Confronting COVID-19: ADBI Solutions for Asia and the Pacific

In the Spotlight

Francis Fukuyama, ADBI Dean Guide Post-Pandemic Infrastructure Policymaking

Renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University and ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe examined the policymaking calculus for advancing post-COVID-19 infrastructure growth during an ADBI webinar on 10 September. Together, they discussed keys to navigating politically charged environments to achieve quality infrastructure breakthroughs vital to sustainable and inclusive recovery. The webinar also included audience Q&A and helped capstone a four-week ADBI-Stanford University virtual training program to empower policy makers from developing Asia and the Pacific to implement infrastructure-boosting reforms. View the webinar recording.
ADBI Dean Urges Post-Pandemic Think Tank Digitalization

ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe encouraged global think tanks to prioritize digitalization in their post-COVID-19 strategy during a Solutions Dialogue on infrastructure and sustainable pandemic responses on 3 September. Dean Sonobe said adopting digitally driven research and knowledge delivery could help think tanks provide timely and relevant evidence-based policy solutions. He pointed to ADBI’s digital efforts to address developing Asia’s changing needs. ADBI Senior Capacity Building and Training Economist Nella Hendriyetty also discussed digitalization’s role in building resilient infrastructure and services, including data collection and sharing barriers and possible solutions.
ADBI Guides Pandemic-Era Water Disaster Management

A new ADBI policy brief offers guidance for mitigating water-related disasters such as floods and drought during the COVID-19 crisis. Frontiers of Water-Related Disaster Management and the Way Forward examines the importance of effective governance as a pillar of disaster risk management strategy and ways to strengthen it amid new pandemic challenges. The policy brief was published ahead of the International Online Conference to Address Water-related Disaster Risk Reduction under the COVID-19 Pandemic, helping to inform the proceedings co-hosted by ADB, GRIPS, HELP, and UNCRD.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor, ADBI Dean Urge Innovative Crisis Approach

Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor W. D. Lakshman and ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe encouraged “outside-of-the box” thinking to ensure economic and financial stability amid the COVID-19 crisis in remarks opening an ADBI-CBSL-Asia-Pacific Applied Economics Association virtual workshop on 6 August to mark CBSL’s 70th anniversary. Central bankers and researchers examined monetary policy next steps in Sri Lanka and other developing Asian economies, drawing upon findings from research papers presented during the workshop. They focused on ways to promote growth and stability amid the increasingly challenging macroeconomic policy environment, discussing issues related to local currency bond markets, capital flow volatility, inflation dynamics, economic policy uncertainty, trade tensions, and demographic change.

See ADBI’s expert analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on developing Asia and the Pacific, and policy ideas for promoting relief, recovery, and resilience in the region.

Events

ADBI Dean Sonobe on Enabling Asia's COVID-19 Recovery

ADBI is conducting research on the need for coordinated fiscal and monetary policy stimulus to address challenges related to the scale of COVID-19’s spread and severe negative impact on the global economy. The findings will be detailed in a policy brief for the Think20 (T20), the G20’s research and policy advice network. The aim is to encourage the G20 to develop a coordinated framework and principles to help contain virus’s spread and stabilize the economy. The approach could also support the adoption of policies conducive to economic growth and development.

Project Team:

Peter J. Morgan, Vice Chair of Research, ADBI
Nella Hendriyetty, Senior CBT Economist, ADBI
Naoyuki Yoshino, Professor Emeritus, Keio University
Jean Dong, Chief Executive, China Australia Belt and Road Initiative

Contact: Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

Human Mobility and Transportation Impacts Due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on cities and transportation networks has given rise to the urgent need for interdisciplinary research addressing human mobility, infrastructure, supply chains, logistics, and integrated mobility models. ADBI is conducting a call for papers on related issues, to be presented at a forthcoming conference and for possible inclusion in a special issue of the journal Frontiers of Future Transportation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Impacts of COVID-19 on human mobility
Human behavior effects on COVID-19’s spread and vice versa
Vulnerability modeling
Connections between epidemics and travel behavior
COVID-19’s impacts on critical goods distribution
Resilience of cities to pandemics
Vulnerability of supply chains to shocks
Disparities of impacts on travel behavior, based on race, age, gender, and income

