Encouraging Sustainable Transport and Urban Development - Climate Change

Natural gas is popular in India’s transport sector, where it is used to fuel three-wheelers and public buses. It is cheaper and burns cleaner than petrol or diesel, producing lower carbon dioxide and particulate emission.

Transport is the fastest growing source of new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Unchecked practices in transportation and urban growth lead to pollution, decreased quality of life and increased demand for energy. Shifting transport and urban development to a more sustainable path will lower environmental costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

ADB is investing in climate-friendly transport and urban development. Consistent with its new Sustainable Transport Initiative, support to developing countries will increasingly shift to make modern, energy-efficient transportation more widely available.

Planning for sustainable cities and transportation

Urban sector planning is being integrated with new modes of transport, emphasizing accessibility and affordability. ADB is also promoting efficient, low-carbon, intercity transport, shifting from highways toward rail and sea transport.

Managing waste, reducing emissions

ADB is supporting technologies that curb the generation of GHG emissions, such as capturing the methane released from landfills and sewage to harness the resulting energy.

Featured Projects
Bangalore Metro Rail System Project India Approved in 2011, this private sector project is expected to develop and operate an urban metro rail transit system in Bangalore City. Specifically, the project will develop 42.3 km of metro rail corridors, 40 stations, 2 station depots, signaling, electro-mechanical system and all ancillary and rolling stock. Implementation of the project will result in modal shift toward public transportation that will reduce use of buses and private vehicle leading to substantial fuel savings and CO2 emission reduction. The project is expected to reduce vehicular emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and hydrocarbons by at least 2.5% by 2020 from 34 mg/m3 of nitrous oxide and 4 mg/m3 of carbon monoxide in 2006.
North-South Railway Turkmenistan Approved in 2011, this $125 million project is ADB’s first loan to Turkmenistan. This project will procure and install power, signaling and telecommunications  systems for 311-km completed railway line between Bereket and Buzkhun. The project also includes project management support, institutional capacity building of MRT, and acquisition of track maintenance and safety equipment. The project will reduce hauling of freight and passengers by road and therefore will contribute to reducing emissions from the transport sector. By 2020, the project is expected to contribute to 26,800 tons of CO2 emissions reduction. 
Ho Chi Minh City Urban Mass Rapid Transit Line 2 Investment Program Viet Nam Approved in 2010, ADB is funding the construction of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Urban Mass Rapid Transit Line 2 in Viet Nam which will facilitate public transport access and connectivity in six central districts of HCMC while supporting low-carbon transport that reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Development Project Nepal Approved in 2010, this project addresses climate change and improves the quality of urban life by, among other things, piloting routes provided with electric vehicles, enabling pedestrianization of heritage routes in the city core, improving general walkability, and strengthening air quality monitoring.

