Infrastructure development could provide an important boost to COVID-19 recovery among developing Asian economies but will require financing solutions that address growing constraints on the use of public funds for projects due to the pandemic. New funding sources are particularly vital for tackling the region’s sustainable infrastructure investment gap, which is equal to 2.4% of GDP and includes financing for climate mitigation and adaptation.

This webinar highlighted key takeaways from the new Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) - Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute book COVID-19 and Potential for Economic Recovery in the CAREC Region, to be discussed by the coeditors of the book.

On 1 July, Nasruminallah Mian discussed insights on streamlining ADB's Country Operations Business pipeline process from his experience working on Pakistan’s Country Operations Business Plan. A single window pipeline was initially proposed by leveraging ADB’s SharePoint platform. The seminar stressed the advantages of utilizing digitized data and rendering the COBP process dynamic.

On 15 April, Mr. Sanjay Saxena of Total Synergy Consulting discussed the potential of technology adoption in supporting post-COVID-19 tourism development in Central Asia. The seminar touched on promising technologies that foster safe, smart, and immersive tourism in the region, as well as contributing and limiting factors in their adoption.

On 9 March, the CAREC Institute and the Public Opinion Research Institute (Kazakhstan) shared preliminary findings from the ongoing study of public attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in seven CAREC countries. Over 60 participants attended the seminar which discussed the study methodology and preliminary key findings and recommendations for vaccination campaigns in CAREC countries.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector is still highly relevant for socio-economic development. The CAREC tourism strategy 2030 will promote the development of safe tourism destinations, helping to support employment for millions of people. Join the speakers to know more about the competitive advantage of the CAREC region.

More than half of the world’s population today live in cities, and 80 percent of the world’s energy is consumed here. As part of its Strategy 2030 commitments, ADB aims to support cities in their journey to become low-carbon and more livable by supporting the development of a system that cities can use to implement climate actions customized to their needs.