ADB’s Current Irrigation Projects

ADB’s Water Financing Program targets 40 million people with more productive and efficient irrigation and drainage services. What is ADB doing in terms of investments and achieving results?

Farmers Rebuild Aceh’s Irrigation

Four years since a tsunami engulfed Aceh, farmers have finished rebuilding irrigation systems covering over 50,000 hectares. Now they are ready to begin life anew and harvest their first crops since the disaster.

Study Impels Urgent Irrigation Reforms

A new study calls for the revival of irrigated agriculture to feed Asia’s ballooning population. What innovative financing strategies does the study recommend to unlock irrigation’s potential gains?

Indonesia's Minanto on Greater Farmer Participation in Irrigation Management

Indonesia has made significant progress in introducing participatory irrigation management (PIM), but it was not to happen in a day. “PIM thrives in a decentralized environment, characterized by democracy, transparency, and good governance,” PIM expert Minanto says.

WfA News: Breathing New Life into Asia's Irrigation

Revisit Asia’s irrigation sector in this latest issue of Water for All e-newsletter, featuring a new report on reviving Asia’s irrigated agriculture, Aceh farmers’ success in rebuilding tsunami-damaged irrigation systems, and a showcase of ADB’s irrigation projects. Read previous issues | Subscribe

India’s Sanitation for All

How to Make It Happen
The 18th book in the Water for All series, this report examines the current state of sanitation services in India and offers six recommendations that can help key stakeholders work toward universal sanitation coverage. Download PDF

Revitalizing Asia's Irrigation

To Sustainably Meet Tomorrow’s Food Needs
Asia needs major irrigation reforms or face food security and water management crises. This report lays out challenges, options, and scenarios to feed Asia's population that is expected to expand by 1.5 billion in 2050. Download PDF

Asia Draws Attention in World Water Week

New perspectives on Asia’s water issues were presented in ADB’s “Eye on Asia” event on 18 August during last week's Stockholm World Water Week, drawing in a crowd of some 100 participants from Asia and elsewhere. Several of the region’s experts from government, private sector, academe, and civil society incited critical debates and discussions on urban water, river basin management, and climate change impacts and costs. Full article.

Water Rights and Water Allocation

Issues and Challenges for Asia

The 17th book in the Water for All series, this report aims to raise awareness and capacity on the issues surrounding water rights and allocation among competing uses and among various stakeholder groups in Asia. Download PDF | Free copy

PUB Singapore's Harry Seah on NEWater

NEWater, Singapore’s reclaimed water produced from used water and purified to drinking water standards, isn’t an overnight success story. PUB Singapore's Harry Seah says, “It’s the product of years of investment in used water infrastructure and research on water technologies.”

In the Pipeline: Water for the Poor

Investing in Small Piped Water Networks

Small piped water networks provide temporary piped water connections until the water utility is able to do so. This toolkit offers guidance in implementing such projects for poor communities without access to piped water systems.

WfA News: Reuse It or Lose It

Water reuse has become a popular alternative water resource for many countries in the Asia-Pacific. This issue of ADB's Water for All News focuses on different uses of treated wastewater, the factors decision makers need to consider in designing a water reuse program, and the possibilities that can be tapped for the byproducts of this process.

Water Reuse: Supplementary Water

Water reuse is fast becoming an option in water scarce countries but is accompanied by multiple issues. What success factors should decision makers consider?

Boosting Water Supply the Smart Way

It takes time to develop a water reuse scheme but multiple rewards await the persistent—from boosting scarce water supply to protecting the environment.

India: Living on City Wastewater

Hyderabad and Secunderabad cities dump their wastewater on the Musi River. But farmers have come to the river’s rescue. What uses have they found for the cities’ wastewater?

Australia: Dousing Drought with Recycled Water

Water is too precious to use just once. Fighting drought for over a decade now, Melbourne residents have upped the ante when it comes to reusing their water.

China: Science Makes Sludge Useful

Wastewater treatment is crucial to water management. But what happens to its byproduct, sludge? Experts in Wuhan City tested if sludge byproducts have commercial potentials.

Singapore: NEWater—From Sewage to Safe

Singapore has taken recycling to a new level, using treated wastewater for indirect potable use. Reclaimed water’s share in Singapore’s consumption, now at 15%, will double come 2010.

Aceh Farmers Back on the Land

Devastated by the 2004 Asian tsunami, Aceh’s irrigation system was rehabilitated through an ADB project covering over 50,000 hectares of rice fields. Watch this documentary film about how farmers took the lead in rebuilding their fields, families, and communities. Preview | Free DVD.

Water Developments in Asia: A Bird’s-Eye View

Does your country need more water development projects? From January 2006 to March 2009, ADB approved 69 new water-related loans amounting to $4.1 billion. Another $4.3 billion has been programmed through 2010. View map of ADB’s upcoming water projects.