed prospects of Asia-Pacific LDCs to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. In addition, while the pandemic will not significantly delay their graduation from the LDC category, preparations for graduation must acquire a much more holistic focus on sustainability.
Looking forward, the paper suggests Asia-Pacific LDCs reassess their development strategies to accelerate progress towards achieving SDGs and to ensure smooth graduation and transition through the following broad sets of actions: (a) scaling up mitigation and recovery programmes and relief measures; (b) building productive capacities and promoting economic diversification to fundamentally addressing multidimensional poverty in the long run; (c) investing in healthcare and social protection systems, including through the use of digital technologies; and (d) negotiating with their key trading partners and multilateral financial institutions to deepen and extend existing preferential provisions to facilitate graduation and smooth transition.</p
ASEAN regional plan of action for adaptation to drought 2021-2025
Get PDFDrought frequency, severity, and magnitude have increased in South-East Asia, particularly over the past two decades. Prolonged and severe drought adversely impact agricultural productivity, threatening food security and livelihood of rural households and poor communities. The impact of drought is not limited to water consumption for agricultural purposes but also affects domestic and industrial water consumption, with critical long-term implications on the people and the environment of the region in the social, economic, and environmental aspects such as poverty, agriculture, food security, human development outcomes, ecological integrity (e.g., environmental quality and natural resources, energy, and other economic sectors such as tourism.
ASEAN is facing a double burden of disasters namely the stress of climate change and extreme weather events, as well as the impact of successive droughts compounded by the unprecedented socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the vulnerabilities of specific groups in the population, such as low-income, smallholder farmers and households dependent on agriculture livelihoods, food insecurity, workers in the informal economy and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSMEs). ASEAN’s population is projected to increase from 661.5 million in 2020 to about 700 million people in 10 years’ time with a corresponding increase in water consumption for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes.
Cognisant of the impact of drought, the ASEAN leaders, through the ASEAN Declaration on the Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought, supported the strengthening of collaboration between the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), relevant sectoral bodies and stakeholders, to: i) develop an ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for Adaptation to Drought; ii) establish networks and a community of practices for adaptive learning and continuous improvement of drought risk management in different parts of the region, building on the traditional knowledge and local solutions of communities; and iii) mainstream drought risks and disasters into the AADMER Work Programme and other relevant guidelines.
The ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for Adaptation to Drought (ARPA-AD) aims to enhance coordination at the regional and national (international) level for achieving sustainable management of drought by considering the impact of drought on the livelihood of people, natural resources and ecosystem, agriculture, energy, and sustainable socio-economic development. This document was developed following two consultative workshops with active participation by all relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies, ASEAN Centres, and ASEAN Member States.
It was developed in line with the guiding principles of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2021-2025, which foresees the development of outputs or strategic tangible products through institutionalization; localisation and communication; finance and resource mobilisation; gender and social inclusion; multi-hazards approach; innovation; partnership; and synergy. The future success of ARPA-AD implementation will be complemented by the ongoing work of relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies that address drought adaptation and mitigation.
The ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for Adaptation to Drought consists of nine groups of action covering a full set of drought management cycle, partnership, and coordination on the regional and national levels. The drought management cycle is in line with the three parallel tracks of drought intervention identified in the joint ASEAN-ESCAP study Ready for the Dry Years: (i) reduce and prevent, (ii) prepare and respond, and (iii) restore and recover. The actions that reflect the drought management cycle are composed of (1) risk, impact and vulnerability assessment, (2) early warning system, preparedness and planning, (3) adaptation actions, and (4) response and recovery; while partnership and coordination actions are (5) strengthening coordination between ASEAN sectoral bodies, (6) partnership and collaboration with non-ASEAN partners, (7) capacity-building/enhancement, (8) data sharing and dissemination, and (9) monitoring and evaluation.
The actions are complemented by 26 sub-actions and an implementation plan covering 2021-2025. Nine relevant sectoral bodies are identified that may contribute to the implementation of the ARPA-AD. One of the key recommendations is for the establishment of a Technical Working Group on Adaptation to Drought.</p
Systematic review of the socio-economic impacts of rural electrification
Get PDFProvision of modern energy services to communities grappling with poverty and inequality can have a transformative effect on economic standing, health, education, poverty, and inequality. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with Goal 7 dedicated to energy, sets the target to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030. To date countries have pursued a variety of policies and programmes in an effort to close the gap on electricity access.
