ADB Support for Climate Change
From 2011 to 2020 ADB approved about $41.6 billion in climate financing. ADB's own resources provided $36.2 billion while external resources contributed almost $5.4 billion. ADB supports green growth in Asia and the Pacific through financing and innovative technologies. Through mechanisms such as the Climate Investment Funds, multilateral development banks have mobilized billions for climate action in developing countries. ADB is an accredited entity of the Green Climate Fund and is accessing resources from the fund to support climate change actions in the Asia Pacific region.
ADB seeks to help its member countries become more resilient to the effects of disasters triggered by natural hazards, while it continues to provide assistance to support post-disaster recovery needs. Between August 1987 and December 2019, ADB approved $10.6 billion for 243 disaster risk management projects that directly reduced disaster risks, strengthened financial preparedness, and supported post-disaster recovery; while a further 581 projects incorporated measures to strengthen disaster resilience in their design. These have included flood control and integrated water resource management projects, as well as programs supporting financial preparedness for disasters in ADB’s developing member countries.
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Issues
Issues and topics related to climate change and disaster risk management that ADB has identified as priorities in developing Asia and the Pacific.
Climate Financing

Green growth has great potential to provide a clear and focused policy agenda to pursue sustainable economic growth, while improving resilience to climate change and other shocks, and preventing environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable natural resource use.
Necessary investments in all developing countries for mitigation are estimated to be between $140 billion to $175 billion per year by 2030, while adaptation cost estimates for Asia and the Pacific are in the order of $40 billion per year between now and 2050.
Through mechanisms such as the Climate Investment Funds, multilateral development banks have mobilized $6.5 billion for climate action in developing countries, with $2.5 billion earmarked for Asia and the Pacific. For the massive financing required to combat climate change, the key will be using limited public sector funds to leverage significant amounts of private capital, and to get the right technologies into the hands of as many partners as possible, as quickly as possible.
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Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities: Philippines 2020 Report
This report explores green bonds and other finance instruments for climate-resilient infrastructure and investment opportunities that can support the Philippines in achieving a low carbon economy.
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Green Finance Strategies for Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery in Southeast Asia: Greening Recoveries for Planet and People
This publication examines innovative finance mechanisms for government recovery strategies that can incentivize green infrastructure investment in developing Asia and support the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
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ADB Green Bonds Newsletter and Impact Report 2020
This issue covers sustainable development challenges in Asia and the Pacific, ADB’s strategies for addressing these challenges, the bank’s recent green bond issuances, and projects eligible for green bond financing.
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Green, Social, and Sustainability Bonds for Asia and the Pacific
This publication highlights how green bonds can help fund projects supporting climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. It also features milestones achieved and successful projects implemented in Asia and the Pacific.
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Catalyzing Climate Finance with the Shandong Green Development Fund
This publication highlights the features of the Shandong Green Development Fund (SGDF) to promote climate-friendly investments, particularly to support the transition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to a low-carbon future.
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Integrated Disaster Risk Management

ADB helps its member countries become more resilient to disasters by financing flood control and water resource management projects, as well as innovative ways of financing disaster risk management.
ADB helps its member countries become more resilient to disasters by financing flood control and water resource management projects, as well as innovative ways of financing disaster risk management.
Investments in disaster resilience can reduce losses, contributing to sustained economic growth, poverty reduction, and enhanced natural resources management. These investments have the most far-reaching effect if they are undertaken in the context of wider development and are carefully integrated into the development process. Successful investment in resilience also requires active cooperation between governments, the private sector, civil society, and the international community.
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Financing Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific: A Guide for Policy Makers
This publication aims to guide policy makers and other stakeholders on how to scale up disaster risk reduction financing in developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank.
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Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Disaster Risk Management and Financing
This joint report by ADB and the OECD examines how emerging technologies and innovation can improve the management of disaster and climate risks and the availability and affordability of financial protection tools.
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Healthy and Age-Friendly Cities in the People's Republic of China: Proposal for Health Impact Assessment and Healthy and Age-Friendly City Action and Management Planning
This report discusses framework for a four-generation urban society in the People’s Republic of China to create positive health outcomes and improve urban livability, services, and public spaces for the elderly.
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Climate Change, Coming Soon to a Court Near You: National Climate Change Legal Frameworks in Asia and the Pacific
Report 3 provides holistic syntheses of the climate legal and policy frameworks of 32 countries in Asia and the Pacific and discusses key legislative trends and climate-relevant constitutional rights.
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The Integrated Disaster Risk Management Fund: Sharing Lessons and Achievements
This publication discusses lessons learned from and achievements of the Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM) Fund in supporting ADB technical assistance projects in Southeast Asian developing member countries.
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Clean Energy

