An additional 3 billion Asians could enjoy living standards similar to those in Europe today, and the region could account for over half of global output by the middle of this century, says this ADB report. This potentially promising future for the region sometimes referred to as the "Asian Century" though plausible, is by no means preordained. An additional 3 billion Asians could enjoy living standards similar to those in Europe today, and the region could account for over half of global output by the middle of this century, says this ADB report.

ADB's fourth annual performance report by Management finds that ADB made good progress toward many of its Strategy 2020 targets, and shows that its reform measures are yielding results. It also highlights areas where ADB needs to improve its performance and outlines the corrective measures it is implementing.

The 2010 Donor Report is targeted at current and prospective official financiers of the Asian Development Bank's grant and loan operations. It explains the wide range of financing options available to partners seeking to expand their commitment to developing the Asia and Pacific region. It provides case studies showing how donor contributions make service delivery more effective and how they improve the lives of poor people, and outlines where donor funds can best support ADB's core areas of operation under Strategy 2020.

The 2010 Annual Report of the Board of Directors to the Board of Governors reviews ADB's operations, projects, internal administration, and financial management, and includes a separate report on the activities of the Special Funds of ADB. The report also contains chapters on regional, sectoral, and thematic highlights. The report includes the complete financial statements and opinions of the independent auditors, a statistical annex, and appendixes.

Over the past decade, Asia and the Pacific has made significant progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. However, accelerating climate change is threatening to reverse these gains, and those who are already economically and socially vulnerable are likely to suffer soonest and most. To enable member countries cope with the inevitable impacts already locked into the climate system, as well as to transition them to low-carbon economies, ADB is working with urgency to put in place integrated solutions that will address both the causes and consequences of climate change in the region. Through more than 275 project interventions, upgrading investments totaling more than $17 billion, ADB is currently assisting in worldwide efforts to address climate change, and move Asia and the Pacific onto a more inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth path.

The ADB Fact Sheets provide a quick, at-a-glance overview of ADB's relationship to each of its 67 members. For developing member countries, fact sheets describe recent economic histories, the impacts of ADB assistance, and the future directions of ADB's work in each country, as well as shareholder and voting power, cofinancing, and procurement data. For donor members, fact sheets present the contributions of each donor member to ADB's work through the general fund, trust funds, and other special funds, as well as shareholder and voting power, cofinancing, and procurement data. Fact sheets are updated annually in April.

The ADB In Focus Series provides concise overviews of ADB's work in key practice areas that range from clean energy to sustainable infrastructure. ADB meets the needs of a rapidly changing Asia and the Pacific through its long-term strategic framework, Stratetegy 2020, which supports inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. In Focus briefs are updated annually in April.

This publication about ADB's nonsovereign operations explains ADB's approach to catalyzing and strengthening private sector investments in Asia and the Pacific.

In this paper, Australian National University's Hal Hill and ADB's Jayant Menon discuss the evolution, performance and prospects of ASEAN economic integration.

The Asian Development Outlook 2009, ADB's flagship economic publication, includes comprehensive economic analysis and forecasts of 45 economies in developing Asia and the Pacific, including the People's Republic of China and India, and examines medium-term trends and prospects by sub region - East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central and West Asia, and the Pacific. The special theme of the ADO 2009 is "Rebalancing Asia's Growth."

The Asian Development Outlook 2010 Update provides economic forecasts for countries in the region. The theme chapter, The Future of Growth in Asia, argues that as the financial crisis recedes, medium- and long-run growth will reassert itself as the region's priority concern. Short-term aggregate demand management will give way to structural policies that augment the economy's productive capacity. It is thus a good time to take stock of developing Asia's growth prospects further out and to reconsider its pathways to growth.

The Asian Development Outlook 2011 emphasizes two important challenges that developing Asia must resolve to sustain the inclusive growth that is needed to eliminate poverty in the region. The immediate problem is tackling rising consumer price pressures. Inflation's insidious effects call for preemptive action to contain it before it begins to accelerate. The poor are the most vulnerable, particularly from rising food prices.

The Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) was established by ADB in 2006 with cofinancing from the Australian Government to support efforts by ADB Pacific developing member countries to encourage private sector-led, sustainable economic growth. PSDI focuses on the following key reform areas: state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform and publicprivate partnerships (PPPs), financial sector reform to promote access to financial services, and reform of the legal and business regulatory environments in the region.

