Developing Asia has continued to perform well, even as recovery in the major industrial economies remains weak. The region is forecast to expand by 5.7% in 2017 and 2018, nearly the 5.8% growth achieved in 2016.

Decades of rapid growth transformed developing Asia from a low-income region to middle income. Sustaining growth to power the transition to high income will depend on much greater improvement in productivity. Innovation, human capital, and infrastructure are the three pillars of productivity growth. Supportive institutions and policies, underpinned by macroeconomic stability, can strengthen all three pillars. Asia’s dynamic track record suggests that attaining high income status, while challenging, is achievable.

ADB's Clean Energy Financing Partnership continues to provide critical financial support to clean energy projects with $2.1 billion in clean energy investments in 2016.

The Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility (CEFPF) was established by ADB in April 2007, to assist developing member countries improve energy security and transit to low-carbon use through cost-effective investments, particularly in technologies that result in greenhouse gas mitigation. CEFPF is composed of the Clean Energy Fund, the Asian Clean Energy Fund, the Carbon Capture and Storage Fund and the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia. The Facility contributes to the energy sector in achieving the scaled up ADB’s annual target set in September 2015, ADB pledged to double its annual climate financing to $6 billion by 2020, with $4 billion for climate mitigation and $2 billion for climate adaptation. The energy sector is expected to contribute about $3 billion to climate mitigation.

This annual report provides CEFPF's operational results and overall implementation progress from 1 January to 31 December 2016.

Climate change will affect all types of infrastructure, including energy, transport and water. Rising temperatures, increased flood risk and other potential hazards will threaten the reliable and efficient operation of these networks, with potentially large economic and social impacts. Decisions made now about the design, location and operation of infrastructure will determine how resilient they will be to a changing climate.

This paper provides a framework for action aimed at national policymakers in OECD countries to help them ensure new and existing infrastructure is resilient to climate change. It examines national governments’ action in OECD countries, and provides recent insights from professional and industry associations, development banks and other financial institutions on how to make infrastructure more resilient to climate change.

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The Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Mekong Region have been developed to address the shared concern for increasing meaningful public participation in development planning, in the context of increasing investment projects across the Mekong region. The Guidelines are intended to help stimulate more effective practices in public participation. These Guidelines are also playing an important role in informing the development of national level guidelines on public participation in EIA. This document is intended as a living resource and it is hoped that it will inspire the continued strengthening of EIA policies and practices in each country and across the region, as well as to advance greater regional collaboration and harmonization among Mekong and ASEAN nations.

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This is the baseline survey made for the project “Enhancing Competitiveness of Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) of ASEAN Mekong Sub region (AMS)” for the period 2016 – 2018. The Project is supported by the Government of Japan through Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and covers a wide geographical area of 19 provinces in the SEC. With capacity development programs provided to local SMEs, CCIs, government officials and stakeholders, the project is about to (i) formulate SME clusters and integrate them into the regional value chains; (ii) to facilitate trade and investment promotions for the SME clusters though a number of trade and investment promotion events as well as SME database developments; and (iii) strengthen the business development services (BDS) providers to improve the coverage and quality of BDS services available to the target SME clusters.

Satellite-based environmental information are innovative solutions that can provide new ways for ADB to serve and address development challenges.

This report summarizes results of the initiative Earth Observation for a Transforming Asia and Pacific (EOTAP), that brought together the European Space Agency (ESA) and ADB to promote and demonstrate satellite Earth Observation in support of ADB’s investments in its developing member countries (DMCs).

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This report provides an assessment of the costs, benefits, and investment opportunities for GHG abatement in the energy and transport sectors of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

The ecological complexity of the Central and West Asian region gives way to diverse ecosystems with rich natural resources and hydrocarbon reserves; countries in this region are not only exposed to climate change risks, but there is growing recognition that their carbon-intensive economies necessitate reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with global efforts to mitigate climate change.

The Economics of Climate Change in Central and West Asia, a regional technical assistance (TA) project of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was designed to identify costs and opportunities in investments for low-carbon growth and climate resilience and low-carbon growth, under two components:

• mitigation of climate change, which assessed the costs and benefits of GHG emission reduction measures and formulated low-carbon growth investment proposals for energy and transport in the most carbon-intensive countries in the region; and
• adaptation to climate change, which assessed the costs and benefits of implementing adaptation measures to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on energy and water resources in the most vulnerable countries.

In Asia and the Pacific extreme income poverty remains widespread. This analysis of trends and highlighted good practices provides useful input into regional and global dialogues.

This report is produced under a renewed partnership between United Nations (ESCAP), ADB, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support national and regional efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It explores five megatrends that will determine whether everyone will be able to thrive and fulfill their expectations for a better life in the future: regional economic cooperation and integration; rural–urban transitions; demographic changes; ICT access and connectivity; and demand for natural resources.

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As our population continues to grow, so does the pressure on our finite and fragile resources. Yet that threat can be turned into an opportunity to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This report highlights the massive potential of using increased efficiency as a costeffective way to protect resources, tackle climate change and reduce our environmental footprint, while boosting economic growth, employment and development.

Over the past decade, ASEAN has signed Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) in seven occupations, all designed to facilitate professional mobility within the region.

MRAs are not easy to operationalize, however. Despite progress in key areas, Member States face complex challenges as they move toward full implementation. This report is the latest in a project by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) to improve understanding of the barriers to the free movement of professionals within ASEAN and to support the development of strategies to overcome these hurdles. The report draws on the insights of nearly 400 ASEAN and Member State officials, private-sector employers, training directors, and others who participated in focus group discussions, meetings, and surveys convened by ADB and MPI.

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