ADB's Water Financing Program (WFP) seeks to make water a core investment area, and increase water investments to well over $2 billion annually. It includes a large pipeline of programmed water investments, a wide array of knowledge and awareness products, and regional cooperation services. Its focus will be on combining increased investments in water infrastructure with capacity building and private sector participation.
In September 2006, ADB held the Doubling Water Financing and Results Conference on ADB's Water Financing Program 2006-2010 to jumpstart the program. Senior government officials from 5 developing member countries (DMC)—India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Viet Nam— worked with ADB water operations staff to discuss the barriers facing their water sectors and opportunities for investments.
Viet Nam, in particular, needs $5 billion for water projects, but the country's self-imposed borrowing cap stunts increased investments. Hydropower, irrigation, and urban water supply and sanitation are at the top of the country's concerns. Also high on the country's agenda is reducing nonrevenue water in Hanoi, and large infrastructure projects along the Red River and the Mekong Delta.
This in-country WFP Conference in Viet Nam built upon the outcomes of the 2006 WFP Conference to help the country achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
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The conference aimed to
- Achieve a clear and shared understanding on the directions in strengthening the water sector roadmaps, which will serve as input to achieving water-related Vietnam Development Goals (VDGs)
- Identify key interventions, issues, and specific projects to be included in ADB-supported pipeline projects in 2008-2010
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The conference came up with the following outputs
- Suggestions to strengthen Viet Nam's Water Sector Roadmap
- A list of key projects and activities in the water sector for external assistance and issues that need to be resolved
- Draft concept notes on projects for possible ADB assistance to help the Government of Viet Nam and ADB during the Country Programming Mission in May 2007, operational programs for 2008-2010 will be discussed
- An indicative timeframe for the implementation of the tentative ADB 2008-2010 operational program
- A list of possible funding resources from ADB, and funding gaps
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The conference was organized by the Viet Nam Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank, and the Government of Viet Nam's Ministry of Planning and Investment and Office of the National Water Resources Committee.
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Core participants were those who attended to the 2006 WFP Conference. Participants from other water-related government ministries and Viet Nam water utilities, as well as observer donor representatives, were also invited.
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The conference was held in Hanoi, Viet Nam
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