ADB is a non-profit, multilateral development finance institution dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1966, it is now owned by 67 members, mostly from the region.

ADB’s overarching goal is to reduce poverty in Asia and the Pacific. It helps improve the quality of people’s lives by providing loans and technical assistance for a broad range of development activities. ADB engages in mostly public sector lending for development purposes in its developing member countries. ADB’s clients are its member governments, who are also its shareholders.

Membership to ADB is open to (1) members and associate members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific - formerly the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East and (2) other regional countries and non-regional developed countries which are members of the United Nations or of any of its specialized agencies.

ADB projects on air quality can be characterized in five main categories:
1. Stationary sources of pollution and cleaner production. This is where ADB involvement started. Most of the projects were in the People’s Republic of China and India. In several of the cases, air quality was a secondary objective to energy efficiency and energy management.
2. Overall ambient air quality management. ADB support is given through technical assistance projects and, in some cases, through loan projects (eg. Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Program).
3. Mobile sources of pollution. Although ADB had initial activities in this area, it is only recently that a substantial pipeline of projects is being established. Most of these projects are CNG-related projects such as the ongoing Clean Fuels Project in Dhaka, the Clean Fuels Project in India (completed), and the Blue Skies Project in Jakarta (completed).
4. Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas abatement. ADB support is mainly implemented through TAs. Where loan projects are involved, this concerns mostly those focusing on the reduction of pollution from stationary sources and the promotion of cleaner production.
5. ADB has implemented a number of strategic regional technical assistance projects, which have helped greatly in increasing the understanding of air pollution as a developmental problem.

Sub-regions covered:
• East Asia
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia

Countries covered:

Website(s):
www.adb.org