Asia and the Pacific’s developing economies are projected to grow 5.0% this year on the back of resilient domestic demand and strong export growth, particularly in the electronics sector.

This publication provides updated statistics on a comprehensive set of economic, financial, social, and environmental measures as well as select indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This paper examines how booms and busts in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) affect monetary policy transmission to inflation and output.

The project will continue the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to Bangladesh in managing the influx of around one million displaced people from Myanmar (DPFM) since 2017. Now a protracted situation, the crisis is putting significant pressure on infrastructure and causing substantial challenges in terms of food, shelter, health, security, water, sanitation, and other services in the DPFM camps and host communities.

The project will build and equip 3 climate-resilient and energy-efficient border crossing points (BCP) between the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan on the Kyrgyz side of the border and a training center for the Kyrgyz Border Service (the project EA). The project with the total loan and grant financing of $37 Million will help facilitate trade and tourism between the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan and will contribute to the sustainable economic development along the Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor.

The project will install a total of 15 megawatt hour battery energy storage system (BESS), which will enable the grid to increase the utilization of outputs from the solar photovoltaic power plant and provide grid services to Koror-Babeldaob grid to equip Palau Public Utilities Corporation (PPUC) with tools to optimize the use of renewable energy. Protection systems will also be upgraded to reduce the frequent blackouts of the grid system, especially with the expected increase of outputs from the solar photovoltaic power plant.

It is proposed to modernize the 1,147 km strategic railway line between Turkmenabat, Mary, Ashgabat, and Turkmenbashi (TMAT), which is located at the crossroads of major eastwest and northsouth international trade routes and accounts for over 50% of freight movements in Turkmenistan.

The project integrates crop diversification with the adoption of climate-smart irrigated agricultural practices that require modernization of irrigation systems and on-farm water management to improve irrigation efficiency and crop water productivity. It includes the following three outputs: (i) irrigation management services strengthened, (ii) modern irrigation and drainage infrastructure developed, and (iii) efficient on-farm water management practices adopted.

The proposed SMEDP2-Phase 2 will consist of a $100 million concessional loan from ADB's ordinary capital resources and an attached technical assistance of $950,000 in aggregate from TASF-7 and Financial Sector Development Partnership Special Fund. It will finance the continuation and expansion of activities financed under the SMEDP2 project by increasing the number and size of commercially viable cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSMEs), as well as supporting employment in the CMSME sector.

1. Output 1: Quality of STEM education with support of technology improved.

The project aims to establish a high-quality, climate-resilient road network in northern Armenia, which will enhance trade, and stimulate inclusive economic growth. By improving the resilience and transport connectivity, the project seeks to promote a more balanced development across the region. Additionally, it focuses on enabling the development of future roads that are sustainable, safe, inclusive, and support low-carbon mobility, ensuring long-term benefits for the environment and communities.

The project is aligned with the following impact: Livability of Gia Nghia city in Dak Nong province enhanced. The project will have the following outcome: access to urban environmental infrastructure and services in Gia Nghia improved. The project is expected to benefit approximately 68,215 residents through an improved environment and the establishment of public green spaces around the lakes, and approximately 20,810 residents additionally through access to networked sewer services by 2028.

The project will support increased contributions of clean energy in Mongolia's energy mix while also supporting energy security, efficiency, and resilience. The project will finance the construction of a new 220 kilovolt (kV) transmission line to connect to the 90-megawatt (MW) Erdeneburen hydropower plant (HPP) to the existing grid network, which will increase supply in the Western Energy System (WES), eliminate costly and high-emission imports from the Russian Federation, and facilitate maximized utilization of wind and solar generating capacity.

The proposed project will build a bridge across the Fanga'uta Lagoon in Nuku'alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga (Tonga). The crossing will consist of an approximately 720 m long bridge and 4.96 km of approach roads from Nuku'alofa to Vaini, southern Tongatapu.

Project objectives. The proposed project will assist the government in addressing climate vulnerabilities and enhancing public health and economic conditions by ensuring inclusive access to safe, reliable, climate-resilient, and sustainable WSS services for the residents of Andijan, Djizzak and Fergana provinces; and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The project will help upgrade and expand the WSS infrastructure in the project regions and support regional suvtaminots in implementing transformational changes.

The TA is proposed to develop Bhutan's overall power dispatch options and strategies for domestic electricity consumption and international power trade. It will look into strategic views to maximize power export from various potential energy sources of hydropower, solar power, and wind power while meeting growing domestic electricity consumption.

The proposed Northern China Agriculture and Food Ecosystem Net Zero Transformation Project (project) will support the PRC to achieve its climate commitment through catalyzing financing and strengthening institutional capacity for net zero transformation in agriculture and food ecosystem.

