Features

Time for SMEs in CAREC to move beyond borders

The improved connectivity of the region provides opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in CAREC countries to inject new life in the economies of the program's member countries.

Six ways Asian economic cooperation is changing the region

Asia is going through sweeping transformations that have altered its economic landscape in fundamental ways.

In Azerbaijan, Road Upgrades Bring New Opportunity

A smooth transport connection from Baku to the Georgian border means faster, safer, and more efficient travel, and improved lives in communities along the way.

Why does Afghanistan need a transport master plan?

Afghanistan recently launched a 20-year master plan to improve the country’s transport and logistics system. Following the withdrawal of international troops and a decline in foreign assistance, the master plan is a constructive response to one of the country’s most pressing development challenges. (Photo credit: ADB)

State-of-the-art Technology Boosts Energy Efficiency, Saves Money at One of Uzbekistan’s Largest Plants

Two new high-efficiency combined cycle gas turbines at the Talimarjan power plant in southern Uzbekistan will help modernize the country’s energy infrastructure, free up resources for investment, and produce surplus electricity for export.

Off-grid solar can be game-changer for electricity access in Central Asia

More than 700 million people in Asia and the Pacific still have no access to electricity, and a large number of them are in two CAREC Program member countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Designing new climate-resilient roads in the Kyrgyz Republic

Roads are critical to transport across the vast lands of Central Asia, so we must make sure they can withstand the effects of climate change. Here is how we addressed adaptation in a new way for a project underway in the Kyrgyz Republic, where roads carry approximately 95% of passenger traffic and over 50% of freight.

A snapshot of e-commerce in Central Asia

In 2015, Central Asia made some important improvements in the environment for cross-border e-commerce: Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization will boost commercial transparency, while the Kyrgyz Republic’s membership in the Eurasian Customs Union expands its consumer base.

A New Look at Special Economic Zones in Asia

As countries in developing Asia adjust to shifting global economic realities – including lower trade volumes, volatile commodity prices, and ongoing slow growth in industrial economies – new tools to drive development can appear hard to come by.

Dangerous, Gravel Road that Was Hindering Kazakhstan’s Trade with the World

A single, critical roadway was hobbling Kazakhstan’s efforts to expand trade with Asia and Europe – that is changing.