Project Team:

KE Seetha Ram, Senior Consulting Specialist for Capacity Building and Training Projects, ADBI
Peter J. Morgan, Vice Chair of Research, ADBI
Satish Ukkusuri, Purdue University
Francesco Viti, University of Luxemburg

Contact: KE Seetha Ram ([email protected]) and Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

Impacts of COVID-19 and Related Policies on Households in ASEAN Countries

ADBI is conducting a survey to gauge the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government policies on households in 8 ASEAN member countries. The project’s aim is to promote improved support policies for vulnerable households based on an empirical examination of their income, employment, remittances, consumption, and child education during the pandemic, as well as responses to government assistance measures. This is being done through phone surveys.

Project Team:

Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean, ADBI
Peter J. Morgan, Vice Chair of Research, ADBI
Bihong Huang, Research Fellow, ADBI
Trinh Q. Long, Project Consultant, ADBI
Susumu Yoshida, Project Consultant, ADBI

Contact: Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

Impacts of COVID-19 and Related Policies on SMEs in Asian Countries

ADBI and the Asian Productivity Organization are conducting a survey to gauge the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related policies on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia and the Pacific. The project’s aim is to promote improved support policies for these vulnerable firms based on an empirical examination of SME productivity, production and supply chain trends and trade flows during the pandemic, as well as responses to government assistance measures.

Project Team:

Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean, ADBI
Peter J. Morgan, Vice Chair of Research, ADBI
Bihong Huang, Research Fellow, ADBI
Trinh Q. Long, Project Consultant, ADBI
Susumu Yoshida, Project Consultant, ADBI

Contact: Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

SME Survey Click here

Impacts of COVID-19 on Rural Households in Bangladesh

ADBI is conducting a survey of rural households in Bangladesh to better understand COVID-19’s impacts on vulnerable people and guide the development of policy responses that improve social protection. This phone-based survey will focus on issues pertaining to remittance income, the availability of labor and agricultural materials, and public services such as education and emergency assistance. The data will be used to assess the effects of the pandemic and related measures on households’ behavior and formulate policy recommendations.

Project Team:

Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean, ADBI
Peter J. Morgan, Vice Chair of Research, ADBI
Abdul Malek Mohammad, Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba

Contact: Peter J. Morgan ([email protected])

Featured Activities

ADBI-Chiang Mai University Spotlight Poverty Reduction Next Steps

Ways to reduce poverty and advance inclusive and sustainable growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic were discussed during the 9th International Conference on Asia Economic Development on 21-22 July, co-hosted by ADBI and Chiang Mai University (CMU) to move toward the Sustainable Development Goals. ADBI and CMU experts, together with policy makers and representatives from ADB, UNDP, and the World Bank, called for prompt fiscal stimulus and greater efforts to boost economic equality and social protection. They also reaffirmed the importance of open economic systems and the role digitalization for promoting financial inclusion and post-COVID-19 adjustment.
ADBI Experts Urge Coordinated Action for Inclusive Digital Recovery

ADBI experts discussed the potential for digitalization to advance inclusive recovery during a Global Solutions Dialogue on 16 July on urbanization and infrastructure-based pandemic mitigation. ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe explained that greater efforts to leverage increasing demand for digital infrastructure and tools could improve COVID-19 controls and productivity. He also called for stepped up international coordination to combat cybercrime and privacy threats. ADBI Senior Capacity Building and Training Economist, Nella Hendriyetty, added that the digital divide in developing countries and among vulnerable groups must be narrowed to achieve recovery for all.
ADBI Dean Promotes Digitalization-Driven Recovery During Think Tank Town Hall

