Resilient Asia Program

The Indo-Gangetic Plain–Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) region, spanning Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, endures some of the most polluted air in the world. Air pollution travels long distances in South Asia and gets trapped in large “airsheds” that are shaped by climatology and geography, lowering air quality throughout the region.

With RAP support, the World Bank is working to measure, analyze, and assist South Asia in developing and implementing a Regional Air Quality Management Program in the IGP-HF countries. This involves support for a broader airshed management approach, regional convening and coordination, and the facilitation of global knowledge and technical assistance, in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)—a partner under the CARA program. 

The World Bank and ICIMOD have brought together scientists and policymakers from the IGP-HF countries to focus on the value of coordinated and collaborative efforts on air quality management in South Asia through two Science Policy and Financial Dialogues (SPFD). The first SPFD—held in Kathmandu in December 2022—convened government representatives from 24 institutions in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. This led to the Kathmandu Roadmap, a cornerstone agreement which identifies air pollution as a critical development challenge hinging on regional coordination.  The second SPFD—held in Thimphu in June 2024—gathered together more than 50 government representatives from the IGP-HF countries, scientists, and development and financing partners, and issued  the Thimphu Outcome 2024 which emphasizes the need for accelerated actions to comply with National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and for considering an aspirational goal of < 35 μg/m3 for annual PM2.5 concentrations by 2035 (“35 by 35”). In addition, RAP support is underpinning emerging World Bank investment operations to stem air pollution in 10 jurisdictions across the IGP-HF of South Asia.

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South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions to hydrometeorological and climate shocks. The transboundary nature of weather patterns calls for a regional perspective and cooperation in strengthening hydromet services and disaster resilience in the region. With RAP support, the South Asia Hydromet Forum (SAHF)—established in 2018—sustains regional engagement to promote collaboration and enhance capacity at the regional and sub-regional levels towards improving hydromet, and early warning and climate services in South Asia. As a catalyst for regional engagement, the South Asia Hydromet Forum organizes conferences—most recently the South Asia Hydromet Forum IV – "Unlocking Regional Synergies" in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February, 2024. Since 2018, the four SAHF meets have convened over 650 hydromet professionals from the region, leading to the formation of the SAHF Executive Council in 2019 and a weekly Forecasters Forum (with over 108 weekly meetings held as of March 2024).

Rivers are the oldest means of transport in the massive Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, where a dense lattice of waterways once carried over 70 percent of the goods and passengers within the region. Today, however, less than 2 percent of goods are transported by water. Rivers and waterways often transcend national boundaries and offer a shared opportunity for regional integration which can, in turn, serve as important cargo and passenger transport routes, spur trade, attract investment and stimulate development

Bangladesh and India—the two countries that share the delta—are working to restore these long-defunct water channels. In addition, landlocked Nepal and Bhutan are also starting to harness the potential of the waterways to gain easier access to Bangladesh and India, as well as to ports on the Bay of Bengal. RAP is supporting an active water resources management dialogue between Assam, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, complementing two ongoing World Bank investment projects.

The Sundarbans region is the largest and one of the richest mangrove ecosystems in the world,  but it is under threat from climate change and human-induced pressures. RAP is supporting the governments of India and Bangladesh to prioritize packages of investments that will enhance the natural capital and strengthen the resilience of communities dependent on the Sundarbans through bluer, greener, and inclusive growth. The program helps to build resilience by improving the capacity of communities to adapt to changing conditions and respond to shocks, along with increasing livelihood opportunities—in particular, for women and members of marginal communities—and improving the management of natural capital, primarily through nature-based solutions.

Cooling has emerged as a developmental challenge in South Asia due to increased heat stress that is threatening the economy and jeopardizing health and livelihoods of millions. Heat stress and lack of access to cooling extends disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities, women, and those with special needs (including pregnant and elderly women

RAP is supporting  activities in South Asian countries to i) facilitate and inform policy decisions for the governments of South Asian countries as they seek to deliver sustainable cooling and thermal comfort as a resilience strategy, ii) provide research support to relevant sectoral ministries on potential outcomes of National Cooling Action Plan implementation strategies, and iii) provide a platform for South Asian countries to approach the common challenge of heat-stress through sharing best practices and experiences.

