Asian Development Bank: Asian Development Fund for Poverty Reduction and Improvements in the Quality of Life in the Poorer Countries of the Asia and the Pacific

The Asian Development Bank was conceived in the early 1960s as a financial institution that would be Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the world.

The Asian Development Fund (ADF) is one of the oldest and the largest fund of the Asian Development Bank whose activities promote poverty reduction and improvements in the quality of life in the poorer countries of the Asia and the Pacific.

It is a multilateral source of concessional assistance dedicated exclusively to the needs of the region. ADF is designed to provide loans on concessional terms and grants to ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs) that have low incomes per capita and limited or low creditworthiness.

ADF played a vital role in helping ADF countries achieve this progress. ADF operations have provided infrastructure and services to boost economic growth; assist countries with fragile and conflict-affected situations; and expand the access of the poor, women, and children to quality education and health care, reliable supply of electricity and clean water, and economic opportunities. ADF has also helped these countries improve their institutional capacities and implement needed reforms.

Focus Areas

Infrastructure
Energy
Transport
Water
Other infrastructure
Finance
Education
Agriculture
Health
Public Sector Management, industry and trade.

Eligible Countries

Group A (ADF Only): Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Group B (Blend, ADF and Ordinary Capital Resources): Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam.