Learning Loss Persists Even After Schools Reopen
Student monitoring and remedial programs are needed to avoid the long-term effects of school closures in Asia and the Pacific during the pandemic.
Leveling the Playing Field: Can Digital Technologies Address Inequity in Cities?
Throughout Asia and the world, digital solutions are being found for urban problems. Policymakers and city leaders should ensure that the poor do not get left behind in this digital transformation of cities.
Local Irrigation Management Boosts Water, Food Security in Bangladesh
A recent trip to southern Bangladesh showed that if you want to ensure water and food security, it’s also important that the right people are deciding how much water is needed, and when.
Microfinance Survived the Pandemic but Challenges Lie Ahead
The right actions by microfinance institutions and governments can ensure a promising outlook for microfinance in Asia this year.
Millions Are Going Hungry in Post-Pandemic Asia: Here’s How to Respond
The pandemic has increased malnutrition rates in many parts of Asia and the Pacific. Direct food assistance to the poor and programs that benefit farmers are being used to address the problem.
Online Job Listings Rebounded Strongly After the Pandemic
Official labor statistics take significant time to produce. In contrast, online job portals are already providing a window into labor demand in the post-pandemic job market.
Pension Extension: Bringing Informal Workers Into the Retirement Social Safety Net
Millions of Asia’s informal workers – such as vendors, day laborers, and others – are left out of national pension systems. Here’s what we can do to help them in their later years.
Progress Made, and More to Come on Women’s Urban Health in Bangladesh
Increased access to health care has dramatically improved maternal health in cities across Bangladesh. The progress, however, cannot yet lead to contentment.
Protecting the Remittance Lifeline from COVID-19’s Economic Fallout
Families throughout Asia and the Pacific rely on money sent by relatives overseas. These remittances are threatened by the pandemic but policy actions can help.
Putting Derivatives to Work in Development Finance
Over-the-counter derivatives allow investors and lenders to price and structure tailor-made funding arrangements to promote long-term infrastructure finance.