Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expanding its activities to address water issues in the Asia-Pacific region through dollar 3.2 million grant package. According to sources here on Friday, about 700 million people in Asia and the Pacific are without safe water supplies and some two billion have inadequate or no toilet facilities.
In recognition of these issues and to accelerate the region's effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), ADB's management is giving top priority to water investments in the medium term through its Water Financing Program 2006-2010 that seeks to double investments in water to well over dollar two billion annually starting this year.
Investments include rural and urban water projects, and integrated water resources management in river basins. The grant package, the fifth in a series, would continue to finance a coherent programme of activities to support ADB's water operations by setting up pilot projects; supporting sector reforms; and building knowledge, awareness, co-operation, and co-ordination within and outside ADB.
Phase-5 would include the building of water partnerships, upgrading the skills of targeted agencies, producing and distributing information and organising networking events to disseminate good practices and new approaches. Support would also be given for water initiatives by civil society organisations, and national and sub-regional water partnerships.