BUILDING FORWARD BETTER : An Equitable, Sustainable, Inclusive Future for Asia and the Pacific / Bambang Susantono, Diponegoro University, Indonesia.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Disruption and recovery accelerate the region's transformation - build forward better -- Digitalization, the expanding digital economy, and digital inclusion -- education and skill development -- Climate resilience -- Climate finance -- Connectivity: infrastructure and transportation -- Sustainable development goals (the SDGs, gender and youth) -- Building forward better is the way forward.

"What if the pandemic could be a catalyst for cities in Asia and the Pacific to not just recover, but leap forward? The book offers a compelling collection of Prof. Bambang Susantono's speeches and opinions on this topic. It explores the pandemic's impact on urban development and outlines future policies to help cities in Asia and the Pacific thrive post-pandemic. Emphasizing the slogan of "building forward better" rather than "building back better," the book delves into several themes: digitalization and economy, education and skills development, climate resilience, climate finance, connectivity, and sustainable development. The book's first theme involves an exploration of how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated ongoing digital transformation for individuals and businesses. The second covers the pandemic's impact on education and skills in terms of the shift to online learning and spotlighting the need for lifelong upskilling. The third theme focuses on the increasing importance of addressing climate change in Asia and the Pacific over recent decades, with an emphasis on building climate resilience. The fourth theme centers on discussions regarding climate finance, encompassing topics such as carbon pricing, climate banks, and sustainable finance. The fifth theme addresses connectivity in cities, ranging from transportation to infrastructure. The last theme explores strategies for aligning city development efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to gender and youth. Finally, the book consolidates its discussions by summarizing the main points of each theme, reiterating the concept of "building forward better" to promote sustainable development and resilience in the region"