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Economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific 2021 : towards post-COVID-19 resilient economies
No full textThe Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2021: Towards post-COVID-19 resilient economies, forecasts that, on average, developing Asia-Pacific economies are expected to grow by 5.9 per cent in 2021 and 5 per cent in 2022, after having experienced an estimated contraction of 1 per cent in 2020. Despite a reasonably strong rebound expected in 2021, a 'K-shaped recovery' is likely, with poorer countries and more vulnerable groups marginalized in the post-pandemic recovery and transition period.
The Survey estimates that because of the pandemic an additional 89 million people in the region could have been pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020 at the $1.90 per day threshold, erasing years of progress in poverty reduction. Working-hour losses in 2020 equaled 140 million full-time jobs, while severe disruptions of economic activity and education are likely to have caused a significant setback to human capital accumulation and productivity in the region.
For a more robust and inclusive recovery, the Survey calls for a more synchronized COVID-19 vaccination programme across countries and highlights opportunities to leverage regional cooperation. At the same time, it recommends that fiscal and monetary support should be sustained, as premature tightening could increase long-term scars.
Looking beyond the pandemic, the Survey examines the broader risk landscape facing Asia-Pacific countries, including epidemics, natural disasters and financial crises. It finds that adverse shocks, both economic and non-economic, result in permanent economic, social and environmental losses, and advises countries to take a more comprehensive approach to building resilience against future shocks.
Specifically, the Survey proposes a 'build forward better' policy package for resilient post-COVID-19 economies that aims to ensure universal access to healthcare and social protection, close the digital divide and strengthen climate and clean energy actions. It estimates that the package would reduce the number of people living in poverty in the region by almost 180 million people and cut carbon emissions by about 30 per cent in the long run. Notably, the package would result in a modest fiscal and debt burden if accompanied by bold policy actions, such as ending fossil fuel subsidies and introducing a carbon tax. Among other potential financing solutions, the Survey also recommends debt swaps-for-development initiatives for countries with special needs and those with limited fiscal space. It also calls for international assistance to least developed countries burdened with significant 'resilience gaps.'
In conclusion, the Survey recommends that countries in the region should respond aggressively to adverse shocks to minimize the reversal of hard-won development gains. Swift and robust policy responses are needed to safeguard sustainable development in crisis times, and risk management must become central to development planning and policymaking.
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Producing urban hotspot maps : step by step guide on the use of QGIS
No full textThis guide shows you step-by-step how to create urban hot spot maps.
Urban hot spots are in the context of the present guide understood as locations with rapid increase of artificial surfaces/built-up areas. The guide shows how to identify and visualize such locations on maps.
The guide explains the use of open-source software, namely Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) to construct a map displaying the rate of increase of artificial surfaces in a geographical area over time. Maps are generated in accordance with the land cover category built-up area of the European Space Agency (ESA) land cover classification, which corresponds to the land cover category artificial surfaces (which includes urban and associated areas) of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA).
Note the guide shows how to illustrate gross increases in artificial surfaces; it does not take into account decreases in artificial surfaces. As decreases in artificial surfaces, i.e. conversions of artificial surfaces to natural surfaces are rare, this should have minor to no impact on the resulting illustrations.
The guide takes you through 3 steps:
Step 1: Download the data you want to work with from available open sources – Data downloading.
Step 2: Strip and clean the data downloaded to filter the layers relevant to your chosen geographical area – Data pre-processing.
Step 3: Produce the urban hot spot map – Data processing
Inequality of opportunity: who are those left behind? : Tonga : MICS 2019 Update
No full textA new policy paper explores available MICS data from Tonga to identify those groups that have been left furthest behind in a range of indicators. Using innovative methodologies and analytical tools, the paper reveals gaps between those who have access to basic opportunities and services, and those who don't.</p
Energy transition pathways for the 2030 agenda : sustainable energy transition roadmap for Jakarta
No full textTransitioning the energy sector to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the objectives of the Paris Agreement presents a complex and challenging task for policymakers. It needs to ensure sustained economic growth as well as respond to increasing energy demand, reduce emissions and, more importantly, consider and capitalize on the interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) and other SDGs. While achieving the SDG 7 and NDC targets is principally a national effort, it requires a combined contribution from stakeholders at various levels, such as subnational jurisdictions and cities.
Following ESCAP’s successful collaboration with the National Energy Council (NEC), the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) and the SDG Secretariat in developing the national Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) roadmap for Indonesia, ESCAP is pleased to extend the similar effort to the City of Jakarta, in developing the Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) roadmap. The City of Jakarta is also one of the three pioneers in localizing the National Expert SDG Tool for Energy Planning (NEXSTEP) methodology at the sub-national level.
The City of Jakarta, as the heart of Southeast Asia’s largest economy, faces several challenges concerning energy use and environmental sustainability. The SET roadmap provides a detailed assessment of the region’s current energy situation against the SDG 7 indicators and presents several scenarios developed using the city’s data, considering existing energy policies and strategies, and reflecting on other development plans. This roadmap contains a matrix of technological options and enabling policy measures for the City Government to consider, in meeting its emission reduction target while sustaining robust economic growth.
