In November 2011, the Asian Development Bank approved the School Sector Program (SSP), a follow-on to the Education Sector Program, subprogram III, which supports the Government of Nepal's 7-year (FY2010-FY2016) School Sector Reform Program (SSRP). The SSRP is supported by ADB and eight other development partners using the sector-wide approach. Building on the achievements of the Education for All Program (2004-2009), the SSRP aims to expand access and equity, improve quality and relevance, and strengthen the institutional capacity of the entire school education system.

To help address the chronic shortages of electricity in India, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Project Features approved the National Grid Improvement Project in September 2011. The project impact will be to accelerate the development of the interregional grid system to deliver increased power supply to sustain the country's economic growth. This brief gives a summary of the project's features.

In September 2002, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Aquatic Resources Development and Quality Improvement Project in Sri Lanka. The project supported aquatic resource development and quality improvement to enhance food security and reduce poverty, especially in rural areas. The project also promoted market-driven and sustainable management of inland fisheries and aquaculture through resource development and quality improvement. This brief provides the overview and features of this project.

ADB's Madhya Pradesh State Roads Sector Development project is designed to rehabilitate about 1,750 kilometers of state roads identified from important state road corridors, including state roads linking with the north-south national highway corridor. The reform will result in sustainable development and maintenance of MP's road network and delivery of more reliable transport services to support its efforts of social and economic development, poverty reduction, and restoration of fiscal balance. This brief gives an overview and summary of the results of the said project.

To contribute to a reliable, adequate, and affordable power supply for sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in Sri Lanka, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Sustainable Power Sector Support Project in January 2011.

To help address the growing urbanization in Bhutan, the Asian Development Bank approved the Urban Infrastructure Project in November 2011. The project will support Project Features the Government of Bhutan's efforts toward sustainable urban development in its two largest municipalities and two emerging urban centers (Samdrup Jongkhar Municipality and Nganglam Town). It will have four outputs: water supply and sanitation, infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion, mobility improvement, urban management strengthening, and project management and capacity development.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is widely recognized as a potential powerful tool in the fight against world poverty, with the capacity to provide developing countries with an unprecedented opportunity to meet vital development goals such as poverty reduction, basic health care, and education. Countries that succeed in harnessing the potential of ICT can look forward to greatly accelerating economic growth, dramatically improving human welfare, and fostering good governance practices.

This brief gives an overview of the Third Primary Education Development Project in Bangladesh. It supports the Primary Education Development Program (PEDP) III, which builds on the PEDP II achievement, lessons identified, and joint experience of the government and development partners. It broadens the scope to include 1 year preprimary, and nonformal and second chance primary education; deepen quality improvement through improved teaching and learning practices in the classroom, including improved assessment; enhance school governance, accountability, and community mobilization.

The devastating 2007 floods and cyclone in Bangladesh, affecting 25 million people in 51 districts, caused severe damage to livelihood, infrastructure, and other assets. The disaster disrupted economic activities, inflicting heavy losses to crops and slowing expansion in industries and services.

In 2000, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Chittagong Hill Tracts Rural Development Project to help reduce the incidence of poverty in the CHT and to provide a confidence-building environment to underpin the peace accord signed in 1997. This brief provides an overview of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Rural Development Project in Bangladesh.