ADB joins this week the first-ever World Cities Summit in Singapore. Coinciding with the Singapore International Water Week 2008, the event is drawing officials, experts, and leaders to discuss urbanization and best practices for sustainable development of cities. Learn more about the event.

	Speeches: 1 | 2 | 3   News releases: 1 | 2
	Read the new publication: Managing Asian Cities
	Visit ADB's Urban Development website

Combating Desertification in Asia
This week marks World Desertification Day, highlighting an issue now intensified by climate change and affecting two fifths of Asia's land area and the livelihoods of millions. ADB is introducing sustainable land management systems to combat land degradation and the processes leading to it. Learn more about desertification.

Visit ADB's Environment website

International Partnership Exploring Poverty and Environment
ADB is this week hosting a meeting of an informal network of development agencies, international environmental NGOs, and others to share experiences on programs that link environmental management to poverty reduction. Read more about the 13th Poverty Environment Partnership Meeting.

	Read ADB VP Schaefer-Preuss' speech
	ADB's Poverty and Environment Program | Environment

World Environment Day - Fostering Low-Carbon Economies
ADB is committed to helping developing Asia pursue low-carbon growth paths and adapt to impacts of climate change, President Haruhiko Kuroda said in a speech to mark the occasion. Read the President's speech.

	Learn more about how ADB is reducing its own corporate environmental footprint
	Clean Energy website | Environment website

World Environment Day - Fostering Low-Carbon Economies
This year's World Environment Day calls for the global community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under its Strategy 2020, ADB is strengthening its assistance to its developing member countries' move toward low-carbon growth paths, while also minimizing its corporate environmental footprint.

	Asia Clean Energy Forum 2008 | Clean Energy website
	Learn more about ADB's Environment Program on the Environment website

Responding to Asia's Climate Change and Energy Security Needs
Policymakers, private sector firms, and NGOs across Asia are pursuing clean energy approaches that address the growing challenges of climate change and energy security. In recognition of this vital work, ADB and cooperating partners are hosting next week the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2008. Learn more about the event.

Visit our Clean Energy website

Catalyzing Private Investment in the Asia and Pacific Region
ADB has long viewed development and poverty reduction as being impossible without a vibrant, healthy, and confident private sector. A new publication explains ADB's approach to strengthening private sector investments. Download the publication.

Visit ADB's Private Sector Finance website

Poor Countries Can Afford Basic Social Protection, Index Shows
The newly developed Social Protection Index created by ADB and its partners shows that the ability to provide appropriate social protection to a nation's citizens is not only a question of the country's wealth. Read the news release.

Download the Social Protection Index for Committed Poverty Reduction, Volume 2: Asia

Railways of the People's Republic of China: Changing Lives
China's railways have been instrumental in developing the national economy. Two new reports review the positive impacts of ADB projects, and evaluate the major challenges and opportunities facing railways in the country.

	Building Railways in the PRC: Changing Lives
	The Railways of the PRC: An Agenda for Action

ADB Offers Massive Financial Support for Food Crisis
ADB's 41st Annual Meeting closed in Madrid with President Haruhiko Kuroda announcing $500 million in immediate support to tackle rising food costs in Asia and the Pacific and $2 billion in agriculture lending for 2009. Read the news release.

	Speech: A New ADB in a Rapidly Changing Region
	News: ADB Secures Over $11 Billion to Help Asia's Poorest

A New ADB in a Rapidly Changing Asia-Pacific
ADB is set for a change in the way it serves its developing member countries in a rapidly evolving and dynamic Asia-Pacific region, ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said at the official opening of the organization's 41st Annual Meeting in Madrid. Read the speech and the news release.

	Visit the Annual Meeting website
	ADB Secures Over $11 Billion to Help Asia's Poorest

Asia's Leaders in Madrid to Discuss Region's Future
Some 3,000 leaders of government, the private sector, academe, and civil society from around the world are gathering in Madrid this week for ADB's 41st Annual Meeting. Read the news release.

	Visit the Annual Meeting website
	ADB Secures Over $11 Billion to Help Asia's Poorest

2007: Another Banner Year for ADB and Developing Asia
ADB's loan approvals grew to $10.1 billion last year, the highest in its 41-year history, amid strong growth in the Asia and Pacific region. ADB's operations, activities, and results over the year are presented in the 2007 Annual Report. Read the news release.

Download the 2007 Annual Report

ADB Launches New Long-Term Strategy
To fight poverty in a region of more than 600 million poor people surviving on $1 a day, Strategy 2020 will refocus ADB operations on three development agendas—inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Read the news release.

