Manila, Jan 30, 2006 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Senior officials from Asian Development Bank (ASX: ATB) are visiting India this week to take part in the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) and discuss ADB's partnerships on environmental issues and regional integration.
During their visit, ADB's delegation, headed by director generals Bindu Lohani and Rajat Nag, will meet with key agencies and individuals for talks on topics that include globalization and integration, infrastructure, urban development, information and communications technology, and knowledge management.
Mr. Lohani, who heads ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department and is Special Advisor to the ADB President on Clean Energy and Environment, is a speaker on the closing panel of the DSDS on Saturday and will also take part in a side event, the Delhi Greenhouse Gas Forum tomorrow and Wednesday.
He also plans to discuss a proposal to set up a knowledge hub in India on clean energy and the Clean Development Mechanism, under a new technical assistance grant.
Mr. Nag, who is Director General of ADB's Mekong Department as well as a Special Advisor to the President on Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration, will present at DSSD ADB's Perspective on the need for greater cooperation in a rapidly globalizing economy, highlighting its experiences with the Greater Mekong Subregion's Core Environment Program.
Their visit comes three months ahead of ADB's Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors, to be held 3-6 May at the new Hyderabad International Convention Center, India's largest convention center. Regional integration and environment will be topics under the spotlight during the Annual Meeting, where Government leaders - including finance ministers and central bank governors - as well as civil society groups and journalists from around the world are expected to attend.
The Annual Meeting this year includes a seminar series tackling such themes as Knowledge-Based Economies in the 21st Century, Transforming Asian Economies with E-Services, Asian Economic Integration, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Energy Development.
As a major multilateral development institution focused on poverty reduction and supporting sustainable growth in Asia and the Pacific, ADB is actively engaged in promoting environmental sustainability at local and regional levels.
It has provided close significant assistance for energy-environment related areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, methane capture, fuel switching, and clean coal technologies.
"To address the dangers of global climate change, ADB is looking to promote clean energy technologies, establish an effective carbon market over the long term, and integrate climate change adaptation in development and natural resource management decision making," Mr. Lohani says.
ADB also formally identifies regional cooperation as a core component of ADB's overarching goal to reduce poverty.
"The growing interdependence among the world's economies makes regional cooperation and integration - in not only economics and trade but also areas such as environment and transport - a crucial and urgent agenda to unlocking Asia's vast economic potential and helping to raise living standards," adds Mr. Nag.
ADB has a resident mission in India, which is located in New Delhi. It is headed by the Country Director Tadashi Kondo.
DSDS, organized by the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) runs from 2 to 4 February in New Delhi. See the DSDS web site: http://static.teriin.org/dsds/2006/index.htm
Contact
Omana Nair
Email: onair@adb.org
Tel:+632 632 5178; +63 917 855 2085
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