Donors and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to replenish the Asian Development Fund (ADF-14) and the Special Technical Assistance Fund (8) with $5 billion to support the most vulnerable countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The commitments were announced during the 57th Annual Meeting of the ADB in Tbilisi. The ADF-14, marking the 13th replenishment since the fund's inception, will support the bank's grant operations during 2025-2028.
The replenishment of the ADF by approximately 22% will enable the ADB to provide the largest volume of grants in its history to the respective countries.
The Special Technical Assistance Fund will provide grants to help develop investment projects, enhance capacity, and provide technical or policy advice.
"Grants are more important than ever as our poorest and most vulnerable countries seek to recover from recent development setbacks and take urgent action to address the climate crisis," said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa. "This significant replenishment demonstrates the continued partnership of ADF donors with the ADB in addressing the pressing development challenges of those most in need."
The following donors have announced contributions to the ADF-14: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, China, the Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taipei (China), Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Priority attention in targeted assistance will be given to small island developing states that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, as well as countries in unstable and conflict-affected situations.
Adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction will also play a crucial role in the support provided.
The main recipients of ADF-14 grants include: Micronesia, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Grants will also be available to support residents of Afghanistan and Myanmar, as well as transformative projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Uzbekistan.
The fund will also provide emergency assistance in times of crises.
