ADB Review - September 2009

NEWS FROM THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK September 2009

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

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In this issue, read about how the slowdown in economic growth in Asia and the Pacific has affected progress toward the Millennium Development Goals, the need to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises to boost domestic consumption, and solutions to arrest a water crisis in the region. Also, find out the latest on ADB events, publications, opportunities, and operations.

Asia's Progress on Millennium Development Goals Remains Mixed - ADB
Countries in Asia and the Pacific continue to make broad progress in reducing extreme poverty but hunger still remains widespread and many economies are struggling to meet other Millennium Development Goals, including reductions in maternal mortality rates and access to sanitation, data from ADB's Key Indicators 2009 show.

Dynamic Enterprises Hold Key to a Return to Rapid Growth in Asia
Asia's attempts to rebalance growth toward domestic sources will in part depend on the development and growth of the region's business sector, says a new report from ADB.

ADB Calls for New Solutions to Help Asia Meet Growing Water, Sanitation Needs
Asia's incipient water crisis must be met with a clever mix of new solutions, Arjun Thapan, director general of ADB's Southeast Asia Department, told World Water Week participants in Stockholm, Sweden on 18 August. These include an aggressive business outlook, extensive use of new and emerging technologies, large-scale reuse of wastewater, going small-scale to plug gaps, and better matching of irrigation systems with food security.

Concerted Action Needed Now to Help Stabilize Pacific Economies, Says ADB
Economic growth in the Pacific in 2009 is expected to dip below earlier forecasts, but will remain positive at 2.8%, says the Pacific Economic Monitor, an ADB publication. If the resource-rich nations of Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste are excluded, economic growth in the Pacific is forecast to contract by 0.4% this year.

ADB Approves $500 Million Fiscal Stimulus Loan to Philippines
ADB's Board of Directors has approved a $500 million short-term fiscal stimulus loan for the Philippines—the first loan approval under its Countercyclical Support Facility.
ADB Provides $100 Million for Public Finance Reforms in Mizoram, India
ADB is extending $100 million in loans to India's Mizoram state for public sector financial reforms designed to improve the state government's finances and strengthen service delivery.
ADB Emergency Loan to Help Rebuild Fiji's Flood-Affected Rural Economy
ADB is extending an emergency loan of $17.6 million to help rebuild infrastructure and revive the economic activity in rural areas of the Fiji Islands that were badly damaged by floods earlier this year.
ADB, Republic of Korea Support Cambodia to Improve Cross-Border Road Links
ADB and the Republic of Korea are supporting road and border improvements in Cambodia to help reduce poverty, increase economic opportunities, and boost ongoing efforts to strengthen trade and tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
ADB, Japan to Help the Lao PDR Improve Rural Health Service Delivery
ADB and the Government of Japan are providing $3 million to improve rural health services in two of the poorest provinces in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
ADB to Help Deliver Renewable Energy to the Pacific
ADB is providing a $3 million grant to help design and deliver renewable energy products to the Pacific through the development of small pilot projects in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

Afghanistan Resident Mission: UN Country Gender Coordination Meeting
The Afghanistan Resident Mission hosted the monthly United Nations (UN) country gender coordination meeting on 4 August. Over 30 gender advisors from donor agencies participated in the discussion on violence against women, the women's education bill, Shiite law, a database of women qualified for government positions, UN Resolution 1325, and women's role in the presidential election on 20 August.

India Resident Mission: 4th Annual Conference on Road Development in India
About 100 contractors, suppliers, and consultants attended the 21 August meeting on ADB's projects and procurement opportunities. Participants raised issues including escalation clauses, sustainability of road assets, regional cooperation projects, and coping with delays in implementation.

Kyrgyz Republic Resident Mission: Signing of Financing Agreement for the CAREC Transport Corridor 1 Project
Kyrgyz Republic Resident Mission Country Director Lan Wu and the ADB Governor and Minister of Finance Sultanov Marat Abdyrazakovich signed on 5 August the agreement for the $50 million project to upgrade the 75 kilometer Bishkek-Torugart road, build a border facility, and enhance the capacity of the road sector in the Kyrgyz Republic. It is one of six key regional transport corridors, which aim to improve regional connectivity and integrate the economy of the Kyrgyz Republic with the world.

PRC Resident Mission: Gansu Heihe Hydropower Development Multitranche Financing Facility Workshop
A workshop was organized by the PRC Resident Mission, Ministry of Finance, and the Gansu provincial government in the People's Republic of China on 12 to 13 August to discuss the role of hydropower in clean energy development, the utilization of ADB's Multitranche Financing Facility, and the benefits of clean development mechanism by purchasing certified emission reduction.

Pakistan Resident Mission: Gender Reforms Action Plans (GRAPs) Stakeholders' Meeting
Pakistan Resident Mission Country Director Rune Stroem shared with stakeholders ADB's Country Gender Assessment for Pakistan, entitled Releasing Women's Potential Contribution to Inclusive Growth, in Islamabad on 21 August. Senior government officials, key development partners, GRAPs staff, and ministers for women's development from Sindh and Balochistan provinces attended the meeting.

Sri Lanka Resident Mission: Turnover Ceremony for First Expressway Project Study
The Sri Lanka Resident Mission joined in the handover of the study, entitled Land Use Planning Project for the Southern Transport Development Corridor, to the Urban Development Authority on 20 August. The study is related to the first expressway project in Sri Lanka under the ADB-assisted Southern Transport Development Project. Secretary P. Ramanujan of the Ministry of Urban Development and officials from the Ministry of Highways and Road Development attended the ceremony.

Tajikistan Resident Mission: Co-financing Agreement for CAREC Customs Modernization Project
Tajikistan Resident Mission Country Director Makoto Ojiro and US Chargé d' Affaires Necia Quast signed on 21 August a $1.6 million co-financing agreement for the reconstruction of two border posts along the border of the People's Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic.

Uzbekistan Resident Mission: Signing of Loans for Rehabilitation of Water Management Facilities
Uzbekistan Resident Mission Country Director Hong Wei and First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov signed on 24 August two loan agreements for the Water Resources Management Sector Project that will rehabilitate water management facilities in the Fergana Valley and Zarafshan River Basin. Government officials and representatives of diplomatic corps and international organizations attended the ceremony.

Speech
Asia Pacific Procurement Forum Opening Address by Lawrence Greenwood ADB Vice-President, Operations 2 First Consultative Meeting 24 August, Manila, Philippines

Features
Fiji Islands South Pacific’s New-Look Ports By Sallyanne R. Shute-Trembath Upgraded facilities have improved turnaround times at Suva and Lautoka and offer better protection against earthquakes and tsunamis.

Publications and Reports
CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation: Partnership for Prosperity Intersections - Gender, HIV, and Infrastructure Operations: Lessons from Selected ADB–Financed Transport Projects Water Rights and Water Allocation: Issues and Challenges for Asia Asian FTAs: Trends and Challenges What Is the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on the Banking System in East Asia?

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