Energy efficiency is emerging as one of the key options that can help nations in Asia and the Pacific meet the region's growing energy needs in a clean and effective way.
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Pacific Energy Update 2020
This document provides an overview of ADB’s ongoing and completed initiatives in the Pacific energy sector as of 2020, including work to scale up operations and finance new sources of renewable power.
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A Review of the Strategy for the Northeast Asia Power System Interconnection
This paper summarizes and updates the study of a strategy for the Northeast Asia Power System Interconnection that spans Japan, Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation.
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Transforming Power Development Planning in the Greater Mekong Subregion: A Strategic and Integrated Approach
This publication provides guidance on how governments and utilities in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) can develop sustainable power development plans based on current international best practices.
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Waste to Energy in the Age of the Circular Economy: Best Practice Handbook
This handbook features best practices for integrating waste to energy and related technologies into the operations of various industries in developing Asia.
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Waste to Energy in the Age of the Circular Economy: Compendium of Case Studies and Emerging Technologies
This compendium features 18 projects that demonstrate the use of waste-to-energy technologies in the municipal, agricultural, and industrial sectors.
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Green Cities

Cities in Asia are growing at an unprecedented pace, with 44 million added to city populations every year. The resulting congestion, waste, pollution, and associated health impacts remain key challenges in sustaining urban development.
ADB supports livable, green cities through financing water supply, waste management, clean transport, urban planning and clean energy projects.
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.
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Climate Risk Country Profile: Maldives
This publication comprehensively synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Maldives.
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Climate Risk Country Profile: Nepal
This publication comprehensively synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Nepal.
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A System-Wide Approach for Infrastructure Resilience: Technical Note
This technical note is a call for action to improve how climate-related financial risks are considered in infrastructure planning and investments.
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Financing Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific: A Guide for Policy Makers
This publication aims to guide policy makers and other stakeholders on how to scale up disaster risk reduction financing in developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank.
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Building the Climate Change Resilience of Mongolia’s Blue Pearl: The Case Study of Khuvsgul Lake National Park
This publication presents the first quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change on a protected area in Mongolia and helps identify adaptation measures to build climate resilience for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, and tourism.
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Lands and Forests

Lands and forests are being conserved to provide sustainable livelihood for local populations and a safe haven for thousands of animal and plant species.
ADB is working across Asia and the pacific to support sustainable forest management and conservation efforts, as well as agricultural land use improvements, to promote carbon conservation.
Approaches to land and forest management should support local livelihoods, strengthen resilience to climate change, maintain clean water supplies, and protect biological diversity.
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Climate Change Fund Progress Report 2017
This report provides the operation results and financial status of the Climate Change Fund (CCF) as of 31 December 2017. It also highlights the key issues and lessons, and discusses possible future directions.
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Climate Change Fund Progress Report 2018
This report provides the operation results and financial status of the Climate Change Fund (CCF) as of 31 December 2018. It also highlights the key issues and lessons, and discusses possible future directions.
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Irrigation Systems for Climate Change Adaptation in Viet Nam
This publication presents an overview of the Water Efficiency Improvement in Drought-Affected Provinces (WEIDAP) Project that aims to apply cost-effective technology for irrigation modernization and agricultural development in Viet Nam.
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Multihazard Risk Atlas of Maldives
The Multihazard Risk Atlas of Maldives is composed of Geography—Volume I, Climate and Geophysical Hazards—Volume II, Economy and Demographics—Volume III, Biodiversity—Volume IV, and Summary—Volume V.
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Community-Based Mangrove Planting Handbook for Papua New Guinea
This publication is an initiative of the Government of Papua New Guinea that presents a step-by-step guide on how to rehabilitate mangroves.
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Resilient Development

The challenge facing Asia and the Pacific is to create another kind of resilience—disaster resilience—at the national and regional level.
ADB is promoting adaptation to climate change in the region by investing in water supply, sanitation, irrigation, flood control, transport and energy infrastructure that builds resilience to current and future climate variability.
Investment in sectors such as health and education will also improve countries’ capacity to adapt. Helping vulnerable communities and sectors to cope with climate variability strengthens their resilience to the long-term and uncertain impacts of climate change.
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Climate Risk Country Profile: Maldives
This publication comprehensively synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Maldives.
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Climate Risk Country Profile: Nepal
This publication comprehensively synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Nepal.
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A System-Wide Approach for Infrastructure Resilience: Technical Note
This technical note is a call for action to improve how climate-related financial risks are considered in infrastructure planning and investments.
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Financing Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific: A Guide for Policy Makers
This publication aims to guide policy makers and other stakeholders on how to scale up disaster risk reduction financing in developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank.
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Building the Climate Change Resilience of Mongolia’s Blue Pearl: The Case Study of Khuvsgul Lake National Park
This publication presents the first quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change on a protected area in Mongolia and helps identify adaptation measures to build climate resilience for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, and tourism.
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Strengthening Policies

