Publications

Investing in Sustainable Infrastructure: Improving Lives in Asia and the Pacific

Impressive economic gains in Asia and the Pacific have been accompanied by a decline in the region's natural capital and unprecedented levels of air and water pollution. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of people in the region are still not enjoying the benefits of recent economic expansion. Disparities in incomes and living standards are growing wider, and the worldwide financial crisis will likely amplify these disparities. And due to the impacts of climate change, the region's remaining poor are growing more vulnerable to natural disasters, sea level rise, and droughts.

Powering the Poor
Projects to increase access to clean energy for all

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to helping achieve access to energy for all people in the region. The stories in this publication—told through villagers and those helping them on the ground—portray resourceful ways of giving poor and remote communities access to clean and renewable energy.

The case studies look at different types of energy projects—solar, micro hydro and biogas—as well as innovative approaches in implementing and financing projects.

Understanding and Responding to Climate Change in Developing Asia

Climate change is a major threat to improving prosperity in Asia and the Pacific. The Asian Development Bank has an important role to play in responding to the threats-and opportunities-presented by climate change in the region. To better align its investments and associated policy and institutional support with the priorities of its developing member countries relating to climate and development each of ADB’s five regional departments-covering Central and West Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, South Asia, and Southeast Asia-has drafted a Climate Change Implementation Plan to serve as a guide for climate-related responses, both to mitigate greenhouse emissions and to adapt to climate change impacts. This report summarizes the recommendations of the regional plans and outlines ongoing and planned interventions to help build low-carbon, climate resilient economies in Asia and the Pacific.

Pakistan Sindh Province
Public Financial Management and Accountability Assessment

This report presents the public financial management and accountability assessment for Pakistan's Sindh province. The assessment uses 31 performance indicators to evaluate six core public financial management dimensions. The report presents a snapshot of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the province in managing budgetary outcomes, aggregate fiscal discipline, the strategic allocation of resources, and efficient service delivery. It also flags the need for reforms in Sindh in specific areas of budget development, budget execution, internal control, accounting, external audit, and legislative and public oversight.

Pakistan Sindh Province
Baseline Indicators System
Baseline Procurement Performance Assessment Report

This document assesses the public procurement system in Pakistan's Sindh province using the baseline indicators system—a key analytical benchmarking tool for assessing the structure of public procurement systems—developed by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It is part of a broader public financial management and accountability assessment being undertaken by the government of Sindh and its development partners. Given the commitments of the government on the procurement reform agenda, this assessment provides a baseline against which future progress can be periodically benchmarked.

Kiribati’s Political Economy and Capacity Development

This reports the result of an investigation into the social, economic, political, and institutional factors that encourage or impede inclusive economic development in Kiribati and hamper the capacity development needed to overcome obstacles to that development. Much of the information on which this report is based was collected in discussions in South Tarawa in January and April 2007. The institutional analysis and development framework of Ostrom et al. (2001) served as the analytical framework for the investigation. This framework, which was developed by researchers from the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University in the United States, is an effective way to explain group behavior that influences a country’s economic development.

Kiribati Social and Economic Report 2008

After two impressively peaceful decades, there are signs of a dangerous degree of complacency in Kiribati’s view of its domestic and external affairs. Forms of cultural and political resistance to change have thus been encouraged, and these are handicapping the nation’s response to development risks. Eight leading sources of development risk confronting Kiribati are identified, and these require understanding and appropriate responses in the form of well-formulated national development strategies. Based on a thorough assessment of risks, priorities, and options by sector in the main report, 16 policy actions are recommended as keys to the full range of responses that need to be formulated to cope with development risk.