The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $21.02 billion in financing operations last year including $1.07 billion for Pakistan according to ADB’s 2013 annual report released ahead of its 47th annual meeting of the board of governors to be held 25 May in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The report notes that an estimated 733 million people in the region still live on less than $1.25 a day, and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Of the financing total, $14.375 billion came from ADB’s ordinary capital resources and special funds, and $6.648 billion from co-financing partners.
With much of the region vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards, the theme of the report is environmentally sustainable growth. It highlights ADB’s work to develop sustainable infrastructure, manage critical ecosystems, respond to the effects of climate change, and support renewable electricity generation. In 2013, ADB’s clean energy investments reached $2.35 billion.