South Asia’s ecological resources—among the richest and most diverse globally—are under threat from climate change and human development encroaching on natural habitat. RAP is supporting knowledge, technical assistance, capacity building, and potential investments at scale, in management, restoration and conservation of natural resources in South Asia’s critical ecosystems while preserving the interests of local communities and livelihoods. Among the areas supported are: 1) Biodiversity Conservation and Transboundary Ecosystem Management through technical assistance on National Biodiversity and Action Plans; 2) Human Wildlife Conflict which is on the rise with implications for wildlife and livelihoods sustainability; and 3) Forest fires which negatively influence the economies, environment, biodiversity, and social aspects at the regional and local scales.

Geohazard risk in South Asia is increasing in the context of climate change. Home to the fragile Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, South Asia is particularly vulnerable to geohazards like landslides and earthquakes, with 60 percent of globally occurring landslides in the region. The number of geohazards in South Asia quadrupled during 1970-2000, resulting in damages of over US$25 billion in 2008-2012 alone. RAP is supporting the development of landslide hazard monitoring and early warning models for selected hotspots that, importantly, can inform solutions for similar typologies/other locations. Building upon this work, an operational framework for landslide early warning will be developed for the whole HKH region. In addition, this activity will support greater financial resilience through strengthening Land Administration (information on land tenure, land valuation, land use, and land development) and Spatial Data Infrastructures (through developing regionally compatible systems). Finally, a conceptual framework and roadmap will be developed for establishing a Regional Center of Excellence in South Asia to promote greater collaboration and resilience in the region. 

South Asia is the Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDE) region that is most vulnerable to climate change and has had the largest number of people affected by climate disasters in the past decade. Governments are severely constrained in their ability to support households and firms in their climate adaptation since South Asia is also the EMDE region with the highest government debt levels. The brunt of climate adaptation will therefore have to be borne by households and firms. As such, RAP is supporting surveys of households and firms in Bangladesh and India to better understand first, how can households and firms adapt to climate change? And second, which policies can help them adapt? This critical data will help to extend the research literature on adaptation and inform World Bank investments in the region.

Supporting a series of three high-level roundtables, the South Asia Resilience Knowledge Initiative is convening practitioners from across the region to delve into climate resilience issues in South Asia in collaboration with the Asia Society Policy Institute. The first Roundtable, held in March 2024, convened representatives from government, academia and civil society to discuss the Water-Food-Energy Nexus Approach in the South Asian context. This Approach explores the interaction and symbiosis of sectors to identify greater efficiencies in water, energy and food production, leading to improved outcomes.

A second Roundtable: Catalyzing Climate Finance for Resilience in South Asia—a hybrid event held in New York City (June 2024) —brought together experts to examine the complex relationship between South Asia's climate vulnerability and its ability to finance resilience (economic approaches to adaptation and disaster risk management) amid escalating debt challenges. The discussion centered on emerging solutions to mobilize domestic and international resources, foster private sector investment, identify innovative and affordable climate finance instruments, and drive policy changes to strengthen the region’s capacity to advance climate resilience.

The Political Economy of Climate Change in South Asia was the theme of the third and final Roundtable. A key barrier to advancing low-carbon solutions in South Asia, along with various other climate strategies—such as water governance, energy efficiency, and innovative agriculture—is the challenge of designing and implementing structural changes in a complex political environment. Therefore, understanding the political economy of climate change is essential for developing effective adaptation strategies, as well as advancing climate action and resilience-building in South Asia. This virtual roundtable convened policy shapers, economists, environmental experts, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss the interplay between political decisions, economic implications, governance and institutional challenges coupled with the intensifying climate crisis.