Asia-Pacific growth stymied by ‘volatile’ combination of climate crisis, inequality: UN report

While Asia-Pacific improved in some areas like mortality and life expectancy, it is home to half the world’s ‘multidimensionally deprived’ people

Gender equality also saw its worst slump in two decades, with ‘stark gender biases’ still prevailing across the region, especially for women in poor households

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Pregnant women and mothers wait for their turn to see an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife health worker at a state-run rural health centre in a village in India. Gender equality also saw its worst slump in two decades, with ‘stark gender biases’ still prevailing across the region, especially for women in poor households. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:30pm, 7 Nov 2023Updated: 6:47pm, 7 Nov 2023

Rampant inequality, economic uncertainty and the climate crisis are hampering efforts to catapult the Asia-Pacific’s population into a wealthier and more secure future, according to a report on the region’s well-being by the United Nations Development Programme.

While the Asia-Pacific is forecast to contribute to two-thirds of global economic growth this year, it is “not on track” to achieve any of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals – a global road map for eliminating poverty and protecting the planet – by the 2030 deadline, the study said.

Many nations are only likely to achieve them in 2065, pointing to the chasm between wealth creation and equality in a region home to around 1 billion people deemed “societally poor”, or living on less than half the median income.

“Unmet aspirations amid high levels of human insecurity make for a volatile and potentially combustible combination, making it even harder to achieve cohesive human development,” the report warned.

A man rides a motorcycle in a slum in Manila. While the Asia-Pacific is forecast to contribute to two-thirds of global economic growth this year, it is “not on track” to achieve any of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the 2030 deadline. Photo: dpa

The report, released on Monday, tracks human well-being across key barometers like poverty, gender equality, health, and migration. It also called for governments to take urgent action to tackle “risk clusters” such as climate threats, future pandemics, and changing economic conditions.

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