More Projects
Lanzhou Sustainable Urban Transport Project China, Republic of The project will generate certified emission reductions, increase average bus speed along the bus rapid transit corridor, increase the share of public transport, shorten average travel time, and decrease the accident rates of vehicles and non motorized transport. Consultation with communities has included focus group discussions, meetings with villages, and surveys of beneficiary and adversely affected households.
Railway Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy China, Republic of To enhance energy efficiency and energy conservation in the PRC railway system, the study, which commenced in 2008, assists the Ministry of Railways to prepare the Railway Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy by analyzing the energy efficiency of the PRC railway sector, identifying areas where the PRC can improve energy efficiency, and recommending actions and technologies that the PRC can adopt.
Transport Efficiency through Logistics Development Policy Study China, Republic of ADB expects the study, which commenced in 2008, to develop an efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly transport logistics system through the preparation of a policy framework, action plans, and operational guidelines that can be adopted by the Ministry of Transport and local governments in the PRC.
Ho Chi Minh City Metro Rail System Viet Nam To improve the quality of urban living and reduce reliance on private modes of travel, the study is developing plans to implement the first two lines of a proposed mass rapid transit (MRT) project for Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, the study is preparing a consolidated MRT network master plan and land use strategy that maximizes MRT use and reflects anticipated demand. It is also drawing up preliminary engineering design, technical and operational standards while also proposing institutional and implementation arrangements and financing options. The goal of the MRT is to provide convenient, comfortable, safe, affordable, and clean urban travel that improves the quality of urban living and reduces reliance on private modes of travel.
A Development Framework for Sustainable Urban Transport Regional ADB expects the study, which commenced in 2007, to promote sustainable development through sustainable urban transport systems in the region. Specifically, the study is developing a strategic vision with clear directions for sustainable urban transport; preparing a strategic regional development framework for sustainable urban transport; and providing a regional plan for clean and efficient energy use in transport.
Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement II Project Bangladesh To improve the environment and the quality of life in Bangladesh, reduce GHG emissions, and strengthen the country's resilience to climate change, the project, launched in 2008, is improving urban governance and expanding access to urban infrastructure and services in target pourashavas. Specifically, the project is developing infrastructure and improving service delivery of municipal transport, drainage, solid waste management, water supply, sanitation, and municipal facilities.
Urban Wastewater and Solid Waste Management China, Republic of The study, which commenced in 2007, is expected to mitigate GHG emissions and improve urban wastewater management and solid waste management by developing national policy frameworks for wastewater and solid waste tariffs, focusing on small cities and towns in the PRC. Specifically, the study assesses the volumes and pollution loadings of urban wastewater management and solid waste of small cities and towns; develops a methodology for classifying small cities and towns; formulates national tariff policy frameworks on wastewater and solid waste for each category of small cities and towns; pilot tests the national tariff policy frameworks with selected case study small cities and towns; finalizes the national tariff policy frameworks based on the results of the pilot testing; and develops an institutional framework and capacity building plan, and information dissemination program for implementing the national tariff policy frameworks.
Central Uttar Pradesh Gas Limited India The project, launched in 2006, involves the construction of city gas distribution networks in and around Kanpur, India to deliver CNG to vehicles and PNG to commercial, industrial, and residential users. The project is comprised of two main components: construction of a limited natural gas distribution network within the city and subsequent customer connections; and establishment of CNG 'mother' filling stations and online filling stations to service cars, buses, taxis and 2-and 3-wheelers which have been converted to CNG use. The project is designed to reduce air pollution and improve ambient air quality by switching vehicles from gasoline and diesel to CNG and residential, industrial, and commercial users from kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas to PNG.
Kerala Sustainable Urban Development India To improve and expand urban infrastructure and services, improve living conditions, and mitigate GHG emissions, the project, launched in 2005, rehabilitates, improves, and expands the following: urban water supply, sewerage and sanitation, urban drainage, solid waste management, and roads and transportation. The project will target poor communities through integrated interventions for basic infrastructure and services improvements and livelihood enhancement. It will also provide assistance to urban local bodies for urban infrastructure subprojects. The project will provide urban management and institutional development by building the capacity building of local government officials to improve wastewater management, in an effort to facilitate the sustainability of investments.
Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development India ADB expects the project, launched in 2008, to improve the access of about 1.6 million people to sustainable urban infrastructure and services, to strengthen the capacity of the urban local bodies to manage urban services, mitigate GHG emissions, and thereby strengthen resilience to climate change. The project is improving water supply systems; constructing new sewerage and drainage systems; collecting, processing, and treating solid waste; developing sanitary landfills for disposal; rehabilitating roads; enhancing social infrastructure; and building capacity of local government and improving financial performance of local bodies.
Uttaranchal Urban Development India ADB expects the program, launched in 2008, to mitigate GHG emissions and improve quality of life for the urban residents of Uttarakhand by providing them with increased access to better quality urban infrastructure and services by 2016. To achieve this, the program is rehabilitating, improving, and expanding water supply, sewerage and sanitation, solid waste management, urban transportation, and roads, and upgrading slums, as well as enhancing the capacity of urban service providers.
Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement Project Pakistan ADB expects the project, launched in 2008, to mitigate GHG emissions, improve living conditions, quality of life, and health of the people of Rawalpindi through water supply and sanitation, solid waste management, wastewater treatment, and slaughterhouses improvement. Specifically, the project is doing the following: installing major sewerage networks and a sewage treatment plant, remodeling existing drains and constructing new drains as storm water drainage, improving the collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste, building additional hygienic, environmentally acceptable slaughterhouse facilities on the existing slaughterhouse, constructing properly designed, suitably located public toilets connected to nearby sewer network, improving water supply by replacing and rehabilitating inefficient tube wells and distribution systems, and providing staff training on financial and technical management.
Local Government Infrastructure Improvement Project Sri Lanka To mitigate GHG emissions and improve the urban environment and living conditions of selected local authorities in Sri Lanka, the project, launched in 2005, is doing the following: strengthening urban management, planning, and financing capacity of the sector institutions to ensure sustainable provision of urban infrastructure and services; enhancing urban livelihoods through the extension and rehabilitation of existing piped supply and construction of new schemes, construction and maintenance of roads, improved drainage and community sewerage, and efficient collection of solid waste; and increasing government and local authorities' capacity for administering urban infrastructure supply and maintenance works.
Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project Nepal The ADB has approved a $10 million loan and a grant of up to $10 million, both from ADB’s Special Funds resources, for the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project to help improve the urban transport system and help reduce congestion and pollution in Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu. Among the key improvements envisaged under the project are the reorganization plan of the public transport network system in Kathmandu and the introduction of two pilot bus routes financed through the government-managed Town Development Fund.