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The Indo-Pacific Development Centre

The Indo-Pacific Development Centre (IPDC) is a policy research centre at the Lowy Institute dedicated to generating fresh policy insights and ideas on the most pressing economic development issues in the Indo-Pacific region. The IPDC focuses on key challenges facing emerging and developing economies in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South Asia as well as the role of more advanced Indo-Pacific economies such as Australia, the United States, Japan, China, and others in helping shape the future economic development of the region.

The work of the IPDC is organised around six key themes:

  • Post-Covid recovery, growth and development
  • Climate finance and decarbonising development
  • Technology and the digital economy
  • Globalisation and regional integration
  • The future of international development finance
  • Geoeconomics and the intersection of development and security

As part of its development finance pillar, the IPDC houses the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Aid Map, a digital interactive that tracks all official development finance flows to the Pacific region.

The IPDC has been established with the support of multi-year funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Featured projects

Southeast Asia Aid Map
Southeast Asia Aid Map
New interactive tracking more than 100,000 development projects, the most comprehensive assessment of development flows in Southeast Asia ever undertaken.
Pacific Aid Map 2022
Pacific Aid Map 2022
Updated research shows the unprecedented disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Pacific Islands region caused upheaval in how international donors provide aid.
Experts
Latest publications
News and media
Post-disaster aid in developing and fragile states
Post-disaster aid in developing and fragile states
In the last 12 months, we’ve seen floods in Pakistan, earthquakes in Syria and Morocco, Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar and Storm Daniel in Libya. What connects these events? Many…
China does not need currency manipulation to boost its exports
China does not need currency manipulation to boost its exports
China’s economic troubles are prompting concern that the government might weaken its currency in an attempt to export the economy out of trouble. That would see China increasingly…
The crucial role for the Green Climate Fund – and why Australia should contribute
The crucial role for the Green Climate Fund – and why Australia should contribute
Countries will decide next month how much they will pledge to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The summit in Bonn, Germany could determine billions of dollars of financial support…
The future of gig work
The future of gig work
The gig economy – characterised by on-demand, freelance and short-term employment in which service providers connect with consumers through mobile apps and websites – is…
China’s troubles may well get worse before they get better
China’s troubles may well get worse before they get better
China hoped its economy would rebound quickly after the lifting of its draconian zero-Covid policies late last year. But ten months on, China’s economic recovery is sputtering…
Building bigger BRICS
Building bigger BRICS
The planned enlargement of the BRICS group has revived a long-standing debate on whether this grouping will remain just a talk-shop specialising in complaining about Western…
Climate justice: friendshoring, China’s supremacy and America’s IR Act
Climate justice: friendshoring, China’s supremacy and America’s IR Act
When the Inflation Reduction Act (IR Act) passed the US Congress in August 2022, it was acclaimed as the largest, most ambitious climate change investment in American history. The…
Revitalising the Green Climate Fund
Policy Briefs
Revitalising the Green Climate Fund
The world’s largest climate-dedicated multilateral fund must increase its focus on serving the most climate vulnerable countries, including in the Pacific Islands region.
Cash is king, no more
Cash is king, no more
Australia has emerged as the frontrunner in embracing digital payments. A recent global report highlights that Australians now rank among the world’s least frequent cash users. It…
Loss and damage: Thoughts on global climate fund reform
Loss and damage: Thoughts on global climate fund reform
A major issue that undoubtedly will be a point of contention at this year’s COP28 climate conference in Dubai in December, is the architecture of a fund meant to pay for loss and…