ESCAP would like to thank our local partner, Daerah Khusus Ibukota (DKI) Jakarta and local stakeholders for their continuous support and contribution throughout the roadmap development process.</p
CRVS systems improvement framework : April 2021(Version 1.0)
No full textHalfway through the Asian and Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade (2015-2024), many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are yet to achieve universal civil registration. This is due in part to the complicated registration processes requiring families to make multiple visits to different offices to register vital events. To assist countries in the development of their CRVS systems, several partners such as UNECA, the Centre of Excellence for CRVS systems, Vital Strategies and ESCAP have worked together to create a tool to support countries in improving civil registration processes to register every birth, death, marriage and divorce. The CRVS System Improvement Framework is an approach designed to help CRVS stakeholders analyze and redesign existing business processes and the associated operational capabilities to develop strategies and an action plan to accomplish significant improvements in the performance of the CRVS system.</p
Assessing the environmental impact of trade procedures : a case study of the export process of Bangladesh readymade garments
Get PDFWhile digitalization increases efficiency in trade transactions and consequently facilitates more trade, it can also contribute towards minimizing the environmental impacts associated with trade processes. By going ‘paperless’, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation and water usage associated with the production of paper documents used to support trade transactions can be saved. Moreover, the efficiency gains from digitalized processes can result in less emission from energy consumption and less waste generation and water consumption in office premises. The elimination of physical document transportation can also cut carbon emissions from fuel usage. To explore the environmental impact associated with trade transactions in more detail, a case study of the export process of garments from Bangladesh is conducted. This paper analyses the trade processes and associated environmental aspects in detail to quantify the impacts associated with the current “as-is” export process, introducing a methodology that can be integrated in future business process analysis studies. It also calculates potential savings in CO2 emissions, waste generation and water usage that may be achieved though digitalization. The study finds that there is great potential to minimize the environmental impact of trade through the implementation of paperless trade, although the savings are minor compared to the current environmental impact of transport in international trade. Further research on the environmental impacts from trade facilitation is recommended, supported by more systematic data collection of environmental impacts associated with trade processes, as done in this study
Harnessing the demographic dividend with a gender dimension in Papua New Guinea
Get PDFThis policy brief is produced as part of the interregional project “Demographic Dividend with a Gender Dimension: Entry points for Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa and Asia and the Pacific” being implemented by ESCAP and ECA for capacity development among member States to achieve sustainable development through enhancing human capital, addressing structural inequalities and reducing gender disparities. The brief and related materials are part of knowledge products that can be found in the ESCAP Youth Policy Toolboxhttps://yptoolbox.unescapsdd.org</a
Bolstering East Asian-Latin American value chains through digitally deliverable services
Get PDFDigitally deliverable services play a growing role in export-driven production in the FEALAC region, but digitally deliverable services from Latin America are used only to a limited extent by producers in Asia, and vice versa. However, this disguises the fast growth in Latin American-Asian digitally deliverable services trade in the past 15 years. Asian manufacturing, agricultural and services exporters have significantly expanded their sourcing from providers in Costa Rica, Chile and Colombia, while Latin American producers have increased sourcing from China, the Philippines and Japan. There are some “hidden complementarities” in digitally deliverable services between Latin America and Asia. The Latin American manufacturing, mining and services sectors are drawing on sophisticated IT services and services using disruptive technologies such as blockchain and AI from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the Philippines, while Latin American manufacturers and agricultural firms are increasingly using Chinese financial services. The Chinese manufacturing sector is using Brazilian suppliers, and companies in Singapore, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan look to Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia for emerging digitally deliverable services such as gaming, animation and e-commerce. The agricultural sector in Thailand and Viet Nam leverage Brazilian digitally deliverable services, potentially Agtech applications. This paper is a policy brief version of the report prepared for ESCAP under the same title. The report is available here
Digital solutions centre in Central Asia
Get PDFThe central proposition of this report is that Kazakhstan is in pole position to become the digital hub of Central Asia through the creation of a Digital Solutions Centre (DSC). Kazakhstan has already made progress towards a digital transformation with its whole-of-government approach to e-government following models such as Republic of Korea’s National Information Society Agency (NIA) and Singapore’s GovTech which set the pace for the rest of the economy and society to follow. A DSC would focus on evidenced-based research and recommendations to policy-makers for the adoption of emerging digital technologies across the whole of the economy, what can be called the supply value chain (SVC), addressing issues such as digital agriculture, the automation of industry 4.0 through the networked use and management of process sensors and the Internet of Things, intelligent transport networks and digital customs, a national QR code for the digitalisation of financial services and payment systems, and the adoption of internationally-recognized digital standards to promote digital trade and investment. A DSC would accelerate Kazakhstan’s digital transformation in all sectors, including areas such as social welfare, an interoperable health system, online lifetime education services in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic and progress towards the social development goals (SDGs), especially those associated with green digitalisation, renewables, and energy conservation