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Features and Insights

Explore insights on solutions, case studies, best practices, and innovations addressing development challenges facing countries across Southeast Asia.  

High-value horticulture in Viet Nam
Villagers fish by the floating solar panels at the Da Mi hydropower plant in Binh Thuan, Viet Nam. Photo credit: ADB.
Southeast Asia Needs Serious Money to Get to Net Zero

Addressing the significant financing gap is crucial, requiring bold targets and more international support.

In 2023, the warmest year on record, heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and tropical cyclones intensified across the world, with devastating effects on Southeast Asia and other climate-vulnerable regions. Photo credit: ADB.
As Temperatures Rise, Southeast Asia Needs a Larger Share of Climate Finance Flows

The United Nations has called for a doubling of adaptation finance, which is the priority for countries most affected by climate change.

Under the Climate Change Action Program, ADB is supporting the Philippines to enhance the enabling framework for mobilizing public and private climate finance in its priority sectors. Photo credit: ADB.
Navigating Climate-Related Fiscal Risks in Southeast Asia: 12 Things to Know

ASEAN member states are managing fiscal risks posed by climate change and unlocking capital for economy-wide decarbonization and climate resilience.

Kuamut and other rainforests on the island of Borneo are known collectively as the Heart of Borneo. They make up about a third of Asia’s largest island and serve as the “lungs of the earth,” drawing in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and breathing out oxygen. Photo credit: iStock/Jason T. Mulvaney.
Kuamut Rainforest—Malaysia’s First Certified Nature-Based Carbon Project

The annual emission reduction from the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project is estimated at more than 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Renewable energy certificates can help accelerate the transition to clean energy and low carbon-growth by making renewable energy generation economically viable. Photo credit: Asian Development Bank.
Setting Up a Renewable Energy Certificate Market in ASEAN: Challenges and Opportunities

Initial findings from a BIMP-EAGA study provide insights into creating a credible and sustainable regional REC system.

The transformative nature of simple advances such as connecting people to services and opportunities through affordable smartphones is just as significant as the remarkable progress we are seeing in artificial intelligence. Photo credit: iStock/imtmphoto.
It’s Not Always about the Next Big Thing: How 'Innovations of Necessity' are Reshaping Asia

Across Asia, there are examples of how iterative, necessary innovations, like affordable smartphones, are positively impacting people’s lives.

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