In the context of Goal 7 on achieving universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, the objective of this systematic review is to 1) assess whether and to what degree electrification interventions are leading to socio-economic development impacts, 2) examine the distributional impacts of electrification based on gender, age and income. This review additionally examines the comparative effectiveness of various interventions and aims to identify specific challenges in the causal pathway
Inequality in access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) : strengthening the evidence base to leave no one behind
Get PDFReducing Inequality in FEALAC Member Countries.This report is developed as part of a project on 'Reducing Inequality in the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) Member Countries' that aims to strengthen public and private capacities to design and implement policies and initiatives that effectively reduce inequalities. The report examines inequalities in the access to and use of ICTs in FEALAC member countries. It uses the Classification and Regression Tree Analysis to explore the ICT gaps between population groups, and determine the characteristics and circumstances of individuals most likely to be left behind
Asia and the Pacific’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 7
Get PDFSDG 7 offers a framework for decision-making in the energy sector that not only contributes to a global plan of action for people, planet and prosperity but also underpins efforts to limit the extent of global warming. It includes three targets to be achieved by 2030: 7.1, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services; 7.2, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; and 7.3, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
The Policy Brief presents information related to regional and national progress in achieving the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7). Regional examples of successful policies and measures that support advancements are presented, as are common challenges in aligning policies and creating the necessary conditions to achieve the SDG 7 targets.
The document is based on the most recent data which covers the period up to 2019. It contains embedded links to data within the Asia Pacific Energy Portal.</p
Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for inclusive and sustainable development
Get PDFThe second issue of the Asia Pacific Tech Monitor (April-June 2021) focuses on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies for inclusive and sustainable development. The 4IR technologies have the potential to induce innovation in production processes and boost productivity. For instance, 4IR technologies together with data analytics can drive ‘integrated manufacturing’ that encompasses the entire range of product development and manufacturing activities. Such manufacturing is responsive, self-adjusting and can meet mass customization needs. Application of 4IR technologies have also contributed towards delivering public services, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. E-government services, especially in healthcare and education sectors has become increasingly prevalent over the last one year.
This issue of Asia-Pacific Tech Monitor touches upon some of the challenges, strategies and good practices with examples from the Asia-Pacific region on Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for inclusive and sustainable development. It features special articles suggesting application of 4IR technologies for integrated manufacturing and as an approach for decarbonization taking the case study of Singapore.Introductory Note [2]Technology Market Scan [3]Technology Focus: Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for inclusive and sustainable development [9]
Special Theme: Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for inclusive and sustainable development - Fourth industrial revolution technologies for progress in UN SDGs - Seeram Ramakrishna [15] - Industry 4.0 - way forward for integrated manufacturing - R. Jayaraman [24] - A roadmap for decarbonization of Singapore and its implications for ASEAN Opportunities for 4IR technologies and sustainable development - Hon Chung Lau, Seeram Ramakrishna [29]
Tech Events [40]Tech Ventures & Opportunities [41]Business Coach - Start-up Venture Creation [42] - Technology Transfer [44] - Venture Financing [48] - Managing Innovation [51] - Green Productivity [54]
Tech Opportunities - Technology Offers [57]</p
Asia-Pacific tech monitor. Vol. 24, No. 2, Mar - Apr 2007
No full textIndigenous and traditional technologies : Protection through IPR and trade agreements - a Hong Kong prespective / Peter K. F. Cheung
Supporting farmer innovation : Varieties, IPRs and trade / Percy E. Sajise, Lim Eng Siang, Bhuwon Sthapit and Paul Quek
Local agricultural innovation in China : Ensuring a fair share of rights and benefits for farming / Ronnie Vernooy, Yiching Song and Jingsong Li
Legal protection of traditional knowledge : A Thai perspective / Jakkrit Kuanpoth
Trademarking traditional knowledge : Lessons from the Rusie Dutton case / Vilailuk Tiranutti
Traditional knowledge in the Philippines : Progress of IPR protection / Andrea B. Agillo
Constructing a new benchmark for Cambodian national accounts : documentation of process and results
Get PDFThis study documents the context and process of constructing the supply and use table of Cambodia to develop a new benchmark for producing national accounts statistics. The study has been prepared by the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) of Cambodia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with funding support by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (previously Department for International Development)
Transforming food systems
Get PDFEstimates in 2020 showed that the number of hungry has been on the rise again, and is currently estimated at 690 million people.1 Obesity is also rising in all regions, reflecting a food system that produces unbalanced results.The forces yielding such simultaneous increase in hunger and obesity are directly related to the food system itself or broader developmental drivers/issues, including poverty, political instability and economic crisis, along with limited societal awareness regarding healthy diets. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the world’s fragilities and reemphasized the food system’s weaknesses. The pandemic has intensified inequities in accessing safe and nutritious food at affordable prices, and further highlighted the vulnerability of workers across the food system value chain.
The complexity of the food system arises from the fact that it encompasses a wide range of actors and stakeholders and it integrates socio-cultural, economic, political, biophysical, environmental, infrastructure and technical drivers that interact at different levels along the entire food supply chain to deliver outcomes for human beings and the planet.</p