Asia's Developing Future

As the impacts of climate change on the natural environment increase, so too are associated risks to macroeconomic stability and fiscal sustainability, particularly among climate vulnerable economies in developing Asia and the Pacific. In this podcast, ADBI research fellow, John Beirne, discusses the ways in which climate risks affect the cost of sovereign borrowing and the sustainability of publi...

From disposable masks, to plastic partitions, to one-time use food delivery containers, COVID-19 era consumption habits are adding to the build-up of solid waste across Asia and the Pacific—a region that already was experiencing rapid trash accumulation driven by increasing prosperity and urbanization. In this podcast, ADBI’s senior capacity building and training specialist, Linda Arthur, and rese...

Macroeconomic management of the economy as digitalization accelerates during the COVID-19 crisis is a growing challenge for policy makers globally. In this podcast, ADBI research fellow, John Beirne, discusses the increasing prominence of the digital economy and digital finance and how continued digitalization will affect policies aimed at managing Asia and the Pacific’s emerging market economies....

The Think20, the think tank engagement group of the Group of 20, is hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2020. Under the T20, top experts have developed new evidence-based proposals to help G20 leaders navigate COVID-19 challenges and advance sustainable and inclusive global recovery. In this podcast, Asian Development Bank Institute Dean Tetsushi Sonobe discusses the policy making environment amid the pande...

In this episode of Asia’s Developing Future, renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University and ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe discuss the policymaking calculus for advancing infrastructure growth as a sustainable and inclusive recovery driver in politically charged environments. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development B...

The social and economic challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic pose a particular threat to Asia’s increasing number of elderly people. In this podcast, ADBI Capacity Building and Training Economist, Pitchaya Sirivunnabood, discusses the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the region’s aging societies and strategies for safeguarding seniors moving forward. The views in this podcast do not n...

ADBI has been conducting extensive, multi-country surveys to gauge the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government policies on households, small enterprises, and key sectors such as farming and tourism in developing Asia and the Pacific. In this podcast, ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe discusses what the surveys are revealing about the state of the region’s pandemic response and policy keys...

Substantial progress has been made to address the lack of proper sanitation in developing Asia and the Pacific, though it remains a persistent challenge in many places now grappling with the impacts of rapid development and COVID19-related sanitation needs. In this podcast, sanitation expert Christoph Lüthi of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in Zurich discusses city-w...

As pandemic bonds hit the market, what can Asia do to ensure its green bond growth potential? The green bond market in Asia and the Pacific has been shaken by the economic impacts of COVID-19. Now competing with pandemic bonds, green bond issuance faces new challenges. In this podcast, ADBI research fellow, Dina Azhgaliyeva, explains the rising importance of green bonds for the region, the outlook...

Significant progress has been made to address the lack of proper sanitation in developing Asia and the Pacific, though it remains a persistent and increasingly pronounced challenge in many places now grappling with the impacts of rapid development and COVID19-related sanitation needs. In this podcast, water expert Takuya Urakami of Kindai University in Osaka discusses Japan’s complex sewage and wa...

COVID-19 is not the only force disrupting transportation systems and mobility. The rise of Mobility as a Service systems such as Uber, Grab, and other smart mobility solutions continue to impact the sector too in new and unforeseen ways, particularly in Asia and the Pacific’s growing cities. In this podcast, Satish Ukkusuri, a civil engineering professor at Purdue University and Director of its Ur...

Though COVID-19 continues to weigh on mobility and consumption, demand for infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific is expected to remain high over the coming years and exceed increasingly pandemic-stretched public budgets. In this podcast, Wu Weiping, Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, discusses the outlook for private in...

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to significantly disrupt teaching and learning around the world. In this podcast, former Minister of Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Korea, Ju-Ho Lee, discusses teaching reform priorities, against this backdrop. Lee, now a professor at the Korea Development Institute, goes on to describe how artificial intelligence-based High-Touch High-Tech ed...

Capitalizing on the accelerating digital transformation of economies in the COVID-19 era will be key to crisis recovery, according to Asian Development Bank Institute Dean Tetsushi Sonobe. In this podcast, he explains why and the policy implications for developing Asia and the Pacific. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institu...

In this podcast, ADBI Vice Chair of Research, Peter Morgan, discusses the challenges of advancing financial inclusion, financial education, and financial literacy in an increasingly digital world and how the COVID-19 pandemic is further raising the stakes for policy makers and the future of socio-economic welfare. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the A...

Economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis could get an important boost right from the palm of your hand. In this podcast, Purdue University civil engineering professor and Director of its Urban Mobility Networks and Intelligence Lab, Satish Ukkusuri, discusses how mobility data from smartphones and social media can be used to help Asia’s cities mitigate shocks from the pandemic and other disaster...

Investors have been increasingly integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their investment decisions. In this podcast, ADBI financial economist, Naoko Nemoto, and Peter Morgan, ADBI vice chair of research, discuss the emergence of ESG investment and its potential to enhance economic sustainability and resilience in Asia in the face of climate and COVID-19 shocks, and re...

The coronavirus has contributed to energy market shocks and a rethinking of opportunities for green investments and renewable energy. In this podcast, ADBI research fellow Dina Azhgaliyeva and Ranjeeta Mishra, an ADBI project consultant, discuss COVID-19’s impact on green investments, what’s next for private financing and incentives within the sector, and the implications for Asia’s energy mix. Th...

The coronavirus has had an acute impact on world trade, global connectivity, and work environments. In this podcast, Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute, discusses the path to economic recovery, the importance of digitalization, and how the application of behavioral insights can drive resilience in a post-COVID-19 world. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflec...

In this podcast, Ravi Narayanan, chair of the Governing Council of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum and Water Integrity Network, discusses policy recommendations to promote investment in quality water infrastructure in the region needed to combat COVID-19 and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Narayanan draws upon insights from Water Insecurity and Sanitation in Asia from ADBI Press, as one of...

As the COVID-19 pandemic rattles globalization, commerce, and everyday lives, policy makers are increasingly turning their attention to economic recovery which also provides a critical opportunity to advance green investment and environmental sustainability. In this podcast, ADBI Research Fellow Bihong Huang discusses policy recommendations for more effective environmental and climate change gover...

Protecting the health and safety of vulnerable groups such as the elderly has emerged as an immediate task for policy makers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In this podcast, ADBI Deputy Dean Chul Ju Kim discusses policy approaches for addressing population aging and the importance of continued implementation efforts in today’s uncertain environment. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect...

The novel coronavirus continues to test health systems and economies worldwide. In this podcast, ADBI’s KE Seetha Ram discusses barriers to a simple life saving action to reduce exposure to COVID-19 – handwashing – and how efforts to further strengthen sanitation management can help communities in developing Asia and the Pacific thrive again. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect th...

Uncertainty caused by the new coronavirus is disrupting services industries ranging from healthcare, to travel and tourism, to financial markets, adding to concerns about their capacity to boost Asia’s manufacturing-driven economies. In this podcast, Matthias Helble and Ben Shepherd, co-editors of the new ADBI-ADB book Leveraging Services for Development: Prospects and Policies, along with contrib...

Policy makers and researchers recently met at ADBI for a workshop examining green infrastructure investment, policy challenges, and economic implications in Asia. Marco Schletz from the United Nations Environment Program Technical University of Denmark Partnership was among the experts featured at the event. Afterwards, Schletz sat down with Asia’s Developing Future to discuss how blockchain and t...