In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for businesses and investors to adjust to a world of increasing uncertainty or mounting risks. To be viable, businesses can no longer focus only on short-term financial returns; they must anticipate and prepare for future risks, including growing risks from climate change and …
The worldwide economic shock caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is having widespread and often dramatic effects on investments in the energy sector. Based on the latest available data, the International Energy Agency's World Energy Investment 2020 provides a unique and comprehensive perspective on how energy capital flows are being reshaped …
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Indonesia’s economy is expected to grow by 2.5% in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, down from 5.0% in 2019. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecasted a 1.0% growth, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a 0.5% growth in 2020.
Governments and partners across the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) are acting to protect citizens from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These crucial efforts will save many lives. However, measures needed to slow the transmission of the disease are resulting in hardship for many vulnerable families. In particular, the …
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Address to the 73rd World Health Assembly. May 18th 2020. What we have learned from COVID-19 is the greatest global shock in decades. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and the world’s economy likely faces the worst recession since the 1930s. The …
The world is experiencing an unprecedented crisis that is causing chaos in the global economy, disrupting supply chains, and transforming society. The new reality is accelerating business model transformation at a faster pace than ever before to ensure existential survival in a crisis for which no one was prepared. It …
Low-income families have increased their spending on food by more than 30% since March when the national Covid-19 lockdown began. This according to a report published by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PEJDG) . The group collected its food price data from five supermarkets and four butcheries that …
This note describes the key challenges facing the health, livelihoods, and mobility of internal and international migrants and their families due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The note presents the policy options available to governments to address these challenges and describes the assistance that the World Bank can offer in areas …
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of ‘In Re: Problems and miseries of migrant labourers’ dated 26/05/2020. The SC took “suo motu cognizance of problems and miseries of migrant labourers who had been stranded in different parts of the country” and directed the Government of India, …
More than a million women and girls in Burkina Faso are facing increased sexual violence, hunger and water shortage as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on top of the existing conflict, said Oxfam. In its report “Women in Burkina Faso’s crisis: survivors and heroines”, Oxfam reveals that women and …
With societies months-long in confinements and factories shut, the COVID-19 pandemic has gravely impacted economies across Europe and beyond. 2020 was touted the year of the electric car in Europe and early 2020 showed record plug-in sales. But has the COVID-19 crisis killed off the electric car momentum that was …
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Union of India & Others Vs Deven Yogesh Kanani & Others dated 25/05/2020. The Supreme Court allowed Air India to assign middle seats to passengers on non-scheduled flights till June 6, 2020 to rescue people stranded in foreign countries …
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global emergency of multiple dimensions. In the several weeks since the pandemic has exploded around the world, a multitude of repercussions are emerging – beyond the threats to life and health associated with the virus itself. The urgent need to contain and mitigate COVID-19 …
On 18 May India reached a landmark in its fight against COVID-19 by performing 100,000 tests in one day. Starting from less than 100 tests per day just two months ago, a 1000 fold increase in just 60 days was made possible by dedicated teams from research institutions, medical colleges, …
As this report is published, the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before it hit, the Asia-Pacific region was progressing too slowly on delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prospects for success will be influenced by the region’s response and recovery strategies. Transformative approaches that will also address the …
It is too early to know the full impact of COVID-19 on Africa. To date the experience has been varied. There are causes for concern, but also reasons for hope. Early estimates were pessimistic regarding the pandemic’s impact on the continent. But the relatively low numbers of COVID-19 cases reported …
Renewable power sources have so far showed impressive resilience despite the disruptions and changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with their share of the electricity mix increasing in many markets. But the world is set to add 167 GW gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity this year, 13% less than …
The unprecedented socio-economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic calls for unparalleled multi-sectoral responses. ESCAP has developed a framework to support the socio-economic response of Asia and the Pacific to the COVID-19 pandemic.The framework's overarching principle supports building back better through integrated policies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. ESCAP’s …
Investing in nature protection and restoration will also be critical for Europe’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. When restarting the economy, it is crucial to avoid falling back and locking ourselves into damaging old habits. The European Green Deal – the EU’s growth strategy – will be the compass …
On May 12, the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, announced a special economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore (equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP) with the aim of making the country independent against the tough competition in the global supply chain and to help in empowering the poor, labourers, …