The success of the integrated system of roll-on/roll-off vessels used in the Philippines has proven to be a source of hope for the millions of poor in the region. This timely report presents the findings of an initial ADB impact study and shows that relatively simple policy reforms can positively impact the lives of the poor and serve as an example for others in archipelagic Southeast Asia.

The ADB-sponsored agriculture sector study, carried out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), uses predictions of global climate models to develop scenarios to 2050 for Asia and to derive implications for food security. The study recommends cost-effective adaptation responses that could build greater climate resilience into the agriculture sector in Asia and the Pacific.

The ADB's commercial cofinancing operations help its developing member countries mobilize funding for commercially attractive projects. This booklet describes the strategy, policies, and financial instruments that form the basis of the commercial cofinancing operations of the ADB. Its objective is to inform project lenders, project proponents, financial advisors, brokers, and any other related market institutions interested in participating in such operations.

This strategic framework develops a practical approach to railway integration in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), provides GMS countries with an initial framework for achieving integration and interoperability, identifies priority initiatives, builds a platform for further dialogue and discussion between and among GMS countries, and provides a context for evaluating future projects.

This publication builds on previous assessments and the experience gained by the Bangladesh program in supporting gender equality and women's empowerment. It aims to contribute to the new country partnership strategy for 2011-2015 and subsequently serve as a resource for program staff on key gender equality issues in the major sectors.

Development Asia is a journalistic magazine focusing on issues of human and economic development in Asia and the Pacific. The publication's readership includes key decision makers at development organizations, governments, multilateral organizations, corporations, banks, and investor groups, as well as many students and libraries. Development Asia is published quarterly by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The development effectiveness briefs present how ADB's operations help improve people's lives in developing member countries and the challenges ADB and the countries face in pursuing agreed development goals. The briefs complement the annual Development Effectiveness Review in reporting on ADB's performance using the ADB Results Framework indicators. The Development Effectiveness Review reports on corporate performance while the briefs focus on country-level performance.

This country brief summarizes how the partnership of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Viet Nam has been instrumental to the development of the country.

Private sector investment is widely recognized as the engine of economic growth. This report is the first of an annual series reviewing how private sector operations have fared in promoting ADB's overall development effectiveness agenda. It offers an opportunity to reflect on the value addition of ADB's private sector operations, highlight performance trends, and identify actions required to improve results.

The global financial crisis presents a timely opportunity for Asian policy makers to rethink their strategies for financial deregulation and liberalization, and carefully reconsider a next step for further integration among regional financial markets and beyond. The book attempts to assess the degree of regional and global financial integration and unveil the drivers of such integration.

This annual publication showcases the results from knowledge management initiatives of ADB's East Asia Department. It is a compendium of abstracts from 39 strategic knowledge products and services completed in 2009 and provides web links to select full reports.

Using a growth accounting framework, Jong-Wha Lee and Kiseok Hong find that developing Asia grew rapidly over the past 30 years mainly due to robust growth in capital accumulation

This study reveals the core drivers of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) performance, illustrates how rapid progress can be made in placing SOEs on sound commercial footing, and demonstrates the importance of political will for successful SOE reform.

This book is a collection of studies that discuss critical issues related to the future of the international monetary system and the role of Asia in its evolution. It is envisaged to enhance the awareness of Asian policy makers and the public in order to participate actively and constructively in the emerging global dialogue on reforming the global reserve system.

This publication contains several case studies and outlines the gender equality results for projects in Bangladesh.

ADB's financing instruments include loans; guarantees against various risks, including political risks and credit risks; equity investments, and grants.This brochure summarizes ADB's political risk guarantee product.

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ranks among the top 10 cities in the world with populations most likely to be severely affected by climate change. By 2050, millions of its citizens will be at increased risk from regular and extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts, and tropical storms. To help reduce the impacts of these risks, this study provides HCMC's government and private sector with projections of HCMC's 2050 exposure in key sectors and areas, and proposes structural and nonstructural measures to build climate resilience in the city's most vulnerable sectors and areas.

