Asia's Developing Future

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-wide inclusive sanitation and how its integrated approach to solid waste management could help to achieve sanitation for all in the region and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/347kgqn Related link ADBI-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Virtual Session on City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation: Sustainably and Equitably Solving Urban Sanitation https://bit.ly/3cCUQow

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 for green bond issuance, and how policymakers can promote the market’s post-pandemic growth. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2H9829f Related links Green Investments: Renewable Energy https://bit.ly/3iA4sCL Green Bonds for Financing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Southeast Asia: A Review of Policies https://bit.ly/2Fyb6et Achieving policy objectives for green bonds in ASEAN https://bit.ly/35GHDcM

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 wastewater services architecture and how its lessons learned in the face of socioeconomic shocks could provide a timely boost to the region’s sanitation development. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/3gIWXYr Related link https://bit.ly/34NHfcj

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 Urban Mobility Networks and Intelligence Lab, discusses the move towards Mobility as a Service, or MaaS systems, and their implications for the future of sustainable urban development in the region. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/3g5qJ9j Related link Distinguished Speaker Series Webinar: Can Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Technologies Make Cities Smarter? https://bit.ly/2DXujWl

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 infrastructure financing and growth in the region’s emerging economies. She highlights the gaps between infrastructure investment demand and the interests of private and institutional investors, as well as strategies for bridging this divide. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/3fMzgxN Related link Distinguished Speaker Series Webinar: Private and Institutional Investment in Urban Infrastructure https://bit.ly/33RiQSv

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 education could be the right learning model for Asia and the Pacific at the right time. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/3jTmzEI Related links Confronting COVID-19: ADBI Solutions for Asia and the Pacific https://bit.ly/3jXS6Fo Distinguished Speaker Series Webinar: High-Touch High-Tech Education: Transforming Post-COVID-19 Education https://bit.ly/3g8WnDP

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 Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2WIYbf4 Related link Confronting COVID-19: ADBI Solutions for Asia and the Pacific https://bit.ly/3jXS6Fo

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 Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/394TJfs Related links T20 Saudi Arabia: Economy, Employment, and Education in the Digital Age https://bit.ly/2CF7sxJ Policy brief: The Need to Promote Digital Financial Literacy for the Digital Age https://bit.ly/2ZC7AHh ADBI E-Learning Course https://bit.ly/3fDUfUr

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 disasters. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2YN3qvG ADBI’s related event Distinguished Speaker Series: Using Mobility Analytics to Understand the Recovery of Cities After Disasters and Pandemics https://bit.ly/2Agz774

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 related challenges. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2YmWkxE ADBI’s related publications Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment: Opportunities and Risks for Asia https://bit.ly/3fJqJMo

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. The discussion stems from their new tuition-free, certificate-issuing ADBI E-Learning course Green Investments: Renewable Energy. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2MLCV2L ADBI E-Learning course Green Investments: Renewable Energy https://bit.ly/30tTybk

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 reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/3eh139s

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 the book’s contributing authors. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/368Y5RD ADBI’s related publications Water Insecurity and Sanitation in Asia https://bit.ly/3dGpWeg

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 governance in the region. The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2KO8DLV ADBI’s related publications Ways to Achieve Green Asia https://bit.ly/2VQtxAs

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 views and policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2ziZDMn ADBI’s related publications Aging Societies: Policies and Perspectives https://bit.ly/2Kkpdmp