Media Center

News Release

Japan and ADB to Help Disadvantaged Children and Water Management Modernization

HANOI, VIET NAM (26 September 2008) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Viet Nam signed today two grant projects financed by the Government of Japan. One project aims to improve disadvantaged children’s physical and cognitive development, and the other project will prepare a proposal to modernize country’s water management and irrigation systems.

Deputy Governor Nguyen Van Binh of the State Bank of Viet Nam represented the Government while Mr. Ayumi Konishi, ADB Country Director for Viet Nam signed the projects on behalf of ADB. Mr. Tomohiro Fujiyama of the Japanese Embassy and other senior officials witnessed the ceremony.

The Community Based Early Childhood Care and Development Project, financed by a $1.9 million grant under Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, aims to pilot cost-effective community-based Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) approaches to improve health, nutrition status, and cognitive and social development of children less than three years of age in selected ethnic minority groups and migrant workers in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Binh Duong province.

Resulted from the rapid industrialization and increased rural-urban migration, ethnic minority groups in remote areas and migrant workers from the poor parts of central Viet Nam become disadvantaged since they do not have equal access to basic social services or social support networks to care of their young children. This 3-year project will be implemented by the Institute for Population and Development Studies under General Office for Population and Family Planning, Ministry of Health.

“We are very pleased to work with the Government to expand ECCD program which provides opportunities for innovation to move from traditional institutional approaches to community-based approaches that are especially relevant for disadvantaged populations,” said Mr. Ayumi Konishi, ADB Country Director for Viet Nam at the ceremony.

The second project signed today was a $1 million technical assistance, financed by Japan Special Fund. It will formulate a project proposal to upgrade the quality of water-related public services and improve the management of Viet Nam’s water resources used for irrigation.

Executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the technical assistance specifically focuses on upgrading of professional training facilities for water resource specialist at the Water Resources University, while developing a proposal to modernize the management of Bac Hung Hai, one of the oldest and largest irrigation and drainage systems in the country. Given its importance to the economy and advanced state of disrepair, new infrastructure and upgrading of existing irrigation and drainage facilities of Bac Hung Hai will also be designed.

“It is essential to improve the management of scarce water resources for Viet Nam’s sustainable economic development since appropriate availability of water is needed to increase agricultural production to ensure food security and exports. Better management of water is necessary to improve crop productivity, quality of high-value products, development of aquaculture, and reduced vulnerability to the impacts of floods and droughts,” said Konishi.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.

Contacts