Participants to the 44th Annual Meeting of the ADB engaged in seminars on “Climate Risk and Resilience: Securing the Region's Future” and "Investing in 'Climate-Smart' Development: Southeast Asia's Awakening."
6 May 2011: The 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) took place in Hanoi, Viet Nam, from 3-6 May 2011, and addressed, among other issues, green business opportunities, climate change and food security.
On 3 May, a seminar on “Climate Risk and Resilience: Securing the Region’s Future” examined the threats posed by climate change to water and food security in the region. Seminar participants identified solutions to address these threats, including scaling up efforts to “climate proof” infrastructure, manage disaster risks such as floods and droughts, and adopt regional food security strategies. In her introductory remarks to seminar participants, Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, ADB Vice President – Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, underscored that the food and water crises, as well as natural disasters, pose significant threats to security, economic development and poverty reduction in the Asia and the Pacific region, adding that climate change is likely to exacerbate these risks. Noting that these crises are “unintended consequences of the region’s rapid development,” she called for adopting coherent policies and addressing existing gaps in technology and finance in order manage these risks.
On 6 May, Haruhiko Kuroda, ADB President, opened the seminar on “Investing in ‘Climate-Smart’ Development: Southeast Asia’s Awakening.” He stressed the need to “translate the climate change crisis into a new opportunity,” highlighting win-win opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing deforestation and improving energy efficiency and promoting renewables. He expressed the belief that the new green growth and development nexus will enable Southeast Asia to move to “a cleaner and more vibrant future.” Kuroda outlined ADB’s five climate change strategic priorities in 2010, namely: increase investments in clean energy, sustainable transport, and urban development; promote sustainable land use and forest management; build climate resilience in the water and agriculture sectors; and provide technical assistance to strengthen institutional and human capacities, governance, and policies to address climate change.
The Board decided to hold its 2012 meeting in Manila, the Philippines. The Board of Governors is ADB’s highest policy-making body and the annual meetings are statutory occasions at which Governors can provide guidance on ADB’s administrative, financial, and operational priorities. [ADB President’s Remarks] [ADB Vice President’s Remarks] [Meeting Website] [Seminar on Climate-Smart Development] [Seminar on Climate Risk]