Download the paper

ADB Launches e-Handbook on Project Implementation
A one-stop gateway to ADB policies, procedures, and documents on project implementation, the e-handbook also includes standard bidding documents and harmonized request for proposals. Browse e-Handbook.

Visit our Business Opportunities website

Developing Asia Maintaining Strong Growth Path, Says ADO 2008
Developing Asia will post solid growth in 2008, even as major industrial economies are slowing down, says ADB's flagship economic publication Asian Development Outlook 2008. This year's edition has a special chapter on Workers in Asia. Read the news release and Reuters news report.

Highlights | Full report | Video interview | Economics and Statistics site

Revitalizing the Ancient Tea Horse Roads
With the opening this week of the ADB-supported Route 3 Highway in Lao PDR, the last remaining stretch of road linking Kunming in the People's Republic of China and Bangkok, Thailand, is now in place. Communities now have better access to schools, health centers, commodities, and markets. Read the feature.

	View: Video | Slideshow | Third GMS Summit
	Read the news releases: 1 | 2

Enhancing Competitiveness in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Leaders of the six countries sharing the Mekong River are meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR, next week to discuss progress and chart future directions in economic cooperation and integration. Read more.

Visit ADB's GMS website

The Challenge of Reforming Indonesia's Social Security System
A new ADB study examines the challenges to implementing Indonesia's National Social Security System Law, which seeks to cover all Indonesians under a comprehensive system of insurance and assistance. Download the study.

Visit ADB's Social Protection website

Asian Development Fund - Changing Lives, Helping the Poorest
For more than three decades, the Asian Development Fund has been providing grants and low interest loans to help ADB's poorest borrowing countries to reduce poverty and improve the lives of the poor. Learn more about ADF's impacts.

Visit the ADF website

Celebrating International Women's Day 2008
As it joins the world in celebrating International Women's Day 2008, ADB has put forward a plan that renews its commitment to gender mainstreaming and identifies how operations will continue to lead to tangible achievements in gender equality and women's empowerment. Read the Gender and Development Plan of Action.

Visit our Gender and Development website

Creating a Roadblock to the Spread of HIV/AIDS
A new resource book helps key players in the transport sector to design and implement more effective HIV/AIDS programs in transport sector projects. Download the publication.

Visit the ADB Transport Sector website

WTO Accession: Challenges and Opportunities for Railways in China
A new report evaluates some of the major issues for railways in the People's Republic of China arising from World Trade Organization accession. Key policy recommendations are commercializing the operations and separating regulation from the enterprise functions of the Ministry of Railways. Download the report.

Visit the ADB Transport Sector website

Fraud and Corruption Complaints Up By 23%
ADB's Integrity Division received 211 complaints in 2007, a 23% increase from 171 in 2006. As a result of thorough investigations, 61 firms and 48 individuals were barred in 2007, a 65% and 50% increase respectively from 2006. Read the Integrity Division's 2007 Annual Report.

Visit ADB's Anticorruption and Integrity website

Identifying Critical Growth Constraints Facing Philippines
In the first of a series planned under an ADB regional technical assistance project, a new report identifies the most critical constraints to growth and poverty reduction in the Philippines and discusses policy options for addressing them. Download the publication.

Visit the Philippines website

Working for Greater Mekong Subregion's Green Future
Environment ministers from the six Southeast Asian countries sharing the Mekong River are convening this week with ADB officials in Vientiane, the Lao PDR, to address the region's natural resource and climate change issues. See slide show: People and their Environment in GMS.

Video | Progress Report | GMS Website | News Release

Seed Money for Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency Projects
ADB and its development partners are setting up a facility that will provide seed capital for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the Asia and Pacific region. The Seed Capital Assistance Facility will be implemented through a $4.2 million grant from the Global Environment Facility and jointly managed by ADB and UNEP. Read the news release.

Learn more about the Global Environment Facility

ADB Consults with South Asia on Safeguard Policy Update
ADB met in New Delhi with various groups from South Asia on the update of its environment, involuntary resettlement and indigenous peoples safeguard policies.

	Read the news release
	Learn more about the Safeguard Policy Update

Meeting the Challenges of Inclusive Growth
ADB can potentially make a difference in a range of areas affecting inclusion in the region, focusing on those where both markets and governments fail, a recent forum in Manila heard. Read a new paper summarizing the forum's discussions.

Visit ADB's Poverty Reduction website