Asian Development Blog

In Southeast Asia, companies need to upgrade the skills of workers to survive the pandemic and build resilience to future shocks. Photo: ADB

For Southeast Asian Employers, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a Chance to Create Jobs

Companies deploying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, and investing in reskilling and upskilling for digital occupations, are likely to recover faster from the impact of the pandemic.

Shanti Jagannathan, Sameer Khatiwada

Viet Nam has set ambitious goals to address climate change. Photo: Peter Hammer

Four Ways To Fund Viet Nam’s COP26 Climate Commitments

Viet Nam is committing to ambitious goals to address climate change. Here’s how to fund them.

Donald Lambert

Ho Chi Minh City, in Viet Nam, is in the process of reforming key aspects of its financial system. Photo: ADB

Four Ways to Help Transform Ho Chi Minh City Into a Financial Hub

With key financial reforms, Ho Chi Minh City has the potential to follow the model of Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, and other cities which came to global financial prominence.

Donald Lambert

Women entrepreneurs in Viet Nam face unique challenges, often made worse by the pandemic. Photo: ADB

Has Viet Nam’s Economy Recovered from COVID-19? Ask Women Entrepreneurs

On many levels, women in Viet Nam fare better than women living in countries at a similar level of economic development. Still, women-owned businesses face disproportionate barriers.

Donald Lambert

Clear benchmarks and performance indicators are helping governments in Southeast Asia serve their people better. Photo: Braden Jarvis

Helping Governments Improve Performance

Performance assessments help people in Southeast Asia determine how well their government is performing and how they can be improved.

Woochong Um, Marcos Bonturi

Small businesses owned and operated by women are particularly vulnerable to pandemic lockdowns. Photo: ADB

Helping Viet Nam’s Small Businesses and Female Entrepreneurs Endure

Small businesses are the backbone of the Vietnamese economy. The government should take decisive action to help them, particularly those owned by women.

Donald Lambert

The path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals could be found underground. Photo: ADB

Here’s a Surprising Way to Achieve Most of the SDGs

There is one sector that contributes up to a third of gross domestic product, and is an important source of foreign currency, in many of Asia’s developing countries. It could be deployed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Martin Lemoine