Asia Water Forum 2018

Water demand will increase by 55% in 2050 and up to 3.4 billion people could be living in water-stressed areas of Asia by 2050.

The Asia Water Forum 2018 discussed innovations that can ensure a water-secure Asia Pacific region and to keep water and sanitation high on the region’s development agenda. The event also contributed to the increased knowledge and application of international best practices and advanced technologies that can help avoid a looming water crisis in region.

Towards Malaria Elimination: ADB-supported Work in Myanmar

There is no room for malaria in Myanmar. Health expert Valerio Reggi shares Myanmar's moves to eliminate the disease.

ADB is helping to strengthen Myanmar's regulatory capacity; ensure effective assessments of medicines; and reduce the risk of substandard and falsified medicines, particularly anti-malarial drugs infiltrating the country's pharmaceutical supply chain. Through the Regional Malaria Trust Fund, ADB provides support to Myanmar’s Food and Drug Administration.

Technology and eLearning

What are the necessary skills to remain relevant in the society of the future? Aape Pohjavirta, founder of award-winning mobile service Funzi, shares his insights in the presentation. He also tackles how mobile devices can be used in skills development and economic activity generation.

LAPOR! Initiative: National Aspiration and Complaint Handling System in the Republic of Indonesia

A one-stop complaint-handling platform called LAPOR! was launched by the Government of Indonesia in 2011 to manage citizens’ complaints and requests received through mobile applications, short message services, and website. This presentation shares some of the system’s successful cases that show improvement in the delivery of public services.

Skills and Human Capital for Innovation

It is well-established that innovation is the new source of growth. Asia has the potential to cope as it has already spurred demand for biotech, precision engineering, and other information technology-enabled services. Unfortunately, the conventional metrics has put developing Asia behind their developed neighbors. Learn more from ADB’s Shanti Jagannathan as she shares some recommendations on skills and knowledge can bring in inclusive development in the region.

"What Elephant?" Framing Governance Reforms in Real-World Conditions

As mindsets and institutions take a long time to change, implementing sustainable reforms instead of practicing good enough governance is the right approach. Reforms, however, are not sustained when preferences differ between those stated and the ones revealed. Political commitment is a necessary condition for sustainable reforms to take place at all levels of government.

FinTech Regulation and RegTech

Although FinTech has been given focused attention in the financial sector only in 2014, it actually has a long history and evolution. Seen today as the new marriage of financial services and information technology, it has contributed signficantly to financial inclusion and economic development in various settings. This presentation will help readers understand what Fintech is all about, its implications to the finance sector, and how RegTech can be tapped to regulate its innovations.