The main objective of the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2016: SDG Baseline Report is to highlight critical gaps and challenges of the region in achieving the SDGs and inform inter-governmental and inter-agency regional decision making in support of implementing the 2030 development agenda in the region. The reports will complement other documents focusing on policy analysis to inform deliberations at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) and subsequently in other occasions. The reports also aim to provide an effective communication tool that foster inclusive regional consultations and effective engagement of the stakeholders including media and civil society. The reports will utilize cross-nationally comparable data from ESCAP database on the proposed SDGs indicator framework and when necessary use supplementary statistics available at the regional and sub-regional levels. This effort is continuation of the Statistical Yearbook published by ESCAP in 2016 that focused on the transformative plan of action based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals.The inaugural report, "Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2016: SDG Baseline Report" will provide a baseline for the region and various groups of countries for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will also shed light on some data and statistics issues associated with SDGs implementation and monitoring that has to be taken into consideration by both data users and producers.

The Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2017, the 48th edition of this series, includes the latest available economic, financial, social, and environmental indicators for the 48 regional members of the Asian Development Bank. It presents the latest key statistics on development issues concerning the economies of Asia and the Pacific to a wide audience, including policy makers, development practitioners, government officials, researchers, students, and the general public. Part I of this issue presents the current status of economies of Asia and the Pacific with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals based on selected indicators from the global indicator framework. This year's report also discusses results from an initiative to facilitate the compilation of statistics on asset ownership from a gender perspective. Part II comprises statistical indicators that capture economic, financial, social, and environmental developments. Part III presents key statistics and stylized facts on the phenomenon of global value chains.

This publication presents key indicators of health status, the determinants of health, health care resources and utilisation, health care expenditure and financing, and health care quality across 27 Asia-Pacific countries and economies.

The main objective of the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2016: SDG Baseline Report is to highlight critical gaps and challenges of the region in achieving the SDGs and inform inter-governmental and inter-agency regional decision making in support of implementing the 2030 development agenda in the region. The reports will complement other documents focusing on policy analysis to inform deliberations at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) and subsequently in other occasions. The reports also aim to provide an effective communication tool that foster inclusive regional consultations and effective engagement of the stakeholders including media and civil society. The reports will utilize cross-nationally comparable data from ESCAP database on the proposed SDGs indicator framework and when necessary use supplementary statistics available at the regional and sub-regional levels. This effort is continuation of the Statistical Yearbook published by ESCAP in 2016 that focused on the transformative plan of action based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals.The inaugural report, "Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2016: SDG Baseline Report" will provide a baseline for the region and various groups of countries for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will also shed light on some data and statistics issues associated with SDGs implementation and monitoring that has to be taken into consideration by both data users and producers.

Combining a close knowledge of Asia and an ability to tap Chinese-language sources with naval combat experience and expertise in sea-power theory, the authors assess how the rise of Chinese sea power will affect U.S. maritime strategy in Asia. They argue that China has laid the groundwork for a sustained challenge to American primacy in maritime Asia, and to defend this hypothesis they look back to Alfred Thayer Mahan’s sea-power theories, now popular with the Chinese. The book considers how strategic thought about the sea shapes Beijing’s deliberations and compares China’s geostrategic predicament to that of the Kaiser’s Germany a century ago. It examines the Chinese navy’s operational concepts, tactics, and capabilities and appraises China’s missile force. The authors conclude that China now presents a challenge to America’s strategic position of such magnitude that Washington must compete in earnest.

This volume provides an overview of the climate change adaptation objectives set, actions taken, and challenges faced by several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The majority of the populations in this region struggle to make a living from subsistence agriculture, and livelihoods are highly dependent on natural ecosystem services which are likely to be severely affected by climate change. Cases discussed in this book highlight successes made by governments towards achieving adaptation objectives, and efforts required to overcome challenges. While significant economic advances have been made, the pace of growth has been slow to impact the lives of a majority of the people who live below the poverty line. The chapters highlight adaptation actions for protecting people and their livelihoods in priority sectors, maintaining food and water security, supporting socio-economic stability including poverty reduction, and climate risk management. This book also maximizes readers' insights into the knowledge gaps and limitations of stated adaptation goals, and the bottlenecks that hinder implementation in different regions.