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The negative impacts of climate change are already being felt throughout the Asia and Pacific region. As result, severe effects are expected on societies and economic systems, on the built environment and on the environment throughout the region.

While covid-19 has resulted in a severe global health and economic crisis, it also presents an opportunity for a green, sustainable and resilient recovery. The International Energy agency (IEA) estimated that the pandemic will result in at least a 5% decrease in global energy demand and a 7% decrease in global energy-related greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions 2020, but at the cost of severe economic effects. The recovery phase, in which stimulus funding will be needed can be oritented to support the transaction to a low-carbon energy system while at the same time support economic recovery through job creation and provision of required fundamental quality energy infrastructure.

With the overarching objective of reducing poverty, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) strategy for Papua New Guinea (PNG) focuses on strengthening governance, supporting private sector development, and improving social conditions. PNG displays characteristics of ADB's Weakly Performing Developing Member Countries, underlying the difficult operating environment for ADB and other development partners.Weak public sector management and ineffective public services remain the main development problems. ADB's short-term priorities will be: consolidation (focusing on relationships with the Government and development partners), policy dialogue in key sectors, administration and implementation of existing projects and very selective identification of operations to deliver clear results. Based on lessons learned, e.g., in supporting private sector development, ADB will explore alternative channels for the delivery of assistance to achieve development objectives.

The strategy of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Vanuatu addresses the underlying institutional constraints on Vanuatu's economic development. These include a lack of consistency and transparency in government decision-making; a high-cost, uncertain business environment; and a continuing lack of fiscal capacity to expand essential public services. In line with the Government's Priorities and Action Agenda (PAA),1 the strategy aims to help (i) build capacity for sound economic management and good governance, (ii) create an enabling environment for private-sector development, and (iii) reduce poverty by improving service delivery to rural populations. It will help increase economic growth to a rate that surpasses population growth. A summary statement of the strategy is in Appendix 1.

Tuvalu's overall development goal is to achieve the highest possible living standards within the constraint of its limited natural resources. The National Development Strategy1 (NDS) for 1995-1998 still serves as the Government's basic strategy document, pending the formulation of a new strategy for 2004-2007, the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS). The new Government plans to hold a National Summit in July 2003 to develop the NSDS.