Capitalizing on the accelerating digital transformation of economies in the COVID-19 era will be key to boosting crisis recovery, according to ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe. He shared this assessment during a multi-week global think tank town hall initiative to promote evidence-based pandemic solutions, organized by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tank and Civil Societies Program. Dean Sonobe urged greater digital infrastructure investment and risk-mitigation to enhance employment, business resilience, and social protection. He also called for adequate governance of digital economies to further build their inclusiveness and shock-resistance.
T20 Policy Brief Details COVID-19 Era Infrastructure Financing Solutions

Ways to scale up “quality infrastructure” investment that supports sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery are described in a new Think20 (T20) policy brief, co-authored by ADBI Senior Capacity Building and Training Economist Nella Hendriyetty. Increased fiscal spending to fight the pandemic will limit public infrastructure investment capacity and require greater efforts to lure private capital to fill the gap, the policy brief explains. To address this need, it details recommendations for reducing infrastructure financing risks, accelerating project development, and mitigating the disruptive effects of the pandemic and future disasters. The policy brief was produced as part of the T20 2020 process, offering guidance to global policy makers during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency.
Former ROK Minister Urges Post-COVID-19 Digital Education Rethink

Former Education, Science, and Technology Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK), Ju-Ho Lee, encouraged the technological transformation of post-COVID-19 education during an ADBI Distinguished Speaker Series webinar on 1 July. Lee, now a professor at the Korean Development Institute, noted that the application of artificial intelligence-based “High-Touch High-Tech” education could enhance learning by delivering basic knowledge that allows teachers to focus on personalized instruction. Pandemic-driven changes highlight physical classroom education’s limits and provide an opening to advance to more innovative, equitable, and sustainable modes of learning, he concluded.
ADBI-CAREC Urge Green COVID-19 Recovery

Policy makers and experts stressed the need for an environmentally sustainable COVID-19 recovery in Asia during an ADBI-CAREC Institute climate change dialogue on 18-19 June. Delegates noted the increasing pressure on public funding due to the pandemic and importance of attracting greater private green financing. They went on to exchange innovative ideas for accelerating and governing investments that boost climate change mitigation. They also discussed case studies on COVID-19’s impacts on green projects and how to enhance regional cooperation to promote green growth.
ADBI-WCTRS Build Post-COVID-19 Transportation Resilience

Policy makers and experts evaluated COVID-19’s impacts on transportation systems during the second webinar of the ADBI-World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS) series on high-speed rail on 12 June. ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe opened the proceedings that addressed mass transportation’s role in exacerbating as well as mitigating the virus’s spread. Chubu University’s Yoshitugu Hayashi and Hiroshima University’s Junyi Zhang went on to describe how the pandemic has transformed transport and people’s lives. ADBI Deputy Dean Chul Ju Kim chaired the discussions of recommendations to build transportation system resilience for the new environment.
Experts Discuss Ways to Enhance COVID-19 Safety Nets for Women

The urgent need for greater social protection for women, one of the most affected groups in the COVID-19 crisis, was highlighted on 10 June during the last of three ADBI-Asian Development Bank (ADB) webinars on the pandemic’s safety net challenges and real-time policy lessons for Asia. Amitabh Kant, CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India, described India’s COVID-19 safety net response. Experts concluded the webinar series by discussing policy recommendations for institutionalizing pandemic support for the vulnerable to boost recovery and crisis preparedness.
ADBI-ADB Promote Effective COVID-19 Safety Nets for Migrant Workers

Policy makers and development practitioners discussed the fragile situation of migrant workers due to COVID-19 and related policy imperatives on 4 June, during the second of three ADBI-Asian Development Bank (ADB) webinars addressing the pandemic’s safety net challenges and real-time policy lessons for Asia. The proceedings emphasized the importance of effective return and reintegration policies. They also featured a case study examining the Philippines’ pandemic safety net response and the difficulty of rapidly scaling up cash transfers to reach millions of additional poor households.
Urban Mobility Expert Describes Data-Driven Recovery Breakthroughs

