The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
The South Asia region is both a large contributor to climate change and also one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change. This paper provides an overview of the region’s vulnerabilities, national committments to mitigate emissions, and national policies to adapt to a changing climate. The paper also discusses …
South Asia is highly exposed and vulnerable to the impacts of natural hazards. It has been affected by several large-scale disasters over the past two decades, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Multiple small and medium disasters have also occurred with increasing frequency, disrupting the …
New research exposes how women and children are disproportionally affected by climate migration, which puts them at greater risk of gender-based violence, child labour and exploitation. Governments must ensure the safety and protection of women and girls in climate emergencies, including the safe and equal access to basic services, food, …
Bangladesh, India and Nepal have significantly improved basic sanitation services to people who do not have access. However, the safe management of toilet waste is still in its infancy. Delivering safe and inclusive sanitation services along the whole service chain requires considerable investment. Towns must be able to raise, allocate …
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other global nutrition and health agencies recommend nutrition actions throughout the life-course to address malnutrition in all its forms. As global recommendations are updated based on available evidence, it is anticipated that governments and stakeholders will, in turn, build on these recommendations to update …
This publication is titled “Urban Resilience in South Asia”. Some of the important themes covered in this issue include, the role of risk assessments in building capacity of city governments, women leadership for urban resilience, financing resilience to climate risks in cities, addressing displacement and social dimensions in disaster resilient …
The COVID-19 crisis, which has sent economies in South Asia and around the world into a deep recession, has highlighted South Asia’s rising debt levels and sizable hidden liabilities. State-owned enterprises, state-owned commercial banks, and public-private partnerships have been at the center of the rising debt wave and the latest …
Melting glaciers and the loss of seasonal snow pose significant risks to the stability of water resources in South Asia. The 55,000 glaciers in the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges store more freshwater than any region outside of the North and South Poles. Their ice reserves feed …
This report titled “Re FORM: Lessons for Urban Governance futures from the Pandemic” is based on the study which was undertaken by Scaling City Institutions for India (SCI-FI), Centre for Policy Research (CPR). The study explores the impact of COVID-19 on public spaces, housing and slums, water and sanitation, public …
This paper assesses the socioeconomic impacts of Covid-19 in three South Asian economies -- Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka -- and corresponding fiscal policy responses to mitigate these impacts. Further, it appraises the sufficiency of these fiscal policy responses to support the economic recovery in respective economies. It also estimates fiscal …
South Asia region’s economies are beginning to recover, though unevenly: economic activity in industry and export sectors have recovered to pre-COVID levels but some labor-intensive services sectors and tourism have not. Inequality has worsened on many dimensions. The process of vaccinating South Asia’s population is underway, with India taking a …
To assess the impact of COVID-19 on firms, the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation conducted Business Pulse Surveys in several countries, including six in the South Asia region. Analysis focusing on the South Asia region suggests that, first, firms in the South Asia region have suffered disproportionately more …
Over recent decades, South Asia has made remarkable progress in improving the health of mothers and children. But the year 2020 brought a great shock to South Asia, as it did to the whole world. The COVID-19 pandemic has had major and multiple impacts – both direct and indirect. One …
This book focuses on the gendered experiences of environmental change across different geographies and social contexts in South Asia and on diverse strategies of adapting to climate variability. The book analyzes how changes in rainfall patterns, floods, droughts, heatwaves and landslides affect those who are directly dependent on the agrarian …
This brief explores the need for water accounting to help governments better plan and manage water resources that are already threatened by the impacts of climate change. Water management policies have profound impacts on all aspects of human settlements. Therefore, water management policies should be grounded in robust science-based information …
Climate Smart (Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources and Techniques) Agriculture is an approach of crop production, which deals with the management of available agricultural resources with latest management practices and farm machinery, under a particular set of edaphic and environmental conditions. It works to enhance the achievement of national food …
This report analyzes four core areas of corporate governance in South Asia in light of global trends and best practices. It assesses the necessary regulatory preconditions for strong financial and economic development. The four core areas analyzed are (i) corporate governance legal frameworks, (ii) board structure and board diversity, (iii) …
Maternal exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM2·5) is associated with pregnancy loss (ie, stillbirth and miscarriage). South Asia has the highest burden of pregnancy loss globally and is one of the most PM2·5 polluted regions in the world. However, knowledge of the relevant exposure–response function for mothers is insufficient. Original …
This working paper introduces a methodological concept that translates the pre-monsoon seasonal outlook to multi-sector impact-based forecasting. Building on the seasonal forecasts for precipitation available from South Asia Climate Outlook Forums (SASCOFs) and risk profiles of the region from the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2019, it provides customized risk scenarios and …
Migration has been a historic, beneficial and important feature of all communities across South Asia. However, when migration is forced and migrants are asset-less, they are often seen as ʻencroachers’ or ʻoutsiders’, then it’s a matter of humanitarian crisis. Of late, climate change has deepened the severity and frequency of …