The project will reduce trans-boundary animal diseases (TAD), food safety and zoonotic disease risks and strengthen livestock value chains and COVID-19 responses through investments in infrastructure, capacity building and policy support. The project will have the following outcome: health, value chains, and formal trade of livestock and livestock products improved. The project will be aligned with the following impact: GMS vision as a leading supplier of safe and environmentally friendly agriculture products realized.

The proposed project will undertake a long-term and strategic approach to deliver climate adaptive solutions for water resources management in the Amu Darya River Basins in Uzbekistan. Predicted climate change impacts include increased temperatures, increased frequency and severity of extreme events such as floods and droughts, and a reduction of water availability and increased variability of water flows in the major river basins. Decreasing availability and increased water requirements by different sectors are leading to a growing seasonal and absolute supply-demand gap.

The TA will provide implementation support to a series of ongoing and ensuing projects. It's objective will be to strengthen the quality of implementation of ongoing projects. The focus will be on procurement, contract management, DPP/TAPP approvals, project design and management.

The TA will focus on evaluating the wind potential of various site/s for government investment in wind energy. A feasibility analysis of viable wind sites will be carried out, which will inform the government on the scale of wind projects and how best to develop this potential. The TA will also fund the equipment for measuring wind speeds and directions to confirm site selection and build capacity for wind energy development in the EA.

The proposed program is a large-scale transformative and integrated initiative addressing the constraints. It aims to bridge the financing, capacity, institutional, and technical gaps in implementing the NAP and adaptation measures mentioned in the NDC and GRID while promoting mitigation, biodiversity, air pollution, and food security as co-benefits.

For approval in 2023.

Fossils in rocks that are 3.8 billion years old have puzzled biologists as they look nothing like modern cells, but now it seems they may be an ancient precursor life form that was unable to control its structure

The graft involved in trying to bring the peregrine falcon, Hawaiian crow and California condor back from the brink in the US makes for compelling reading in Feather Trails by Sophie Osborn

Turning around and backing up out of pools found in tree hollows may help mating Charles Darwin’s frogs find a safe place to lay their eggs while fending off competitive males

Horses experience hyperflexion, or rollkur, when their necks bend far towards their chests – it could place the animal at a greater risk of physical discomfort and stress

Eight Australian sea lions were fitted with cameras and trackers to capture unprecedented insights into their behaviour and the marine habitats where they hunt

Horses that are bred to race seem to perform better on the course if they had a diverse gut microbiome as foals

An estimate of annual bird fatalities due to building collisions in the US brings the figure to more than 1 billion – it is the first to include deaths from injuries after the strike

Blackworms are ultra-fast swimmers, and they tangle up into worm balls to protect themselves from predators – but leeches have an ingenious method of catching them called “spiral entombment”

Microwaves in homes, offices and laboratories have been found to host diverse microbiomes, highlighting the importance of regular cleaning

After the release of a shocking video showing Olympic rider Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse, it is time for equestrians to educate themselves on the science of horse training, says Christa Lesté-Lasserre

Lush and vibrant cinematography plus a "cast" of real animals make Heart of an Oak an enthralling celebration of the natural world

Invasive cane toads have decimated native freshwater crocodile populations in northern Australia, as the predators don't know they should avoid the toxic amphibians

Lab-reared German cockroaches are susceptible to consumer insecticide sprays, allowing manufacturers to pass US regulatory tests, but insects taken from real-world infestations are able to shrug off the products

The South American lungfish has a whopping 180 gigabases of DNA in each cell, compared with 6 gigabases in human cells

The Maugean skate (Zearaja maugeana) is only found in one habitat in Australia, which is under threat from human activity. Now the species has been saved from extinction by hatching in captivity

This week, we journey to the early 2030s, when machine learning first allowed us to communicate with sperm whales. Rowan Hooper tells us what they have to say

All living creatures use only the left or right-handed forms of certain molecules, and now we might understand why

See the incredible shots that have won this year's BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology Image Competition

Is it worth including activated charcoal in your terrarium’s potting mix? James Wong isn’t convinced by this pricey product

Male fireflies caught in an orb-weaver spider’s web start flashing in an unusual pattern, a deadly deception that seems to attract additional victims for the spider

Up to 100,000 extraordinary species, from spiders and beetles to salamanders and fish, live in subterranean caves and cracks. They aren’t as safe down there as we thought

The veteran presenter adds authority to Secret Lives of Orangutans, a film about a family of endangered orangutans in Sumatra. File this new entry in his vast oeuvre under lovable but lightweight