ADB Review - October 2009

NEWS FROM THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK October 2009

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

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Several of ADB's development partners were hit hard by disasters. ADB responded quickly. A $3 million grant was provided in support of emergency relief efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Ondoy in the Philippines. The grant will be used to provide clean water, health services, medical supplies, and other essential emergency items to vulnerable families in need of assistance.

In Indonesia, ADB is providing $3 million in emergency grant assistance to help meet the near-term rehabilitation needs of the quake-affected areas of West Sumatra, Indonesia, following the 30 September earthquake that killed over 800 people and damaged more than 133,000 homes.

In Samoa, after a devastating tsunami left at least 170 people dead and thousands homeless, ADB provided $1 million to support emergency relief. The funds will be used to supply a wide variety of essential needs to people affected by the disaster, and will cover items such as food, clean water, clothing, and medical supplies.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda sent a letter of condolence to the government of Viet Nam expressing his sympathy following the loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods in central Viet Nam caused by Typhoon Ketsana. He said ADB stands ready to provide support.

ADB Pledges $3 Million for Philippines Flood Victims
ADB has pledged $3 million in support of emergency relief efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Ondoy (international code name Ketsana), which inundated the Philippines over the weekend of 26–27 September, causing the worst flooding in Manila in over 40 years.

ADB President Offers Condolences and Assistance to Philippine Flood Victims
In the wake of a tropical storm that flooded vast areas of the Northern Philippines over the weekend of 26–27 September and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands, ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the government and people of the Philippines, particularly families who have lost their loved ones.

ADB Providing $3 Million for Indonesia Quake Victims
ADB will provide $3 million in emergency grant assistance to help meet the near-term rehabilitation needs of the quake-affected areas of West Sumatra, Indonesia, following the 30 September earthquake that killed over 800 people and damaged more than 133,000 homes.

ADB Provides $1 Million for Samoa Tsunami Victims
ADB will provide $1 million to support emergency relief efforts in Samoa, which was hit on 29 September by a devastating tsunami that left close to 170 people dead and thousands homeless.

ADB President Expresses Sympathy, Offers Assistance to Samoa
ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda has expressed his deepest sympathy and offered ADB assistance to Samoa for the loss of lives and destruction of property following the tsunami and earthquake of 29 September.

Climate Change Threatens Asia's Food Prices, Energy Security, Population Balance: ADB
Climate change poses fundamental threats to Asia's food and energy security which, if left unchecked, will result in an upsurge of migration into already overburdened megacities, according to three ADB-funded studies.

ADB to Extend $780 Million to Pakistan for Energy Efficiency
ADB is extending $780 million to Pakistan through a multitranche financing facility for priority energy efficiency projects that will secure the country's growing energy needs and reduce its reliance on costly, polluting fossil fuels.
ADB to Extend $600 Million Urban Services Investment Program to Azerbaijan
ADB will extend up to $600 million in loans to Azerbaijan for water and sanitation improvements in towns that have suffered from decades of neglect and underinvestment in infrastructure.
ADB Approves $500 Million Fiscal Stimulus Loan to Kazakhstan
ADB's Board of Directors approved on 10 September a $500 million short-term loan to help Kazakhstan mitigate the negative impacts of the global economic crisis on Central Asia's major economy.
ADB Fiscal Stimulus Loan to Boost Viet Nam's Growth Momentum Amid Crisis
ADB is supporting Viet Nam's efforts to bolster its domestic economy and ensure social stability through a short-term $500 million fiscal stimulus loan.
ADB to Extend $500 Million to Armenia to Upgrade Key Road Corridor
ADB will extend up to $500 million to Armenia to upgrade its main corridor road as part of a broader thrust to improve connectivity and boost trade, growth, and livelihood opportunities in the Caucasus and Central Asia subregions.

Bangladesh Resident Mission: Signing of Loan Agreement for Water Project
Bangladesh Resident Mission Country Director Paul Heytens on 10 September signed a loan agreement for $55 million to support small-scale water services in Bangladesh. The project will help cut rural poverty, improve community involvement, and address the threat posed by severe flooding and other climate change-related events. The International Fund for Agricultural Development is providing project cofinancing of $22 million.

