Insufficient data hampers climate change response in Asia-Pacific: ADB survey

MANILA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) — Policymakers in Asia and the Pacific have been struggling to collect and analyze the data they need to effectively respond to climate change, a new survey by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) showed on Thursday.
The survey noted that some national statistical offices in the region do not have enough staff working on climate data, and others do not have a dedicated unit.
According to the research, most respondents said their access to geographically granular data was “fair” at best for many types of data, including on climate change drivers such as fossil fuel use and total greenhouse gas emissions. Key data on impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure, specific geographic areas, and water security are lacking.
Without high-quality data and the ability to analyze it, policymakers in the region cannot design effective, targeted measures to tackle the causes and effects of climate change and evaluate their effectiveness, the Manila-based bank said.
“Asia and the Pacific is at the forefront of the climate battle,” said ADB Chief Economist Albert Park. “We need high-quality data and robust statistical capacity to avoid policy blind spots and make sure our strategies for tackling the climate crisis are well-informed.”
“This means we need to invest in our statistical systems, our people, and our institutions. The cost of not doing so will be far higher than the cost of these investments,” Park said.
The findings of the ADB’s survey were released as part of Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2024, which discussed trends in development progress and the challenges of achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the region. ■