Resource information
Infrastructure development has made a
major contribution to East Asia's enviable record on
growth and poverty reduction. However, substantial new
investments in infrastructure and service delivery
improvements will be required to sustain progress in the
future, and to address new challenges posed by urbanization,
decentralization, and regional integration. At the same
time, questions have often been raised about the impact of
infrastructure on the environment and local communities,
about waste through corruption in public spending and
private contracts, and about the appropriate roles of the
public and private sectors in infrastructure financing,
ownership, and management. These questions are the
motivation for this study by the Asian Development Bank, the
Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the World
Bank. The three agencies support infrastructure development
through project financing and guarantees, as well as by
assisting governments to put in place policies to improve
public sector performance, and to attract private
investment. Each agency will follow its own operational
strategy in each country, but it is expected this new
framework will enable taking a more coherent and consistent
approach. By suggesting a "new framework" for
infrastructure development in the region, Connecting East
Asia presents an approach that will help avoid costly
mistakes, and allow policy makers, development partners,
nongovernmental organizations, and the public and private
sectors to work together toward the successful provision of
infrastructure. The report is organized around three main
themes: inclusive development, coordination, and
accountability and risk management.
