by Nik Sekhran, Director, Sustainable Development, UNDP

1. Nik Sekhran
Director, Sustainable Development
United Nations Development Programme
Manila, September 2017
Session I: Taking Stock/ Overview of Progress

2. Poverty
Over 300 million people lived
in extreme poverty in 2013 in
the region. South Asia
accounted for over 15% of
people living in extreme
poverty in 2013.
Water
48% of South Asia’s
renewable water resources
are withdrawn.
Climate Change
The region alone would
emit more than 20 billion
tons of CO2 by 2035 which
equals 46% of the world’s
share.
Gender
Large gender disparities in
enrolment ratios are found
in tertiary education.
Sanitation
55% of the population lack
access to improved sanitation
facilities in South Asia, and
23% in East Asia & the Pacific.
Inequality
Twelve of the 30
economies in the region
showed an increase in the
Gini coefficient in the past
two decades.
Jobs & Livelihoods
By 2050, some 280 million
people will join the job
market in India alone.
Between 1991-2013 less
than half of new entrants
to the labour market were
absorbed by the economy.
Hunger
About 16% of the
population in South Asia,
10% in East Asia and 7% in
Pacific small island states
remain undernourished.

3.  SIDS are particularly vulnerable to climate change, with populations, agricultural lands and infrastructure
tending to be concentrated in the coastal zone
 $63.1 billion is the annual damage caused by disasters in Asia and the Pacific*
 $40 billion is the budget required annually to help the region adapt to climate change
Source: ADB
*This is the average over a twenty year period (1995-2014)

4. Source: SDSN - SDG Index (http://www.sdgindex.org/download/)
SDG DASHBOARD FOR COUNTRIES IN EAST AND SOUTH ASIA