Contributing to environmental protection and regional balance - Asia. Action Plan 2013-2016

Asia now represents an essential engine of the world economy: more than half the world population lives in Asia and the region's international trade share is rapidly growing. At the same time, Asia's development is also critical to the future of the planet, as the region faces important challenges with local, national and global implications. Asia's rapid development is causing an exponential demand for energy, mostly met by fossil fuels. It is also putting more and more pressure on the environment, natural resources and biodiversity that are paying a heavy price for the region's booming economy. The continent produces more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 12 of the 20 most polluted cities on earth are in Asia. The social issues at stake are huge, from the challenges resulting from the exponential growth of urbanisation, to the poverty which still affects much of its population. While economic growth has resulted in a fall in extreme poverty and the rise of the middle class, more than two thirds of the world's poor live in Asia. More than six out of every ten Asians are at risk of food insecurity and almost a billion people still do not have access to electricity. In addition, conflicts and tensions, both internal and between states, represent an important threat to regional and global stability. Over the last ten years, AFD has significantly expanded its activities and financial commitments in Asia. Given the considerable contextual variety in Asian countries, AFD has adapted its positioning according to the diversity of its intervention countries. In emerging and middle-income countries, AFD has been involved in promoting green and inclusive growth, with the aim of supporting environmental protection and reducing social inequality. Between 2009 and 2011, AFD approved more than 1.5 billion euros to fund projects addressing climate change. In failed or fragile states and least developed countries, AFD has supported initiatives strengthening social cohesion and regional balance. AFD has also financed many projects carried out by French NGOs. Given the scale of the environmental, social and regional challenges facing Asian countries, AFD has defined two major goals for the 2013-2016 period: - Limiting the environmental impact of Asia's rapid development, particularly in emerging countries and in urban areas. The challenge is to promote greener, less polluting and more resource-efficient development models and solutions that help populations facing global threats such as biodiversity loss and climate change. - Contributing to regional balance by supporting the catch-up process for least developed and fragile countries, by promoting more inclusive growth, and also by encouraging geopolitical stability. With these goals in mind, AFD will continue to offer its diverse financial tools to political decision makers and project operators, both public and private. AFD is also actively developing synergies with French partners and stakeholders in order to capitalise on their expertise. AFD wishes to strengthen its relationships and co-funding arrangements with other donors present in Asia (ADB, JICA, EU, etc.) in order to consolidate its position in the region