Asia's Developing Future
281 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago -ADBI is the think tank of the Asian Development Bank. We conduct policy research and capacity building to drive sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
How to close the finance gap for women entrepreneurs in India
January 19, 2024 03:55 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MBWomen entrepreneurs make a significant contribution to the Indian economy. However, access to formal finance is a crucial barrier to the growth of women-owned businesses. In this podcast, Renana Jhabvala, the President of SEWA, the Self-Employed Women’s Association, will explain the policy tool that the Indian government has been implementing to formalize women’s economic participation and her experience with SEWA in utilizing bridge institutions to connect women entrepreneurs and formal ba...
How to tackle energy poverty for a just transition in Central Asia
December 06, 2023 00:00 - 13 minutes - 18.4 MBAlmost two million households across Central Asia suffer from energy poverty according to the World Bank. The challenges are to maintain and provide infrastructure in rural parts of the region and explore new energy models for social inclusion and just transition. In this podcast, ADBI Senior Research Fellow Dina Azhgaliyeva, Zhanna Kapsalyamova from Nazarbayev University, and Anna Arkhangelskaya from the Institute of Energy under the Kyrgyz Technical University explain socio-economic dispar...
Demographic Transition and Fiscal Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific
November 13, 2023 00:33 - 12 minutes - 17.6 MBBy 2050, the global number of persons above 65 years old will double to over 1.5 billion, according to the United Nations, and Asia will continue to have the largest share of the world’s aged population. In this podcast, Waseda University Associate Professor, Upalat Korwatanasakul provides an overview of demographic transition and its effects on fiscal balance in Asia. He also examines ways to enhance fiscal space against pension as well as how fiscal sustainability can be achieved in econom...
How to promote green central banking and climate-related monetary policy in developing Asia
September 15, 2023 02:29 - 7 minutes - 10.2 MBIn this episode of Asia’s Developing Future, Keio University professor Sayuri Shirai, a former Bank of Japan Policy Board member and ADBI visiting fellow, explains the role of central banks in promoting green central banking and climate-related monetary policies in developing Asia. She stresses the importance of improving awareness of financial institutions, conducting climate scenario analysis, and implementing standardized climate-related disclosures to draw more direct investment to emerg...
How Japan’s sanitation and wastewater management breakthroughs can be applied to developing Asia
August 15, 2023 00:00 - 9 minutes - 13.6 MBIn this podcast, the Asian Development Bank Institute’s Santi Setiawati spotlights Japan’s innovative sanitation and wastewater management systems and the implementation lessons they offer developing countries in Asia seeking to address coverage gaps within the sector. The discussion is based on the ADBI policy brief The Financial and Institutional Mechanism of the Sanitation and Wastewater Management System: Learning from the Japanese Experience. Transcript: adbi.me/45dhYVm
The way forward for "Washington Consensus" development reforms
July 28, 2023 03:37 - 11 minutes - 15.5 MBEconomic policy prescriptions for crisis-hit developing countries known as the “Washington Consensus” have boosted prosperity in Asia and beyond but also have been criticized for negatively affecting manufacturing jobs and the labor force in developed countries. In this podcast, Jenny Gordon, Honorary Professor at the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University, explains the principles and limitations of the Washington Consensus and how countries can approach...
How Asia can prevent carbon net-zero ‘greenwashing’
June 05, 2023 00:00 - 10 minutes - 14.3 MBMany governments and non-governmental entities are making ambitious pledges to reduce carbon emissions and move toward a global net-zero level by 2050 to fight climate change. Whether these goals can be achieved will depend on implementation work that verifies pledges are legitimate and not simply empty promises known as ‘greenwashing’. In this podcast, Catherine McKenna, Canada’s former Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Chair of the High-level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissi...
Understanding the rise of “metaverse” and its significance for developing Asia
April 05, 2023 06:53 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBThe “metaverse” is an emerging concept that could open the door to new service delivery and job creation. But what is the metaverse exactly and how could it affect developing economies in Asia and the Pacific? In this podcast, Beth Ann Lim, director of policy programs and campaigns at Meta Asia Pacific, and Professor Yong Lim at the Seoul National University AI Policy Initiative discuss the metaverse, its economic implications, and policy options to maximize its potential to support inclusiv...
