The Asia and the Pacific region is clearly at the crossroads on the choices it makes for addressing this water crisis. It is opportune for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to take stock of its water operations, identify the current and emerging water issues, and determine the best ways in which it can support the investments, knowledge, capacities, and technologies needed by each developing member country to address issues to 2020 and beyond. The development of this Water Operational Plan 2011–2020 incorporates comments and suggestions from a range of stakeholders within and outside ADB. This Plan provides guidance to ADB's regional departments in defining their respective in-country water operations.

This study assesses the achievement of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in mainstreaming the Managing for Development Results agenda within ADB, with a view to track progress, identify lessons, and make recommendations for ensuring better development effectiveness of operations in the future.

The Climate Change Operational Framework 2017-2030 is intended to provide broad direction and guidance for enhancing resilience and strengthening climate actions in the operations and business processes of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It positions ADB to facilitate, collaboratively and proactively, a regional shift toward a low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development path. The operational framework provides guidance across all ADB sector and thematic groups to support climate adaptation and mitigation actions, operationalizing ADB's commitment to provide at least $6 billion per year in climate change financing from its own resources by 2020. It outlines actions and the institutional measures to be implemented to enable ADB to meet the climate needs of its developing members.

Asia proved resilient to the effects of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, but sustaining rapid growth became more difficult afterward. Development challenges intensified, the global development agenda became more ambitious, and new sources of development finance emerged. This volume shows how the Asian Development Bank (ADB) continued to reform in order to meet these challenges. A new long-term strategic framework, Strategy 2020, was launched in 2008, to respond to the changing needs of the region. A midterm review of Strategy 2020 was released in 2014, further refining and adjusting priorities in order for ADB to remain relevant and responsive to borrowers. Various organizational changes were introduced, internal business processes were improved, and several new instruments were adopted as part of ADB's efforts to become "stronger, better, faster." ADB's lending capacity expanded significantly, with the fifth general capital increase in 2009, followed by the unique and groundbreaking combination of the Asian Development Fund portfolio with the ordinary capital resources balance sheet approved in 2015. Lending reached record levels in 2015 and 2016, exceeding the earlier spike in 2009 when ADB had responded to the needs of countries affected by the global economic crisis. ADB also enhanced its accountability and results orientation, becoming the first multilateral development bank to adopt a corporate results framework in 2008.

In the context of Strategy 2020 and in the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), ADB prepared the report Environment Operational Directions, 2013–2020. The report aims to provide a coherent overview of its environment operations and to articulate how it will step up efforts to help the region achieve a transition to environmentally sustainable growth or green growth. Building on ADB sector and thematic plans, this paper provides a brief review of recent ADB experience in environment operations, and identifies effective approaches for the development of “greener” country partnership strategies, investment projects, and associated knowledge and technical assistance activities. In order to promote the transition to green growth, and address the causes and consequences of climate change, four mutually supportive environment operational directions have been identified: Promoting a shift to sustainable infrastructure; Investing in natural capital; Strengthening environmental governance and management capacity; and Responding to the climate change imperative. Climate Change and Green Asia The paper is aligned with key elements of relevant ADB sector and thematic operational plans, particularly for sectors where environmental sustainability is a priority. These include the Sustainable Transport Initiative Operational Plan, the Urban Operational Plan, the Water Operational Plan, the Energy Policy, and the Sustainable Food Security Plan, as well as the Climate Change Strategic Priorities. With respect to implementation, the paper identifies six supporting modalities: mainstreaming environment into ADB operations, promoting regional cooperation, building and maintaining strategic partnerships, developing and sharing knowledge solutions, implementation arrangements; and mobilizing and channeling resources. ADB’s annual development effectiveness review will report on the progress of the environment operational directions, specifically with regard to the environment-relevant indicators in the ADB results framework.

In 2011, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $21.72 billion in financing operations, representing a 14.5% increase on 2010 financing, according to the latest Annual Report of the Board of Directors to the Board of Governors. The 2011 Annual Report highlights how ADB has helped developing member countries in Asia and the Pacific make progress toward inclusive growth. It includes a comprehensive discussion on ADB’s operational, administrative, and financial activities in 2011, complete financial statements and opinions of the independent auditors, and a separate report on the activities of the Special Funds of ADB. It also contains chapters on regional, sectoral and thematic highlights.

The water–food–energy nexus is emerging as a critical issue in Asia and the Pacific. It is clear that solutions must be found to assure water security, thereby eliminating the immediate---and increasing---risk to food security, energy security, and economic growth and stability: water must be recognized as an economic as well as a social good. Governments need to be encouraged to think differently about water, take the longer-term view, and be mindful of the strategic and economic value of this limited resource. This publication is the result of a scoping study initiated by the Asian Development Bank to better understand the issues associated with the water–food–energy nexus in Asia and the Pacific. It provides high-level guidance on the choices available to address the region's water security issues.