The use of mobile phone and social media data to track people’s movement, the spread of COVID-19, and economic risks in cities was examined during an ADBI distinguished speaker series webinar on 5 June featuring Purdue University civil engineering professor Satish Ukkusuri. Drawing upon his survey-based research in Japan and the United States, Ukkusuri noted that mobility analytics can help to improve understanding of behavioral patterns and the recovery process following pandemics and natural disasters. This information provides new ways for policy makers to design measures to strengthen urban resilience and prepare effective recovery strategies for future crises, he added.
Policy Leaders Share COVID-19 Safety Net Lessons

ADBI and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 2 June co-hosted the first of a three-part webinar series addressing COVID-19 safety net challenges and real-time policy lessons for Asia and the Pacific. Policy makers and experts examined challenges governments face in rapidly expanding social safety nets to reach the most vulnerable. The session featured Pakistan Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Sania Nishtar, who discussed the country’s efforts to assist COVID-19 affected people. She detailed how Pakistan has sought to identify the vulnerable, incentivize stakeholders, and deliver aid, offering insights for scaling up regional COVID-19 safety net measures.
ADBI to T20: COVID-19 Action Vital to Demographic Transition

ADBI Capacity Building and Training Economist Pitchaya Sirivunnabood highlighted the importance of addressing COVID-19 shocks to avoid exacerbating demographic transition challenges during a Think20 (T20) task force webinar on 2 June. Sirivunnabood suggested the G20 and other countries create sufficient fiscal space to mitigate the pandemic’s health and economic impacts, and help confront demographic changes like population aging. She also called for inclusive measures that recognize vulnerable groups such as older people, females, and migrant workers to ensure social cohesion.
ADBI Details COVID-19 Financial Inclusion Guidance Before T20

ADBI Vice Chair of Research Peter Morgan explained during a Think20 (T20) task force webinar on 20 May that greater efforts by the G20 and other governments to promote digital financial literacy could advance financial inclusion in the COVID-19 era. Morgan said the pandemic-driven acceleration of the digital economy is increasing the need for national digital financial education strategies and guidelines, developed in coordination with fintech companies. He noted that this approach could boost access to financial services and financial education for disadvantaged groups.
ADBI Briefs T20 on COVID-19 Infrastructure Solutions

ADBI Senior Capacity Building and Training Economist Nella Hendriyetty discussed ways the G20 and other governments can bolster quality infrastructure growth that supports post-COVID 19 economic recovery and job creation during a Think20 (T20) task force webinar on 20 May. Hendriyetty said policy makers could address COVID-19 triggered weakening in public infrastructure funding by introducing innovative policies to attract private investment while boosting small and medium-sized enterprises for increased spillover effects to ensure sustainable growth.
ADBI Partners with Global Think Tanks to Promote COVID-19 Recovery

ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe discussed the importance of digitalization for enabling COVID-19 recovery at a global think tank town hall on pandemic solutions hosted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) on 13 May. Dean Sonobe said utilizing digital innovations will be key to harnessing structural changes in economies accelerated by COVID-19, including the heightened role of e-commerce, remote work, and new business models. He noted this will require greater efforts to address digital access and skills divides as well as privacy and cybercrime risks. ADBI will work with other top think tanks under the TTCSP initiative to formulate recovery recommendations for governments and the global community.
ADBI Informs COVID-19 Water Risk Reduction Principles

ADBI experts have teamed up with ADB and global partners to launch policy principles for mitigating water disasters in the COVID-19 era. ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe helped devise the principles which promote actions for protecting areas affected by water emergencies like floods and droughts from becoming COVID-19 epicenters and expediting recovery. Dean Sonobe and ADBI’s Capacity Building and Training Department will also support implementation efforts, in coordination with the UN-initiated High-Level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters that co-developed the principles.