Green growth has great potential to provide a clear and focused policy agenda to pursue sustainable economic growth, while improving resilience to climate change and other shocks, and preventing environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable natural resource use.
Many countries have pledged to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with nationally appropriate mitigation actions. In addition, developing countries in the region have also prepared national adaptation programs of action.
An enormous amount of policy, governance, and institutional work will be needed to mainstream these initial plans and pledges into the development process and translate them into action.
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Climate Risk Country Profile: Maldives
This publication comprehensively synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Maldives.
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Climate Risk Country Profile: Nepal
This publication comprehensively synthesizes climate characteristics and projections, vulnerability to natural hazards, sectoral climate change impacts, and adaptation priorities in Nepal.
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A System-Wide Approach for Infrastructure Resilience: Technical Note
This technical note is a call for action to improve how climate-related financial risks are considered in infrastructure planning and investments.
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Building the Climate Change Resilience of Mongolia’s Blue Pearl: The Case Study of Khuvsgul Lake National Park
This publication presents the first quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change on a protected area in Mongolia and helps identify adaptation measures to build climate resilience for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, and tourism.
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Decoding Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Version II
This publication presents the latest developments and unresolved issues for negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement leading up to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow.
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Post-Disaster Response, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction

Through its emergency assistance loan program, ADB provides fast-tracked support to help members rebuild high-priority physical assets and restore economic, social and governance activities in the aftermath of disasters.
ADB seeks to help its member countries become more resilient to the effects of disasters, while it continues to provide assistance to support post-disaster recovery needs. Between August 1987 and December 2018, ADB approved $10.3 billion for 222 disaster risk management projects that directly reduced disaster risks, strengthened financial preparedness, and supported post-disaster recovery; while a further 442 projects incorporated measures to strengthen disaster resilience in their design. These have included flood control and integrated water resource management projects, as well as programs supporting financial preparedness for disasters in ADB’s developing member countries. ADB’s quick response was also seen in the aftermath of disasters such as the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, a tropical cyclone in Tonga, an earthquake in Papua New Guinea, and increased volcanic activity of Mt. Manaro in Vanuatu, which all happened in 2018.
Through its emergency assistance loan program, ADB provides fast-tracked support to help members rebuild high-priority physical assets and restore economic, social and governance activities in the aftermath of disasters.
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Financing Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific: A Guide for Policy Makers
This publication aims to guide policy makers and other stakeholders on how to scale up disaster risk reduction financing in developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank.
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The Integrated Disaster Risk Management Fund: Sharing Lessons and Achievements
This publication discusses lessons learned from and achievements of the Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM) Fund in supporting ADB technical assistance projects in Southeast Asian developing member countries.
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Assessing the Enabling Environment for Disaster Risk Financing: A Country Diagnostics Toolkit
This diagnostics toolkit is designed to help countries assess the financial management of disaster risk and to provide a basis for them to enhance financial resilience through insurance and other risk transfer instruments.
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Enhancing Women-Focused Investments in Climate and Disaster Resilience
This publication explores why targeted investments in women are crucial to increase resilience to climate change and disasters and to achieve broader sustainable development.
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Propagation of Positive Effects of Postdisaster Policies through Supply Chains: Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
This study evaluates the impact of “group subsidies,” a policy intervention to repair and reinstall damaged capital goods and facilities of small and medium-sized enterprises after the Great East Japan earthquake.
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Green, Inclusive and Resilient Recovery

A green, inclusive and resilient recovery refers to a package of stimulus policies and funding that supports development that is nature-positive, socially inclusive, builds long-term resilience and is aligned with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Together, the package of measures should aim to provide assistance to businesses and people affected by Covid-19 and stimulate economic activity, while laying the foundation for long-term structural reforms and a transformative shift towards resilient, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and forward-looking societies.
Related
- Flyer: NDC Advance – Accelerating Climate Actions in Asia and the Pacific
- Flyer: Asian Development Bank – Building a Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Asia and the Pacific
- Climate Change Operational Framework 2017–2030: Enhanced Actions for Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Resilient Development
- Operational Plan for Integrated Disaster Risk Management, 2014-2020
- Integrated Disaster Risk Management Fund