A sustainable future within reach with the promise of digital transformation

The development paradigm has shifted to “digital by default” as a norm, reshaping societies and economies. As a hub for digitally driven innovations, the Asia Pacific region is well positioned to leverage the transformative potential of digital technologies to accelerate progress towards the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals.

Emerging technologies are enabling smarter climate action, building more disaster-resilient cities and optimising urban development. Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to improve the accuracy of early warning systems for disasters by ensuring that the right information reaches the right people at the right time.

Digital finance is more inclusive - expanding access especially for marginalised groups - while digital government platforms likewise enable public services to reach all citizens more effectively and efficiently.

Digital innovations supporting climate action

The Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2024, which will be launched this week, demonstrates how digital innovations have enabled more sophisticated climate mitigation and adaptation measures across infrastructure, governance, mobility, industry and trade, disaster risk reduction, and agricultural and biodiversity ecosystems.

Drawing from International Energy Agency data, the deployment of digital technologies and big data could save US$80 billion (S$105 billion) per year or around five per cent of total world annual power generation costs. Digitalisation can help the integration of renewables by enabling smart grids to better match energy demand.

The opportunities presented by digital innovations for sustainable development also face challenges and looming threats. The Asia Pacific region is confronted with several barriers to the largescale adoption of digital solutions.

While 96 per cent of the population in the region live in areas covered by mobile broadband networks, it is estimated that only one-third of the population productively uses internet services and up to 40 per cent lacks basic digital skills.

Moreover, while four out of five people in urban areas use the Internet, in rural regions, this figure is only 52 per cent. Such gaps in meaningful access are due to digital divides that broadly follow age, income, education and geographic fault lines, with the gender divide underlying all these aspects.

With the use of AI rapidly rising, the need and urgency to bridge the digital divides between and within countries remain critical to ensure the full enjoyment of the benefits of digital technologies for all, while minimizing their risks.

Deploying innovative breakthrough solutions in bridging the digital divide and leveraging digital transformation for sustainable development will require mobilising investments at scale in new infrastructure and connectivity.

To this end, expanding affordable high-speed Internet coverage particularly among marginalised and underserved communities in rural areas, as well as offering digital skills training and lifelong learning, are critical for reducing digital disparities and connecting the unconnected.

By sharing knowledge, experiences and practices among countries, regional cooperation can create a conducive environment for innovation to flourish and steer us towards an inclusive digital future.

Policy ambition, collaboration key

These holistic approaches require a high level of policy ambition.  At the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation, which ESCAP is organising in partnership with the Government of Kazakhstan in Astana this week, Ministers are expected to commit to a common vision, centred on innovative, collaborative digital solutions grounded in regional cooperation.

In this regard, the conference will consider the possibility of establishing a Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan that aims to share practical digital solutions to advance the sustainable development agenda in the region.

Relatedly, the ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Initiative and its Action Plan 2022-2026 contributes to the collective push to extend meaningful connectivity to all, scale up digital technology applications and strengthen digital data, which form the foundations for an inclusive, sustainable digital future.

With Asia Pacific at the forefront of a global digital transformation, a sustainable future is within reach. Let us seize on the digital promise to accelerate sustainable development in our region.

About the authors:

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. 

Zhaslan Madiyev is the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan. 
 

To learn more about Kazakhstan’s efforts in supporting regional digital transformation and its efforts supporting proactive digital government, read GovInsider's past coverage of Kazakhstan here.