BANGKOK, Thailand, Sep 02 (IPS) – The development paradigm has shifted to ‘digital by default’ as the norm, reshaping societies and economies. As a hub for digitally-driven innovations, Asia and the Pacific is well-positioned to harness the transformative potential of digital technologies to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Emerging technologies are enabling smarter climate action, building cities more resilient to disasters, and optimizing urban development. Artificial intelligence is helping to improve the accuracy of disaster early warning systems by providing the right information to the right people at the right time.
Digital finance is more inclusive and provides greater access, especially to marginalised groups. At the same time, digital government platforms ensure that government services can reach all citizens more effectively and efficiently.
The Asia Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2024launching this week, shows how digital innovations have enabled more advanced climate mitigation and adaptation actions in infrastructure, governance, mobility, industry and trade, disaster risk reduction, and agricultural and biodiversity ecosystems.
Based on data from the International Energy Agency, the use of digital technologies and big data could save $80 billion per year or about 5 percent of the world’s total annual electricity generation costswhile digitalisation can help integrate renewable energy sources by better connecting smart grids to energy demand.
However, the opportunities that digital innovations offer for sustainable development also come with challenges and looming threats. The Asia-Pacific region faces several barriers to the large-scale adoption of digital solutions.
While 96 percent of the population In Asia and the Pacific, people living in areas covered by mobile broadband networks are estimated to use only a third of Internet services productively and up to 40 percent lack basic digital skills.
Moreover, in urban areas, four out of five people use the Internet, while this figure is higher in rural areas. only 52 percentSuch gaps in meaningful access are driven by digital divides that are largely defined by age, income, education and geographic divides, with the gender gap underlying all of these dimensions.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly advances, closing the digital divide between and within countries is of paramount importance and urgency. Only then can everyone reap the full benefits of digital technologies while minimizing their risks.
Implementing innovative, disruptive solutions to bridge the digital divide and harness digital transformation for sustainable development requires large-scale investments in new infrastructure and connectivity.
To achieve this goal, it is crucial to expand affordable, high-speed internet coverage, especially among marginalized and underserved communities in rural areas. Digital skills training and lifelong learning must also be provided. This is crucial to reduce digital inequality and connect the unconnected.
By sharing knowledge, experiences and practices between countries, regional cooperation can create an enabling environment for innovation to flourish and move towards an inclusive digital future.
These holistic approaches require a high level of policy ambition. Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and TransformationAt the ESCAP summit organised this week in Astana in collaboration with the Government of Kazakhstan, ministers are expected to commit to a common vision focused on innovative, collaborative digital solutions based on regional cooperation.
In this context, the conference will discuss the possibility of establishing a Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan. This centre aims to share practical digital solutions to advance the sustainable development agenda in the region.
In this regard, the ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Initiative and its Action Plan 2022-2026 contributes to the collective drive to enable meaningful connectivity for all, scale digital technology applications and amplify digital data, forming the basis for an inclusive, sustainable digital future.
With Asia and the Pacific at the forefront of a global digital transformation, a sustainable future is within reach. Let us seize the digital promise to accelerate sustainable development in our region.
https://www.youtube.com/unescap
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
Zhaslan Madijev is the Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aviation Industry of Kazakhstan.
IPS UN Office
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
