Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Each issue of the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics (MBS) presents current economic and social statistics for more than 200 countries and territories of the world. Written in French and English it contains over 50 tables of monthly and/or annual and quarterly data on a variety of subjects illustrating important economic trends and developments including population prices employment and earnings energy manufacturing transport construction international merchandise trade and finance. The annual subscription rate for the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics in print includes access to the MBS Online.

Mining is generally perceived to bring benefits through compensation royalty payments and other types of assistance to the landowners and surrounding communities. In Papua New Guinea however many mining communities lack access to basic services including health. This paper presents results from a study conducted in three mine-impacted communities in Papua New Guinea based on building resilience through community capitals collaboratively by the stakeholders. This endeavour can sustain service delivery in all stages of mining: beginning operational and beyond mine closure. To achieve sustainable communities resilience must be built through the development and interaction of these capitals.

In recent decades global attention has turned to economic progress in India which has been growing at an average annual rate of approximately 7 per cent since the onset of the twenty-first century. India is the most populous country and has the fifth largest economy in the world. The population and resource diversity add to the intricacy of the country’s economic progress.

Shifting demographics and evolving societal expectations are transforming the dynamics of intergenerational relations in Asia and the Pacific. This paper deals with how ageing-in-place policies housing strategies and community development practices shape intergenerational living arrangements and interactions in the region. Successful strategies and challenges in fostering supportive social and physical environments are highlighted after reviewing case studies and cultural influences. While emphasizing long-term holistic support through neighbourhoods and strengthened community bonds the authors present lessons learned to improve ageing-related policies that promote inclusivity resilience and mutual support across generations enabling societies to adapt effectively to demographic and socioeconomic pressures.

The theme of this paper is the importance of future-proofing social protection systems in Asia and the Pacific to reduce poverty and inequality in the light of emerging megatrends including climate change demographic shifts and advancements in digital technologies. In this paper a set of tangible and cross-cutting policies is presented that countries in the region could consider to strengthen social protection systems with the objective to be better prepared to tackle future challenges while also contributing to a more inclusive prosperous and sustainable future for all.

The demographic transition in Asia and the Pacific has resulted in rapid population ageing smaller family sizes more people living in urban areas and more migrants. Some of these changes are due to socioeconomic development. People of different age groups are living together longer and their relations are multidimensional. If policymakers and other stakeholders are to deliver inclusive and sustainable development they must apply demographic foresight and forward-looking analysis related to the effects of demographic change to the way societies function and evolve. Intergenerational solidarity dialogue and social cohesion are the foundation of prosperity for current and future generations.