The economics of achieving carbon net zero in Asia’s heavy industry sectors
March 22, 2023 08:19 - 11 minutes - 15.7 MBThe realization of carbon net-zero economies in Asia and beyond will depend on the capacity of sectors to adopt decarbonization solutions. In this podcast, Professor Frank Jotzo, Professor Llewelyn Hughes, and Dr Tom Longden from the Australian National University Crawford School of Public Policy discuss hydrogen’s potential to support the global transition to clean energy and the decarbonization of heavy industry sectors such as steel production. They also highlight policies and financing m...
What’s in the carbon net zero toolbox for consumption-driven developing countries?
February 14, 2023 05:25 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MBFast-growing developing and emerging countries in Asia and beyond are facing the dual challenges of meeting increasing energy demand while tackling carbon emissions to fight climate change. In this podcast, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB) Chief Economist Erik Berglof describes policy tools a state can use to accelerate private sector-backed carbon net zero transition, such as state-owned financial institutions and private-public partnerships. He also explains how these tools can b...
How to recover learning losses from COVID-19 school closures
January 25, 2023 07:54 - 8 minutes - 11.7 MBCOVID-19-induced school closures have significantly disrupted learning and contributed to learning losses that could have lasting socioeconomic impacts. In this podcast, Harvard University education professor Fernando Reimers examines the pandemic’s effects on education, disparities faced by developing countries, and lessons for mitigating future education disruptions. The discussion draws upon his ADBI Featured Speaker Webinar on building resilient education systems after the COVID-19 pan...
The disruptive effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on economies and global supply chains
January 06, 2023 06:11 - 9 minutes - 13.4 MBSupply chain disruptions linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its economic impacts continue to undermine energy and food security. They are also prompting economies and businesses to rethink how they obtain critical raw materials and component parts. In this podcast, Alexander Plekhanov of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) discusses new research on the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on economies and global supply chains, highlighting mechanisms and po...
How to move toward inclusive sanitation for gender minorities in developing Asia: Lessons from Nepal
December 22, 2022 06:56 - 8 minutes - 12.2 MBUnder the concept of “inclusive sanitation,” access to a safe and clean toilet is considered a right, not a privilege. Yet the world still has work to do to deliver sanitation for all by 2030, as targeted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and recent efforts to consider gender minorities in the sector are an emerging imperative. In this podcast, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Urban Development Specialist Alexandra Conroy, ADB Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Specialist S...
Developing Asia’s climate change mitigation outlook
November 25, 2022 05:37 - 9 minutes - 12.6 MBAsia and the Pacific account for over 50% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Recognizing the urgent need for action to limit global warming to 1.5°C and fight climate change, governments in the region are increasingly committing to the ambitious target of net-zero carbon emissions by around mid-century. In this podcast, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Climate Envoy Warren Evans explains the benefits of climate change mitigation efforts to developing countries in Asia and the Pacific...
APEC’s Rebecca Sta Maria on regional cooperation to revive supply chains
November 11, 2022 01:50 - 9 minutes - 13.4 MBThe COVID-19 crisis, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, energy security challenges, supply shortages, and soaring inflation continue to disrupt global trade and put economies worldwide under increasing pressure. In this podcast, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat Executive Director Rebecca Sta Maria explains APEC member economies’ efforts to rebuild supply chains and promote more inclusive and resilient trade growth in the face of high uncertainty. Read the transcript: adb...
Nobel laureate Michael Kremer on closing the digital rural and agricultural development divide
September 26, 2022 02:30 - 11 minutes - 15.2 MBIn this podcast, Nobel laureate Michael Kremer, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, discusses digitalization experiences and lessons learned within the agricultural sector and prospects for digital rural and agricultural development. Transcript: adbi.me/3UzcXS5
How 2022 G20 president and 2023 ASEAN chair Indonesia could shape energy transition cooperation
September 08, 2022 06:12 - 9 minutes - 13.7 MBIndonesia is the world’s fourth-largest producer of coal, Southeast Asia’s biggest gas supplier, and the largest biofuel producer globally, according to the International Energy Agency. Yet oil imports in Indonesia are increasing as incomes and consumption rise among the 250 million people of the archipelago, which holds the Group of 20 (G20) presidency in 2022 and will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023. In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva, ASEAN Centre fo...
