Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2012

Part I – Special Chapter: Green Urbanization in Asia

The special chapter on “Green Urbanization in Asia” tackles two growing concerns—environmental sustainability and rapid urbanization. Asia is home to almost half of the global urban population and is urbanizing at a pace faster than any other region, resulting in an unprecedented growth in urban residents and increased number of densely populated megacities. Consequently, the region will be confronted with even greater environmental challenges that are already serious, including air pollution, congestion, CO2 emission, deprivation in water and basic sanitation, and growing vulnerability to natural disasters. But with urbanization comes the rise of the middle-class and property owners, the development of the service sector, declining fertility and increased educational attainment, and more importantly, innovations in green technology. These urbanization-related forces and mechanism are important for attaining a win-win scenario of environmental improvement and economic growth. Through establishing and exploring the environment-urbanization nexus in Asia, the chapter offers a cautiously optimistic environmental prospect for Asia as the region urbanizes. The chapter also provides suggestions for government intervention to ensure a green urbanization path in the region.

Part II – Millennium Development Goals

Part III – Regional Trends and Tables

Part IV Definitions

Statistics by Economy

Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators

The Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators 2012 (FIGI 2012) is the follow-up edition to FIGI 2011, which proposed a set of 35 indicators as measures of income and non-income outcomes of inclusive growth; the processes and inputs that are important to improve access to opportunities, social inclusion, social safety nets; and good governance and institutions.

Part 1 provides a comparative analysis of the state of inclusive growth in developing Asia and in the other developing regions of the world – Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa – based on the FIGI indicators. It also examines the correlations between indicators of poverty and inequality outcomes, on the one hand, and indicators for processes, inputs, and good governance and institutions; on the other; and draws policy implications from the results. Part II contains updated statistical tables for the 35 FIGI indicators for the economies of developing Asia.