"Doubling Water Financing and Results: Conference on ADB's Water Financing Program 2006-2010"
Greetings By
Haruhiko Kuroda
President
Asian Development Bank
At the Official Launching Ceremony of the Asia Pacific Water Forum
27 September 2006
ADBHQ, Mandaluyong City
I. Introduction
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. It is an honor for the Asian Development Bank to join you in launching the new Asia Pacific Water Forum. I would like to welcome Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, as the new president of the Japan Water Forum. I would also like to welcome the UN Special Ambassador for MDGs in the Asia-Pacific Region, Ms. Erna Witoelar; Former Chief Executive of WaterAid, Mr. Ravi Narayanan; and Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki.
This Forum comes at an important time when developing countries are making sincere efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Not only is water essential for life, it also provides an enabling environment for achieving higher levels of health, income, education and food security. ADB is particularly pleased to see the Forum focus on the role of water resource management in achieving the MDGs. In order to secure safe and adequate water services, nature's freshwater resources must be protected and managed in integrated ways.
II. ADB's Role in the Forum
ADB has been designated the lead organization for the Forum's Priority Theme of water financing, which aims to increase investments for water infrastructure and human resources development. ADB has responded to international calls for increased financing with its Water Financing Program 2006-2010, which aims to more than double our annual water investments over the next 5-year period. The program will deliver a substantial package of investment, reform, and capacity development, from which the Forum will be able to leverage several lessons and opportunities.
ADB has also been designated the lead organization for the Forum's Key Result Area of increasing public awareness and understanding of key water trends, issues, and solutions. Our Water Awareness Program, supported by the Cooperation Fund for the Water Sector, has progressively raised awareness among governments, journalists, sector specialists, civil society and communities on issues in the water sector. Our water website is very popular, receiving an average of 200,000 hits per month. And, we have trained more than 400 journalists on water issues, who have since formed a water media network.
We are also actively engaged in partnerships with member countries and regional institutions to transfer knowledge and experience from good practices. Examples include: our cooperation with the Global Water Partnership and the UN Secretary General Advisory Board on Water for water operators partnerships in Asia, our partnership with Cities Alliance for sustainable municipal financing; cooperation with the Government of Singapore on the Asian Training and Research Initiative on Urban Management; and our work with UNHABITAT to boost investments in sanitation up to $1billion over the next five years.
III. Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, issues such as these need an international forum for discussing country experiences, initiatives, and challenges. We hope that this new regional network will focus on results and tangible outcomes. We welcome the launch of the Asia Pacific Water Forum, and the opportunity it provides to share knowledge and strengthen commitments toward sustainable solutions for the sector. We further support the initiative for regular Asia Water Summits as an opportunity for leaders from government, private sector, and civil society to work together to achieve water for all. We commend the Japan Water Forum for its initiative to advance the creation and launch of this important Forum and we support Japan in hosting the first Asia Water Summit next year.
Thank you very much.
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