What Asia tells us about government’s role in fueling private renewable energy investment
August 15, 2022 03:10 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBAsia and the Pacific is the world’s primary region for investment in low-carbon transition technologies. Despite recent growth trends, however, investment in clean energy still falls short of the level needed to meet global carbon emission reduction targets and fight climate change. In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva and John Beirne, and Ranjeeta Mishra from the Reserve Bank of India explain the effect of government renewable energy policies on private investment, drawing upon develop...
How the G20’s succession of developing country presidencies could help re-shape the global economy
August 02, 2022 02:14 - 9 minutes - 12.7 MBIndonesia’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency in 2022 marks the start of three successive years in which the annual forum of the world’s largest economies will be hosted by developing countries, to be followed by India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024. In this podcast, Pramod Bhasin, Chair of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), discusses India’s G20 presidency countdown and policy imperatives. He also describes the outlook for Indonesia, India, and Brazil’s G2...
T7 and its support for G7-Global South cooperation explained
July 01, 2022 00:00 - 8 minutes - 11.6 MBThe Think7, or T7, is the think tank engagement group of the Group of 7 (G7) launched under Germany’s 2022 G7 presidency. In this podcast, ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe, Co-Chair of the T7 Task Force on Sustainable Economic Recovery, and ADBI’s John Beirne and Dina Azhgaliyeva discuss the role and future of the T7. This includes its capacity to support partnership between the G7 and emerging economies in Asia and the Pacific, and globally, and the implications for sustainable development. Read...
Central bank governor & finance secretary-designate on sustaining the Philippines' recovery momentum
June 20, 2022 05:37 - 8 minutes - 11.7 MBBenjamin Diokno started his appointment as Governor of Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, or BSP, in March 2019. He has spent much of his term as head of the Philippine central bank guiding the country’s economy through the COVID-19 crisis. In this podcast, Governor Diokno discusses the Philippines’ post-pandemic recovery, which he says is well underway and proceeding faster than expected. Designated as the next Finance Secretary of the Philippines, he also describes next steps to sustain the econ...
Overturning common assumptions about the burden of population aging
May 20, 2022 06:54 - 10 minutes - 14.5 MBIn this podcast, Vegard Skirbekk of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Columbia University describes a new measure of aging burden that takes into account age-related health – the health adjusted dependency ratio. Skirbekk explains how this indicator overturns common assumptions about the population aging burden and its impacts across countries reflected in the traditional old-age dependency ratio. He also describes the policy significance, especially in countries with young but rap...
The role of developing Asia’s central banks in dealing with volatile capital outflows
April 27, 2022 02:04 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MBIn this episode of Asia’s Developing Future, Keio University professor Sayuri Shirai, a former Bank of Japan Policy Board member and ADBI visiting fellow from 2016 to 2020, explains the role of developing Asia’s central banks in reviving economic growth while dealing with volatile capital outflows. She provides historical perspective and addresses shifts stemming from increasing interest rates and climate change risk. She also explains ways to blend risk to attract more private investment f...
How to bridge the gap between policy research and government action to spark Asian economic recovery
April 18, 2022 06:16 - 11 minutes - 15.7 MBIn 2022, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) is observing the 25th anniversary of its founding as the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Tokyo-based think tank under the theme Toward Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development in Asia and the Pacific. In this episode of Asia’s Developing Future, Keio University professor Naoyuki Yoshino, ADBI Dean from 2014-2020 and a longtime finance official for the Government of Japan, discusses ways to effectively translate innovative policy resea...
Women’s Economic Empowerment in Asia After COVID-19
March 30, 2022 00:33 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBResearch has shown that when more women work, economies grow. Women’s economic empowerment also boosts productivity, income equality, and development outcomes. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a cloud over the economic outlook for women. In this podcast, ADBI Capacity Building and Training Economist Pitchaya Sirivunnabood describes the impacts of COVID-19 on women in the economy and policy next steps in Asia, including the importance of addressing gender gaps in digital literacy, social ...