This flagship annual statistical data book presents the latest available economic, financial, social, environmental, and Millennium Development Goals indicators for regional members of ADB. Data as well as nontechnical explanations and brief analyses of the MDG achievements and developments are included. The special chapter "The Rise of Asia's Middle Class" looks at the growth and impacts of the region's rapidly expanding middle class, and resulting economic and policy implications.

Since its inception in 1966, the ADB has been involved in the development of Mindanao, which accounts for a large slice of ADB operations in the Philippines. As of May 2010, ADB had approved 192 public sector/sovereign loans to the Philippines totaling $11.3 billion. Out of the 184 completed loans, 36 ($815.0 million) were exclusive to Mindanao while 30 ($1.2 billion) had national coverage but with subprojects in Mindanao. Out of the eight active loans, seven ($350 million) have subprojects in Mindanao. This report focuses on ADB's assistance to the Mindanao island group, particularly on how the project interventions may have made a difference in the lives of Mindanaoans.

Natalie Chun looks at the middle class population in terms of size, share, and consumption expenditures in developing Asia. The paper finds that there are large disparities within the region and that many of the middle class remain vulnerable to poverty.

ADB's financing instruments include loans; guarantees against various risks, including political and credit; equity investments; and grants. This brochure summarizes ADB's partial credit guarantee product.

The Partnership Brief series, compiled by the Asian Development Bank's Office of Cofinancing Operations, presents key details of cofinancing with ADB's main development partners.

This publication includes several impact stories which describe people and places benefiting from the partnership between ADB and Bangladesh. Covering projects in the areas of rural livelihood, health, finance, infrastructure, and water, the brochure narrates the stories of people whose lives have been transformed by innovative ways of delivering services, such as clean tap water and better transport facilities.

While Asia's growth record in recent decades has been remarkable, there is growing concern that the benefits have not been equitably shared. Poverty remains high despite the recent decline and inequality is increasing. Recognizing the potentially negative social, economic, and political consequences of these trends, more and more Asian countries are adopting inclusive growth as the goal of development policy. This book presents selected studies on inclusive growth carried out at the Asian Development Bank. It looks at recent trends of income and non-income inequalities and poverty in the region; discusses the underlying driving forces; examines the concept of inclusive growth; and provides in-depth analysis of key policy pillars of an inclusive growth strategy, including employment, access to public services, social protection, and governance and institutions. The book also includes six country studies presenting rich information on growth, poverty, and inequality dynamics in the People's Republic of China, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

The authors find that a majority of households in the People's Republic of China have become middle class by 2007. This is especially impressive given that around 40% of households were still considered poor in 1991.

This publication explores the potential of biomass energy to close the urban-rural energy gap, raise farmer incomes, and address some of the environmental concerns in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Its findings are useful for other developing and medium-income countries currently in the process of drawing up their respective energy-for-all strategies. The report examines the promises and limitations of leading biomass energy technologies and resources for various distribution scales, including but not limited to household biogas digesters. The information is based on lessons learned and experiences from the ADB-financed Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Wastes Project in the PRC, as well as findings and conclusions from a technical assistance grant to assist the government draft a national strategy for developing rural biomass energy.

Local financial institutions represent the best choices in the financial system for small and medium-sized enterprises and farming households. Government agencies in the People's Republic of China (PRC) have proposed policies that would relax market entry criteria and allow the creation of diversified rural financial institutions. These measures will help improve PRC's financial market structure, promote better rural financial services, enable financing of labor-intensive economic activities, and promote socioeconomic development. Rural Finance in Poverty-Stricken Areas in the People's Republic of China offers an overview of rural finance in the PRC, examines current financial policy and models, and offers recommendations for future reform measures.

ADB's Pacific Approach places good governance at the heart of the development agenda and identifies public sector management as an important driver of change. This study, prepared as a background for the Pacific Approach, reviews recent literature and analysis on the state's role in the development of Pacific developing member countries, and suggests priorities for future support by ADB and its development partners of improved state performance and capacity of these Pacific states.

The Trade Finance Program (TFP) of the ADB provides guarantees and loans to partner banks in support of international trade. ADB works with over 200 partner banks to provide companies with the financial support they need to engage in import and export activities in Asia's most challenging markets. Much of TFP's portfolio supports small and medium-sized enterprises and many transactions occur either intra-regionally or between ADB's developing member countries.