This report shows how countries in the BIMSTEC subregion can work together to rebuild their pandemic-battered travel industries and create intraregional thematic tour packages to boost visitor numbers and support sustainable development. It lays out comprehensive action plans involving each member country—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—and highlights the potential of cross-border tourism circuits based on themes such as wildlife, trekking, or religion. It explains the potential to grow intraregional tourism, use public–private partnerships, and...

This report assesses social protection measures in Asia, shows how they help tackle crises such COVID-19 and climate change, and outlines the need for more inclusive, shock-responsive policies to cut poverty and spur equitable development. Centered around ADB's Social Protection Indicator, it assesses data from 26 economies to show how measures are evolving to provide increased support and opportunities for the poor, women, and people with disabilities. Explaining why the pandemic made many more vulnerable, it shows how harnessing digital technology can help promote gender equality and...

This report assesses how Bangladesh is cutting gaps in gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in financial services and shows how support for women entrepreneurs alongside better technology access can boost sustainable development. It explains the rapid growth of Bangladesh's financial sector, analyzes policies, and explores how the rise of mobile financial services is improving inclusion for women and vulnerable groups. Outlining steps including better access to cheap mobile phones and internet, it shows how increasing credit to women-owned small businesses and targeting insurance...

This report analyzes future energy market options for Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program members to help facilitate sustainable energy infrastructure investment. The report provides forecasts at individual country and regional levels. It aims to equip investors and policy makers with insights on regional trends to help identify potential investment opportunities that will improve energy services and reduce carbon emissions across CAREC countries. It includes energy supply and demand scenarios, assessments of innovative technologies, estimates of investment needs in...

This publication shares findings on how to better estimate the impact of development assistance on job creation. It shares findings from a study that used input–output and computable general equilibrium models to customize estimation methods to improve jobs impact assessments. The study used 2010–2019 data on Asian Development Bank operations in Fiji, Indonesia, and Thailand. Its findings suggest that simpler input–output models may best suit projects that support substantial local purchases of non-construction capital goods and services. More comprehensive and data-intensive...

This publication analyzes how Uzbekistan can overhaul its technical and vocational education and training to build the digitally literate, skilled workforce needed to drive business and boost the economy. It offers a rundown of Uzbekistan's education system and explores how to incorporate technical skills while making the existing workforce more digitally proficient. It discusses how closer private sector ties would make training more relevant. Highlighting the need for comprehensive data on labor market needs, it outlines steps including updating curriculums, increasing training for...

In this report, ADB has lowered its forecasts for economic growth in developing Asia and the Pacific to 4.3% in 2022 and 4.9% in 2023, amid mounting challenges. Its theme chapter looks at how digital entrepreneurship spurs growth and innovation. The region's economy is expected to grow 4.3% this year, compared with ADB's projection in April of a 5.2% expansion, while the growth forecast for next year is lowered to 4.9% from 5.3%. The downward revisions have been driven by increased monetary tightening by central banks, fallout from the protracted Russian invasion of Ukraine, and recurrent...