ADBI pioneer on guiding Asia’s development in the face of transformational change and new risks
March 22, 2022 01:00 - 9 minutes - 13.3 MBIn 2022, the Asian Development Bank Institute is observing the 25th anniversary of its founding as the Asian Development Bank’s Tokyo-based think tank under the theme Toward Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development in Asia and the Pacific. In this episode of Asia’s Developing Future, the Australian National University’s Peter McCawley, ADBI Dean from 2003-2007, discusses developing Asia and the Pacific’s policy imperatives in the face of transformational change and new risks and how th...
Unpacking COVID-19’s economic impacts and recovery potential in the CAREC Region
March 03, 2022 07:42 - 8 minutes - 12.2 MBThe Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation member countries, also known as the CAREC region, extends from Azerbaijan to the People’s Republic of China, and includes some of the world’s most important producers of energy and natural resources, and emerging trade routes. So how seriously has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the region’s economies and what does the future hold in store? In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva and Kamalbek Karymshakov of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University de...
Public procurement could be the ticket to innovative recovery in Asia and the Pacific
January 31, 2022 01:34 - 7 minutes - 9.9 MBPublic procurement is commonly used by governments in developed countries to promote innovation and socioeconomic policy objectives. However, the strategic use of public procurement as a public policy instrument for innovation is still uncommon in Asia. In this podcast, ADBI’s senior CBT economist Yongwook Lee and research associate Lingfeng Zheng discuss the dynamics between public procurement and innovation and how the region can leverage public procurement to promote innovation and sustai...
How Asia can maximize digitalization’s sustainable economic development-boosting potential
January 17, 2022 01:14 - 7 minutes - 10.3 MBDigital transformation is raising the productive capacities of economies in Asia by enhancing trade, financial inclusion, and firm competitiveness, but could it provide an even greater competitive advantage? According to ADBI Research Fellow John Beirne, the answer is yes! In this podcast, Beirne explains how improvements in infrastructure, digital literacy, and regulation can maximize digitalization’s benefits for the region’s economies. The discussion draws upon his new co-edited book Ha...
Indonesia Finance Minister talks strategy to reduce inflation and accelerate recovery
December 21, 2021 01:47 - 9 minutes - 12.8 MBEconomies across Asia and globally are facing the risk of spiraling debt and inflation triggered by emergency responses to the COVID-19 crisis. In this podcast, Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati discusses how these challenges could impact economic recovery and strategies for addressing them, including the role of international cooperation. The discussion draws upon her ADBI Featured Speaker Webinar on Indonesia’s G20 2022 host vision and priorities. Read the transcript h...
How developing Asia can lift energy subsidies and advance post-COP26 climate change mitigation
November 29, 2021 05:46 - 9 minutes - 13.2 MBThe COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow sought to rally global efforts to reduce carbon emissions needed to fight climate change and has prompted countries to commit to more ambitious climate actions. However, implementation challenges remain, particularly in fast-growing, highly-climate vulnerable developing countries in Asia and the Pacific. In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva and Frank Wolak of Stanford University explain how developing Asia and the Pacific can achieve measu...
Rethinking the future of Asian cities after COVID-19
November 12, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 11.8 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the world’s cities. It has also prompted rethinking about the role of cities and the future of urbanization. In this podcast, urban development expert Tsuyoshi Hashimoto discusses the post-pandemic outlook for Asia’s cities and the implications for sustainable and inclusive growth in the region. His remarks are based on research presented during a recent ADBI virtual policy dialogue on rethinking the role of cities and urban function. Read the ...
Unlocking new trade routes between Asia and Europe could deliver an inclusive recovery breakthrough
October 28, 2021 00:00 - 8 minutes - 11.8 MBSpanning from the People’s Republic of China through Central Asian countries along the Caspian Sea to Europe, the Trans-Caspian Corridor is an increasingly important channel for transportation and cross-border trade. In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva, Yelena Kalyuzhnova of the University of Reading, and Richard Pomfret of the University of Adelaide describe how improved infrastructure development within the corridor could drive post-COVID-19 trade and inclusive economic opportunities....
How are COVID-19’s economic impacts in Asia shaping the region’s post-pandemic policy prescriptions?
