Water

ADB Water Financing Program 2006–2010
Donors’ Meeting

ADB announced at the 4^th World Water Forum in March 2006 that it will increase its investments in water operations through the new Water Financing Program (WFP) 2006–2010, which will focus on the delivery of substantial investment, reform, and capacity development in three key areas—rural water services, urban water services, and river basin water management.

The WFP’s concrete outcomes will be

• 200 million  people with sustainable access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation
• 100 million  people with reduced risk to floods
• 40 million  people with more productive and efficient irrigation and drainage services
• integrated water resource management, or IWRM, introduced in 25 river basins
• improved water governance through national water reforms and capacity development

The core of ADB’s WFP will be formed by its own lending and technical assistance investments, which are expected to reach well over $2 billion annually.

As part of the program, ADB will set up the new Water Financing Partnership Facility to mobilize cofinancing and additional investments from multilateral and bilateral partners. The initial target for partner contributions is set at US$100 million, 70% of which will be directed towards investment cofinancing, and 30% will be for quality support programs.

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• To enable ADB and development partners to discuss how the new WFP can help governments achieve their targeted water outcomes, as well as increase the returns of donor investments in the sector.

• To encourage multilateral and bilateral partners to participate in the Water Financing Program 2006-2010.

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• Arjun Thapan, Chairman of ADB’s Water Committee and Deputy Director General of the Southeast Asia Department, presented ADB’s WFP 2006–2010.



• Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, ADB’s Lead Water Resources Specialist, presented ADB’s proposed Water Financing Partnership Facility.



• The rest of the meeting was devoted to discussions on how the WFP can increase the outputs and impacts of donor investments, and what the donors can gain from participating in the WFP and the new Water Financing Partnership Facility.

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The meeting was held at Room 253, Nora Latin, Stockholm City Conference Center Stockholm, Sweden.

Date: Monday, 21August 2006

Time: 2:30–4:00 p.m.

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• Water Financing Program