This brief highlights lessons and recommendations from an independent evaluation report that assessed ADB support for disaster prevention and recovery programs during 1995–2011.

The frequency of intense floods and storms is increasing globally and in Asia and the Pacific amid the specter of climate change, pointing to the need for better mitigation and adaptation to natural disasters. This synthesis presents the lessons drawn from evaluations of information sourced from publicly available databases.

This synthesis provides key lessons on the importance of communication in facilitating development work, as reflected in the applications of participatory approaches in project preparation, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation in ADB operations.