October 18, 2021 06:51 - 11 minutes - 15.2 MBHow has the COVID-19 crisis impacted the Asian economy and what can the region’s policy makers do to advance economic recovery? In this podcast, ADBI Research Fellow John Beirne addresses these fundamental questions, describing new research that underscores the importance of building longer-term resilience and sustainability in Asia and possible ways forward. The discussion draws upon his new coedited book COVID-19 Impacts and Policy Options: An Asian Perspective, the inaugural entry in t...
What Central Asia can tell us about bridging infrastructure and firm competitiveness gaps
September 28, 2021 06:29 - 7 minutes - 9.93 MBLike other emerging markets in Asia, Central Asia faces a significant need for infrastructure development to support onward growth but a comparable shortfall in project financing and implementation capacity. In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva and Ranjeeta Mishra, and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute’s Kamalbek Karymshakov explain the importance of bridging these infrastructure gaps for firm performance and trade in Central Asia. They also describe how po...
Harmonizing intellectual property regimes could boost innovation in Asia, but how feasible is it?
September 15, 2021 07:11 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MBHarmonizing intellectual property regimes could boost innovation in Asia, but how feasible is it? What steps could Asia take to enhance intellectual property protection and what impact could it have on the future of innovation development in the region? In this podcast, the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Peter Fowler explains the link between intellectual property rights and growth, the status of intellectual property protection and enforcement in Asia, and the path to harmoniz...
How to boost the circular economy and potential for a green recovery in Asia
August 31, 2021 04:54 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBCOVID-19 recovery in developing Asia could follow a traditional growth path that relies on carbon- and resource-intensive production. By contrast, the transition to a circular economy could deliver greener and more enduring post-pandemic growth in the region. In this podcast, ADBI’s Linda Arthur and Derek Hondo, describe the prospects for achieving such a breakthrough and associated principles and policy priorities. Read the transcript https://adbi.me/3kIbiZj Related link Virtual Conferen...
India shows how boosting clean water delivery can improve women’s economic participation
August 13, 2021 10:41 - 8 minutes - 11.5 MBThe burden of water collection and distribution often disproportionately falls on the shoulders of women in Asia’s developing economies, where gaps in water infrastructure and hygiene persist and are particularly acute at a household level. In this podcast, Ashish Sedai of Colorado State University describes clean water access challenges in the region, how the adoption of piped water in households in India is helping to increase women's labor force participation, and the impact gender-balanc...
New Zealand Commission Board Chair Assesses the Future of Infrastructure Development in Asia
July 27, 2021 05:25 - 9 minutes - 12.9 MBDeveloping Asia will require around $30 trillion in infrastructure investment through 2030, according to the Asian Development Bank. But how has COVID-19 affected the infrastructure landscape and what role can the sector play in pandemic recovery across the region? In this podcast, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Board Chair Alan Bollard describes post-pandemic infrastructure development conditions and impacts in Asia and the Pacific. He also addresses onward project financing, climat...
What do COVID-19 work behavior adaptations in the UK reveal about the future of public transport?
July 16, 2021 07:25 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBWith COVID-19 lockdowns, quarantine requirements, and work from home arrangements still prevalent, how will the pandemic impact the future of public transport and what lessons can policy makers in Asia learn from global experiences within the sector? In this podcast, we take a look at what’s happening outside the region with Greg Marsden of the University of Leeds Institute of Transport Studies, who describes travel developments in the United Kingdom. He details COVID-19 era working pattern...
How one of Asia’s most dirty fuel-reliant areas can transition to clean energy use
June 17, 2021 00:35 - 7 minutes - 10.4 MBCentral Asia remains highly dependent on polluting solid fuels despite significantly increasing access to cleaner alternatives in the region. In this podcast, ADBI’s Dina Azhgaliyeva and Ranjeeta Mishra, and CAREC Institute’s Kamalbek Karymshakov explain the implications of this gap, and what policy makers can do about it moving forward. The discussion draws upon their recent article in the Journal of Environmental Management entitled, “Why energy access is not enough for choosing clean co...
What does the future hold for post-pandemic labor migration in Asia?
June 07, 2021 07:29 - 8 minutes - 11.6 MBEconomic and social disruptions accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic have sharply affected labor migration in Asia. In this podcast, ADBI Capacity Building and Training Economist Pitchaya Sirivunnabood describes the pandemic’s implications for labor mobility as well as the role of digitalization in boosting labor migration management moving forward. The discussion draws upon Labor Migration in Asia: Impacts of the COVID-19 and the Post-Pandemic Future, a report by ADBI, the Organization for...
