ADB Review - November 2008

NEWS FROM THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK November 2008

ADB Review provides an electronic digest of activities of the Asian Development Bank.

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Archives

In this issue, read about intensifying structural reforms in developing Pacific nations, a new Pacific study on participatory governance, and plans to protect the coral triangle. Featured is an upsurge on HIV in Cambodia. Also, find out the latest on ADB events, publications, opportunities, and operations

Top News
Pacific Nations Must Boost Structural Reform to Withstand Global Crisis, Says ADB
Developing Pacific nations must intensify their structural reform efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth and protect themselves from the global economic crisis, according to a new report.

New Pacific Study Calls for More Consultations, Participatory Governance
A new study for Pacific nations shows that sustained capacity development of people and organizations can lead to better service delivery and increased poverty reduction in the region.

Leaders to Forge New Plan to Protect Coral Triangle
Senior officials from six Asia and Pacific nations are forging a comprehensive draft plan to protect natural treasures.

ADB Enters into New Partnerships Strategies
ADB has entered into new country partnership strategies with Samoa, Sri Lanka, and Tuvalu, defining the medium term development strategies in each and ADB operational programs.

ADB, SMBC Enter Risk Mitigation Pact to Facilitate Trade in Developing Asia
ADB and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. have entered a risk-sharing agreement that will enhance support for international trade in developing countries in Asia.

ADB Managing Director General speaks at the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia

ADB's Managing Director General Rajat M. Nag spoke at the World Economic Forum's first meeting on Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul about the importance of strategic leadership and initiatives like CAREC to further drive regional cooperation in Central Asia. The meeting was attended by more than 500 delegates including heads of state, ministers, business leaders, academics, and policy makers from across Europe, Turkey, Russia, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

•	ADB Supports Innovative Project for Cross-Border Power Trade, Rural Electrification in Bhutan ADB is supporting an innovative power project in Bhutan that will produce clean energy for export to India and increase electricity coverage in rural areas.
•	Support for Urban Development in Bangladesh ADB is providing additional funds to improve the basic services and infrastructure in small and medium-sized towns of Bangladesh.
•	ADB Helping PRC Prepare Framework for Water Resources Management The People's Republic of China will prepare a framework for managing the allocation of water resources to meet the needs of a growing population and a rapidly expanding economy.
•	Coordinated Water Management in Central Asian Nations ADB is aiming to enhance regional cooperation on vital Central Asian waterways.
•	ADB Supports Expressway Projects in Viet Nam to Boost Economic Growth Three expressway projects in Viet Nam will support sustainable economic growth and enhance socioeconomic development in the project areas.
•	ADB to Help India's Himachal Pradesh Become 'Hydropower State' Via Multitranche Loan ADB is helping Himachal Pradesh become India's "hydropower state" through an $800 million multitranche financing facility.
•	ADB to Help Nepal Improve Local Governance, Community-Led Development Nepal will improve local governance and promote community development through a program grant of $106.3 million.
•	ADB, Japan to Help Lao PDR Strengthen Higher Education System Japan and ADB are supporting moves to strengthen higher education in the Lao People's Democratic Republic to reduce poverty and boost the economy.
•	ADB to Help India Attract Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure Projects ADB is helping India develop infrastructure projects that can attract private sector investment.
•	ADB to Help India's Arunachal Pradesh Combat Floods, Erosion ADB is providing additional technical assistance to help the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh combat the devastating impact of floods and river erosion.
•	$20M to Develop Tourism in Greater Mekong Subregion A $20 million loan will help develop the tourism sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
•	Urban Water Supply Project for the Philippines Am ADB-funded project will improve water supply and sanitation services for urban areas outside Metro Manila, the main urban center of the Philippines.
•	ADB to Help Five Pacific Nations Improve Energy Use ADB is helping Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu cope with high fuel prices and climate change by providing assistance to help reduce wasteful consumption of commercial energy and promote energy efficiency.
•	Cambodia's Poorest Families to Receive Emergency Food Assistance ADB will provide Cambodia's poorest families with $35 million in emergency food assistance as they struggle to cope with rising food and fuel prices.
•	PNG to Improve Trans-Border Economic Links with Indonesia ADB is helping Papua New Guinea explore ways to improve trade and investment relations with Indonesia.

News from Resident Missions
	Country Director in Kyrgyz Republic Meets Prime Minister In a meeting with ADB's Lan Wu on Thursday, the Prime Minister requested that ADB conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of infrastructure in the aftermath of the 5 October earthquake in the southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic, and based on this, mobilize resources from ADB and other donors.

Speeches
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management: Legislating Gender-Responsive Mitigation, Adaptation, and Women's Participation
"Climate change and disasters have gender-differentiated impacts. Therefore, gender-responsive mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change and gender-responsive disaster risk management are essential," ADB Vice-President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss said in her speech at the Third Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance Gender in Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction on 20 October 2008.

Features
Cambodia Braced for Upsurge in HIV from Injecting Drug Use
Just 4 years after the first case was reported by local NGO Mith Samlanh, injecting drug use accounted for almost 10% of the total drug use in the streets of Phnom Penh.

•	Navigating the Global Storm - A Policy Brief on the Global Financial Crisis
•	Access to Energy for the Poor - an Asia-Pacific Regional Initiative
•	East Asia Department Knowledge Management Initiatives in 2007
•	Economic Analysis Retrospective 2007: Strengthening the Quality of Project Economic Analysis in ADB Operations
•	Transforming Tonga: A Private Sector Assessment
•	ADBI Working Paper: Sources of FDI Flows to Developing Asia: The Roles of Distance and Time Zones
•	ADBI Working Paper: No Through Road: The Limitations of Food Miles

Opportunities
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