 ADB's approach to project development in Uzbekistan has undergone a significant change. It now supports the Government in building a vision for the sector by strengthening essential strategies and regulations, developing a sector road map, and preparing a comprehensive sector investment program and a public-private partnership (PPP) framework. A Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy Workshop in November 2008 strengthened ADB's approach. ADB and the Government are now preparing a $500 million MFF Program to meet the Government's sector development program. |
|
Developing Strategic Urban Assessments for Central and West Asia DMCs
Urbanizing countries confront new risks and challenges associated with rapid urban economic growth. This changing environment requires transformation of traditional institutions and calls for more innovative, flexible and responsive action by the DMC and their development partners. ADB's regional technical assistance (RETA) on developing strategic urban assessments for select CWA DMCs will enhance ADB’s sector knowledge, and its ability to engage effectively on policy dialogue with key stakeholders in the DMC's urban sector. |
|
Urban Transport in Central and West Asia
High GDP/capita, strong and rapid growth in the South Caucasus have resulted in urban congestion affecting mobility in the capital cities of Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku. Their strong polarization towards Western development and lifestyle has paved the way to follow the Western mobility patterns and customs, along with car ownership, congestion, and pollution. To address growing urban transport and mass transit needs, in March 2009, both Georgia and Armenia committed to work with ADB on urban transport projects through a long-term Multitranche Financing Facility (MFF) Program. |
|
Georgia: Municipal Services Development Project
The $40 million ADF loan was signed between ADB and the Government of Georgia on 11 November. The loan became effective on 12 December 2008, 3 months after loan approval. This is the first loan project to Georgia. The project aims to improve municipal environment and public health in the project affected areas. Upon loan effectiveness, project implementation has gained momentum and is now in full swing owing to the timely completion of the pre-construction works including engineering design and preparation of bidding documents. The project has identified most of its subprojects and expected to benefit 100,000 people through improved infrastructure and service delivery in water supply, wastewater management, solid waste management, and urban roads. |
|
 |
Pakistan: Sindh Cities Improvement Investment Program
On 6 February 2009, ADB and the Government of Pakistan signed an agreement to invest $300 million in improvement of water and sanitation services in secondary cities of the Sindh province. The first tranche loan of $38 million (2009-2012) under Sindh Cities Improvement Investment Program (SCIP) multitranche financing facility (MFF) focuses on institutional change and priority investment in water supply, wastewater and solid waste management. SCIP introduces the concept of a regional utility, local government-owned urban services corporations, incorporated under the Pakistan Companies Ordinance, to deliver water supply, wastewater and solid waste management services to participating urban areas. Service and Asset Management Agreements negotiated between the corporations and the local governments will guide service delivery. This innovative approach brings together some of the fundamental prerequisites for improved service delivery-clear roles and responsibilities, skilled management and staff, performance incentives, more predictable operations funding, better corporate governance and increased accountability to consumers. The first of these regional utility companies is the Sukkur-based North Sindh Urban Services Corporation Limited (NSUSC), incorporated in November 2008. A $2.5 million technical assistance grant will support increased efficiency, accountability and customer focus of NSUSC. |
|
|
CWUS Team: Water Supply and Sanitation
 |
Kathie Julian
Principal Urban Development Specialist
Kathie Julian is a finance and management professional who leads the Water Supply and Sanitation Team in CWUS. With over 25 years in public and private sector organizations, she brings broad experience in banking, strategic planning, corporate acquisitions and business restructuring, and policy advocacy. In 2008, she led a CWUS team to structure a $300 million multitranche financing facility, an innovative program that introduces a regional utility corporation and related reforms to urban service delivery in Sindh, Pakistan. |
|
 |
Yong Ye
Urban Economist
Yong Ye holds a doctoral degree in economics. Over the last thirteen years, he has worked in the urban sector on project formulation, processing, and implementation. Since joining ADB in 2000, he has processed urban projects in Cambodia, PRC, Georgia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, with a total investment of US$500 million. He has designed and helped the Lao Government to set an institutional and regulatory framework for decentralized water supply operations. Following a long term strategic approach he conceptualized, Yong is now leading the preparation and processing of a US$500 million multi-tranche financing facility investment program for improving water supply and sanitation services in Uzbekistan. |
|
 |
Vijay Padmanabhan
Urban Development Specialist
Vijay Padmanabhan is an Engineer Urban Planner who focuses on urban services project development and implementation. Over the last thirteen years, he was involved in strategic and enterprise resource planning for urban local bodies; structuring and financially closing integrated urban services projects; implementing private sector projects and issuing infrastructure bonds in the water and sanitation sector; and project management supervision of integrated urban sector projects. In his last assignment as Director Urban for Wilbur Smith Associates, he led and structured three major ADB funded urban sector projects in India for a combined project size of US$ 1.1 billion. Vijay currently works on projects in the Kyrgyz Republic, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. |
|
 |
Alexis Ngo
Urban Development Specialist
Alexis Ngo, French, graduated in civil engineering and in structured finance. He has a nine-year experience in developing, financing, building and operating power generation, waste incineration, and water treatment facilities under PPP schemes. Prior to ADB, he contributed to projects in France, China, Algeria, Sydney, Malaysia, Jordan, Mexico, Slovenia, and the UAE, where he negotiated a US$ 850 million facility to finance a wastewater treatment plant for Abu Dhabi. He is currently working on projects in Pakistan and Armenia in the water supply and sanitation sector. |
|
Links: Central and West Asian Countries
Central and West Asian Countries |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
To Subscribe and Unsubscribe
For subscription to this e-Newsletter, please send an e-mail to: cwus@adb.org and put "Subscribe" in the subject line.
If you do not want to receive this e-Newsletter, you may unsubscribe by putting "Unsubscribe" in the subject line and sending an e-mail to: cwus@adb.org.
Change of email address
To change your e-mail address, simply unsubscribe your old e-mail address and send a blank e-mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to cwus@adb.org.
Disclaimer
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. |
|
Media Center
Top of page