ADBI’s Dean explains how infrastructure recoupling could deliver a more effective pandemic recovery
May 27, 2021 06:03 - 7 minutes - 10.4 MBIn this podcast, Asian Development Bank Institute Dean Tetsushi Sonobe explains how global efforts to advance quality infrastructure development could enable a more sustainable and inclusive COVID-19 recovery. He stresses the importance of promoting infrastructure that recouples economic, social, and environmental prosperity, with attention to building support for projects among the general public and private sector. The discussion is based on policy research being led by ADBI and other t...
A central bank governor talks strategy for harnessing financial digitalization for COVID-19 recovery
May 19, 2021 04:09 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MBIn this podcast, Benjamin Diokno, Governor of Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, or BSP, discusses financial digitalization and inclusive COVID-19 recovery strategy with ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe. Governor Diokno describes the Philippine central bank’s roadmap for overcoming pandemic shocks and building a stronger, more technologically advanced, and more inclusive economy. Read the transcript https://bit.ly/2Rt1hEB Related link ADBI Featured Speaker Webinar: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Be...
What Asia can do to maximize the impact of COVID-19’s fintech boost to financial inclusion
April 28, 2021 07:17 - 11 minutes - 15.3 MBThe increased use of financial technology, or fintech, during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided households in Asia and the Pacific with more efficient and shock-resilient financial services access, and also helped the region’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises remain economically viable by offering faster and cheaper financial services than traditional banking. However, economies and communities may be unable to reap the financial inclusion benefits of fintech without sufficient lev...
How latrines can promote girls’ education
April 20, 2021 06:38 - 9 minutes - 13 MBIn this podcast, the University of Chicago’s Anjali Adukia presents her research on the link between school sanitation infrastructure, education growth, and development in India. Adukia describes the importance of latrine construction in schools for driving primary school enrollment, particularly among girls. She also discusses the policy implications of these dynamics for education and sanitation development, investment in school infrastructure, and gender equality. The discussion draws upo...
How landlocked Central Asia could become a post-pandemic infrastructure financing leader
March 31, 2021 10:03 - 12 minutes - 17 MBGreater infrastructure development could give remote, landlocked Central Asian economies a critical boost by enhancing pandemic recovery, poverty eradication, and climate change mitigation. However, growing constraints on the use of public funds will require new financing sources to tackle the region’s substantial infrastructure investment gap. In this podcast, ADBI research fellow Dina Azhgaliyeva and Waseda University professor Naoyuki Yoshino examine the unique challenges of Central Asian...
How Asia can boost mask production and reignite its SME growth engine through trade
March 09, 2021 05:32 - 10 minutes - 14.1 MBSmall and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs – account for most businesses and employment in Asia and the Pacific’s developing economies. Reigniting the region’s SME growth via trade will be key to advancing inclusive economic recovery and resilience in the face of COVID-19 challenges. In this podcast, Waseda University professor emeritus and ADBI visiting fellow, Shujiro Urata, examines the importance of boosting SME trade for developing Asia and the Pacific at this juncture. He describes oppo...
Asia could lay the groundwork for a post-pandemic infrastructure boom through fairer land use
February 18, 2021 00:43 - 12 minutes - 11 MBMeeting developing Asia and the Pacific’s demand for quality infrastructure that can support inclusive post-pandemic growth will requires the steady but equitable acquisition of land. However, geography, settlement patterns, conflicting cultures, and unique country-level land use problems often raise concerns about the fairness of land procurement and undermine project viability. In this podcast, Piyush Tiwari of the University of Melbourne examines land development challenges and the impor...
Central Asia could be a model for advancing SME trade and inclusive recovery
February 04, 2021 02:05 - 4 minutes - 4.48 MBLike in other parts of Asia and the Pacific, small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs – are the engine of developing Central Asian economies. Igniting the sector’s trade growth potential will be crucial to the region’s inclusive and sustainable COVID-19 recovery and development. In this podcast, ADBI Vice Chair of Research, Peter Morgan, examines SME trade challenges in Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation – CAREC – countries. He also describes the importance of boosting the region’...