Leaving No One Behind
Despite Asia and the Pacific's phenomenal economic growth in the past two decades, millions of people in the region – women and children, people from disadvantaged tribes, castes or ethnic groups, people without education, assets or jobs, in remote areas or urban slum dwellers, and the aged or disabled – continue to suffer from abject poverty.
Marginalized and vulnerable, they continue to be deprived of access to basic social services, economic opportunities, and the opportunity to make important political decisions that affect their daily life.
Over the past five years, the NPRS and PRF have funded projects that strived to include these people in the development enjoyed by the rest of the region in the hopes that, as the whole of Asia moves towards a developed status, no one is left behind.
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| Spotlight: Why Social Development Matters |
 INTERVIEW:
"If development programs and projects are not designed thoroughly, without regard to social dimensions, development itself can lead to inequality and social exclusion," says Robert Dobias, Director of the Gender, Social Development and Civil Society Division of ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department, on why social development as an approach to development matters to poverty reduction. Read the full interview .
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| Features |
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 Reaching Out to the Untouchables
Dalits – or the untouchables - comprise 10% of Nepal's population of over 27 million, and yet by their being economically, socially, culturally, and historically excluded, they often do not benefit from development assistance. A TA project funded by the PRF tries to see whether conditional cash transfers to trigger their participation in development activities can make a dent in the structural barriers.
 Making Budgets Work for the Poor
Budgets are not only central to planning and controlling a country's economic activities, but they are also important policy tools with profound implications for poverty reduction and social equity. A TA project funded by the PRF piloted participatory budgeting at the local level in three countries - Indonesia, Marshall Islands, and Pakistan.
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| Case Studies |
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 Community-Based Flood Risk Management
While annual flooding has been a way of life for many Cambodians, flooding over the past few years have worsened, adversely affecting the rural poor who survive through subsistence farming and fishing. Traditional coping mechanisms are no longer sufficient. A TA project demonstrated how a community-based disaster risk reduction strategy reduces vulnerability among the rural poor and is appropriate to women and children.
 Supporting Gender Equality in Cambodia
Women in Cambodia, while forming the majority of the population and contributing substantially to the economy through their labor, still face many obstacles in accessing basic services and are politically underrepresented. A TA project supported the Government's Ministry of Women's Affairs in mainstreaming gender issues in national planning processes and sectors, harmonizing various donor inputs, and developing means to expand women's employment opportunities.
Information in the Hands of the People
Despite the interconnectedness that characterizes globalization, the poor remain excluded from much of the world's information – information they could use to improve their lives. In Sri Lanka, a TA project piloted two community information networks in two districts – Gampahan and Ratnapura – creating opportunities for them to participate in economic growth by providing vital information for income generation and well-being. (Read the related feature)
 The Rising Tide of Violence in Asia's Cities
Along with the rapid urban growth experienced by the region over the past 50 years came an escalation of urban violence and crime. With limited knowledge on the complex nature of the problem, government policies have had limited impact. A regional TA project looked into this phenomenon in the cities of
Phnom Penh and Dhaka, and provided baseline data indicating that poverty, unemployment, inequality and conditions arising from dense living provide the ingredients for urban violence.
 Piloting New Modalities for ADB-NGO Partnerships
While ADB has an increasing number of NGOs among its valued development partners, ADB has had limited experiences in developing dynamic and grounded partnerships with NGOs. Mechanisms that provide NGOs with direct access to ADB funding are limited. A regional TA project created a fund that provided small grants to NGOs in lower income countries in the region to undertake innovative poverty reduction initiatives in key ADB sectors, thus serving as the pilot for the possible establishment of an ADB grant funding mechanism for NGOs.
Strengthening Local Capacity for Poverty Reduction in ADB
The NPRS and PRF funded three TA projects that engaged poverty specialists in Cambodia, Pakistan and Viet Nam. The work that they were involved in with ADB provided new and different opportunities to work at a national, strategic level. Read the related feature . |
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| News and Events |
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ED David Taylor Completes his Term in ADB
David Taylor, on June 30, 2007, completed his three-year term as ADB's Executive Director for Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Turkey, and United Kingdom. Read the full news item.
Seminar: Legal Identity for Inclusive Development
Legal identity is an issue that should be taken into consideration when planning development projects in the Asia and Pacific region, according to a seminar held last June 8 in ADB, and last June 18 in Nepal. The seminar discussed the results of a TA grant that explored the issue in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Nepal.
"Legal identity is an important element of inclusive development, provided that its promotion is part of a larger reform agenda," the workshop stated. Read the feature article and interview on this project.
Seminar: Using Satellite Technology to Get the Message Out
In a Brown Bag Seminar held on May 24, First Voice International* presented lessons learned and issues related to using satellite technology to scale up education and information programs, especially for reaching remote areas. First Voice is a US-based nongovernment organization that has been endowed with 5% of the WorldSpace satellite network for use in humanitarian development assistance.
A TA project piloted their technology over a one-month period through another TA project that broadcasted radio dramas on HIV/AIDS to four remote ethnic groups in Lao People's Democratic Republic. (Read the feature article on this project). "We capitalize on economies of scale, and thus we can provide a cost-effective means of broadcasting to millions," they said.
Workshop: Exploring Microinsurance for the Poor
The workshop, held in Sri Lanka on June 28 to 29, gathered around 200 insurance professionals and policy makers to discuss how to extend commercially viable insurance services to the poor and low income people. The workshop was organized by ADB, the Cambridge Center for Public Policy Development, and the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka.
Workshop: Reviewing the Poverty Impacts of Regional Economic Integration
The workshop, held in ADB Headquarters on 19-20 July, brought together researchers and policymakers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, and Thailand to showcase findings from a study carried out on border poverty, regional economic integration, and gender impacts in border communities.
Anti-Corruption Training Programs Held
A series of anti-corruption training programs is being conducted under a regional technical assistance on Developing Pro-Poor Governance Capability and Knowledge. A two-week pilot anti-corruption course was organized by Anti-Corruption Academy of MACA in Kuala Lumpur from 11-22 June. Another five-day anti-corruption workshop was conducted from 9-13 July. Two other workshops will be held in August and in September. For more information, visit the project's website.
Upcoming Events
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| Resources |
Household Income and Expenditure Survey Reports
As part of a series of Household Income and Expenditure Surveys (HIES) being prepared under the regional technical assistance on Strengthening Poverty Analysis and Strategies in the Pacific, the data analysis on the HIES 2002-2003 of Fiji Islands* was released last March 2007.
The report provide estimates and distribution of households and population at the national, provincial and ethnic group levels, their income sources and consumption patterns. The preliminary results* of the HIES 2004-2005 for Tuvalu are also available.
Technical Assistance Reports:
- Through a technical assistance, several papers on poverty reduction, demographic transition, poverty targeting, and growth and inequality were prepared. The following papers are available online:
Technical Assistance Completion Reports available online:
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The Asian Development Bank provides the information contained in this newsletter and links to its web site solely as a resource. While ADB tries to provide high-quality content on its web site, it does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of this information; and therefore, will not be liable in any capacity for damages or losses to the user that may result from the use of this information. ADB and its affiliate offices, likewise, will not be responsible for any errors, omissions, or inadvertent alterations that may occur in the disclosure of content in this newsletter or on its web site.
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Topics 
Poverty Reduction 
