Australia partnering with Southeast Asia to foster inclusive growth through sustainable infrastructure
Australia has a shared interest in the stability, resilience, and prosperity of Southeast Asia. The region remains one of the fastest growing in the world, although economic activity has been suppressed due to the pandemic. Even before COVID-19, Southeast Asia needed an estimated USD210 billion of infrastructure investment each year to maintain growth momentum, tackle poverty and respond to climate change. The pandemic has highlighted new infrastructure challenges and increased pressure on governments to target spending more effectively. But to be sustainable, infrastructure must be high-quality, inclusive, and resilient.
The Project/what we are doing about this challenge:
P4I offers three main services to strengthen infrastructure decision-making and implementation:
- Government partnerships build connections between Australian and Southeast Asian government policymakers to share knowledge and develop people-to-people links.
- Infrastructure advisory services provide high-calibre private sector experts who can deliver rapid and long-term technical advice on infrastructure design, financing, and governance.
- Regional learning and networking bring people and organisations together to share infrastructure evidence, innovation, and solutions.
ASI works as a part of a single cohesive team to deliver P4I, led by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in collaboration with Ernst & Young, The Asia Foundation and Ninti One.
ASI is responsible for running the program office and operations in Bangkok; leading on Country Engagement and Coordination; Monitoring and Evaluation; Knowledge and Learning; Communications; Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion; and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change.
What the project has achieved so far / intends to achieve:
- Strong partnerships among Australian and Southeast Asian government agencies and other institutions build regional commitment to quality infrastructure development.
- Inclusive Infrastructure: Southeast Asian agencies are increasingly embedding gender equality, disability, and social inclusion in infrastructure decisions.
- Resilient Infrastructure: Southeast Asian agencies increasingly integrate environmental, climate and disaster considerations into infrastructure decisions.
- Policy Reforms: Southeast Asian agencies improve infrastructure policy and regulatory frameworks.
- Organisational Capacity: Southeast Asian agencies improve capacity to deliver quality infrastructure
