The Transport and Communication Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific is a peer-reviewed journal that is published once a year by the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

After a dramatic year for the global economy, economic activity and international merchandise trade rebounded strongly in 2021. Global merchandise exports and imports are estimated to have surpassed pre-pandemic (2019) levels, with nominal growth of 24.6% and 23.8%, respectively.

South Asia’s pace of progress towards the SDGs to date has been less than adequate. The COVID-19 outbreak, which has escalated into a global humanitarian crisis responsible for erasing developmental achievements attained over many years, places more hurdles along the subregion’s sustainable development pathways.

Drought frequency, severity, and magnitude have increased in South-East Asia, particularly over the past two decades. Prolonged and severe drought adversely impact agricultural productivity, threatening food security and livelihood of rural households and poor communities.

Most of the policy measures introduced in 2020 and 2021 as a response to the socioeconomic crises induced by the COVID-19 pandemic focused on addressing health concerns and a speedy economic recovery.

The 2021 issue of ESCAP’s Financing for Development Series, Financing the SDGs to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and the Pacific, reviews a range of financing instruments, strategies and mechanisms that can help Asia-Pacific economies recover from the pandemic and effectively pursue the SDGs.

Economies in the Asia-Pacific region need to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including to maintain their trade competitiveness as carbon taxes at borders threaten to rise, according to this new United Nations report   

Overall, Metro Manila’s total SUTI score is relatively high compared to other Asian cities. The public transport system of the Philippines is relatively unique in the sense that majority of its public transport systems are run as small to medium-scale operators (such as bus, jeepney) which have fixed routes and well-defined fare structure.

Released on 24 September under the auspices of a High-Level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE) held on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly, the report aims to support the implementation of recommendations by the HLDE on regulation and scaled private sector investment.

North and Central Asia countries are rich with energy sources. Energy was a key driver of economic growth in the subregion for several years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.