Connecting East Asia : A New Framework for Infrastructure

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.