Innovative local solutions in Asia and the Pacific are ensuring that vulnerable populations are no longer left invisible in policymaking. Community-driven initiatives play an important role in bridging critical data gaps for United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), making sustainable development efforts more inclusive across the region, a new report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has highlighted.
The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 was released February 18, 2025. The annual flagship publication utilises the latest global SDG indicator data to track regional progress and identify areas where further efforts are required.
While data availability in Asia and the Pacific has improved, with 54 per cent of indicators having at least two data points in 2024, significant gaps remain, particularly concerning disaggregated data by age, disability, sex and location, the report said.
From mapping nomadic tribal households in Rajasthan, India, to deploying health-monitoring mobile applications in Indonesia, communities are leading the way in filling information voids that hinder sustainable development. These efforts are proving essential in making policies more representative and effective in tackling inequalities.
However, despite such progress, the report warned that urgent action is required if the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be met by 2030. ESCAP Executive Secretary and United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, stressed that persistent data gaps limit policymakers’ ability to address the needs of the most marginalised communities.
“Constrained resources to modernise statistical systems pose additional hurdles. Without urgent action to accelerate progress, many of the Goals will remain out of reach,” she stated in a press release.
The report identified significant achievements in the region, particularly in reducing income poverty (Goal 1), tackling undernourishment (Goal 2), supporting small-scale industries (Goal 9), reducing hazardous waste (Goal 12), slowing land degradation (Goal 15) and combating human trafficking and intentional homicide (Goal 16). These successes position Asia and the Pacific as a global leader in these specific SDG areas.
However, progress on key SDGs such as quality education (Goal 4), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8) and sustainable consumption and production (Goal 12) remains worryingly slow. Fossil fuel subsidies, low literacy and numeracy rates and unsustainable production patterns continue to hinder advancements. Additionally, environmental setbacks such as increasing greenhouse gas emissions and vulnerability to natural disasters exacerbate the region’s struggle with climate action (Goal 13), marine conservation (Goal 14) and land sustainability (Goal 15).
Development benefits are often unequally distributed, with intersecting factors such as age, gender, education, location and wealth exacerbating disparities, the report further highlighted. Poverty and education levels are identified as the two most significant contributors to inequality of opportunity. Households in rural areas with lower educational attainment face major barriers in accessing basic services like water, sanitation and clean energy.
To address these disparities, ESCAP called for a transformation in national statistical systems to ensure more granular, nuanced data collection and analysis. Such improvements would provide policymakers with better insights into the needs of specific population groups, particularly those at risk of being left behind.
Achieving the SDGs requires urgent political commitment, financial investment and stronger cross-sector partnerships, the report emphasised. Governments across Asia and the Pacific were urged to adopt a whole-of-society approach and invest in the digital transformation of their statistical systems.