Indonesia Resident Mission: Climate Change Awareness Campaign and Film Launch
A film supporting the ADB study, The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia, was launched in Jakarta, Indonesia on 8 September. Entitled "High Stakes," the film captures the messages and viewpoints of the study, which reminds people to take immediate action against climate change. British Ambassador Martin Hatfull, Rehan Kausar of ADB's Southeast Asia Department (SERD), government officials, NGOs, civil society, and media attended the event, which was organized by the British Embassy.

Kyrgyz Republic Resident Mission: Best International Organization 2009 Award
ADB received the Best International Organization in 2009 award from the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic for its contribution to the development of tourism and the handicrafts industry. The bronze statue and certificate were presented to Kyrgyz Republic Resident Mission Country Director Lan Wu on World Tourism Day on 25 September in the presence of government agency representatives, member of parliament, donor representatives, and the media.

Lao PDR Resident Mission: Press Conference on ADB's Strategy and Program, 2007-2011, for Lao PDR
Country Director Gil-Hong Kim of Lao PDR Resident Mission (LRM) and LRM's Christopher Hnanguie on 7 September addressed a conference attended by 24 correspondents from 11 local media outlets. They explained that the ADB strategy remains relevant to Lao People's Democratic Republic but that more effort is needed to address issues caused by rapid economic growth, climate change, and human resource constraints.

Mongolia Resident Mission: Facilitating Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure
Massive public and private sector investments are needed to address Mongolia's lack of infrastructure, which is hindering economic development. ADB's Mongolia Resident Mission and Private Sector Operations Department (PSOD) brought together public and private sector decision makers and experts to discuss infrastructure partnerships and identify opportunities, bottlenecks, and best practices. More than 20 senior private sector and government officials participated in the activity.

Pakistan Resident Mission: Signing of Loan Agreement for 'National Highway Development Sector Investment Program'
Country Director Rune Stroem of the Pakistan Resident Mission and Farrukh Qayyum, Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division, signed on 2 September an agreement to invest $230 million for the improvement of national highways in Pakistan. Senior government officials and a number of media representatives attended the event.

PRC Resident Mission: International Workshop on Sanjiang Plain Watershed and Wetlands Protection
PRC Resident Mission Country Director Robert Wihtol gave the opening remarks at the workshop, which showcased experiences from the Sanjiang watershed and other projects in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Representatives from the government, international organizations, and academe attended the workshop. The event also launched the Chinese translation of the ADB publication Reviving Lakes and Wetlands: Lessons Learned from the PRC.

Philippines Country Office: Development Communicators Network Forum Held in HQ
The Philippines Country Office (PhCO) hosted on 23 September the first meeting of 26 development communicators to share best practices and improve networking toward aid harmonization and development effectiveness. PhCO Country Director Neeraj Jain and Deputy Director General Rolly Tungpalan of the National Economic and Development Authority in the Philippines gave the welcome remarks. The participants from 16 development agencies listened to presentations by the World Bank on crisis communication and by the United Nations Development Programme on popularizing development messages.

Thailand Resident Mission: ADBI Workshop on WTO Measures in Bangkok
ADB Institute, in collaboration with the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, conducted on 8–11 September a workshop in Bangkok for 15 selected Asian developing member countries of ADB that are members of the World Trade Organization and have an interest in agricultural and food exports. Thailand Resident Mission's Lingling Ding opened the workshop, which aimed to foster better understanding of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement and case studies.

Speech
From Crisis to Opportunity: A Time for Decisions Opening remarks by ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda at a high-level meeting on the social impact of the economic crisis on Asia and the Pacific 28 September, Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Features
Switch to Energy-Efficient Lights to Bring Philippines Billion-Dollar Windfall Around 2,000 poor households in Manila's Tondo district have received free energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in exchange for their incandescent bulbs, marking the start of a nationwide campaign to save on fuel costs and mitigate climate change.

Publications and Reports
Asian Development Outlook 2009 Update: Broadening Openness for a Resilient Asia Integrated Crop and Resource Management in the Rice-Wheat System of South Asia Climate Change and Impacts on Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific Improving Energy Security and Reducing Carbon Intensity in Asia and the Pacific Development Effectiveness Review

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