Manila: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has unveiled its approach to help Pacific countries improve their towns, cities, and water and sanitation services over the next 5 years.
The Pacific Urban Development, Water, and Sanitation Sector Road Map 2021–2025 was developed in close consultation with ADB’s Pacific developing member countries and reveals ADB’s vision and targets for how investments, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and ADB’s partnerships will improve livability and contribute to the development of safe, efficient, and reliable urban services.
The report identifies the major constraints for the delivery of urban services in the Pacific, including fragile economies, limited public land, problems around long-term planning, fewer experts stemming from smaller population bases, infrastructure maintenance issues, and women and girls having less access to services and resources.
“This road map identifies constraints to urban development and presents solutions to these challenges,” said ADB Pacific Department’s Urban Water and Sanitation Division Director Jingmin Huang. “Supporting the greater use of available technologies, exploring knowledge solutions, institutional strengthening, encouraging private sector participation, and building social capital will help create strong and healthy Pacific towns and cities.”
The road map will guide the design and implementation of ADB’s urban sector support across three areas: improving and sustaining urban services, such as water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management; spatial planning; and climate change and the environment. It specifies ADB’s current and potential investment opportunities, and ongoing and potential advisory work and capacity building.
The urban road map shows how ADB will prioritize improving the region’s water supply; placing greater emphasis on citywide inclusive sanitation, hygiene, and solid waste management initiatives; supporting climate-related flood and drought management; assisting with urban planning; and promoting knowledge sharing between countries and service providers.
The road map promotes integrated solutions to urban challenges and is aligned with the vision and targets of ADB’s broader Strategy 2030, that sets out ADB’s broad vision and strategic response to the evolving needs of Asia and the Pacific.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
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