3.2_EastAsiaandPacific

Growth in the East Asia and Pacific region remained strong and grew by 8.2 percent (4.3 percent, not including China) in 2011, although it has slowed since post-crisis peaks. Poverty continues to fall, with the number of peo-ple living on less than $2 a day expected to decrease by 24 million in 2012. With the global slowdown likely to continue, the region needs to reduce its reliance on exports and find new sources of growth.

World Bank Assistance

The Bank approved $6.6 billion for East Asia and Pacific for 37 projects this fiscal year. Support included $5.4 billion in IBRD loans and $1.2 billion in IDA commitments, including $125 million in grants. The leading sectors were Public Administration, Law, and Justice ($2.0 billion); Water, Sanita-tion, and Flood Protection ($1.3 billion); and Transportation ($1.1 billion).

The Bank’s regional strategy continues to focus on climate change and disaster risk management, poverty reduction, urbanization and infrastruc-ture challenges, and improved governance, while responding to emerging challenges and new opportunities. This year, the Bank moved ahead on engagement in Myanmar, with the aim of supporting reforms that will benefit all the people of Myanmar, especially the poor and vulnerable. Reducing Poverty

While the region has made impressive gains in poverty reduction, about half a billion people still live on less than $2 a day. Economic crises and natural disasters have given urgency to the need to help countries prepare for volatility and shocks, and the need to expand safety nets to protect the poor is increasingly important. In the Philippines, the Bank is supporting the government with the expansion of its conditional cash transfer pro-gram Pantawid Pamilyang, which has benefited more than 3 million fami-lies to date.

Managing Disaster Risk

Severe flooding in Thailand in 2011—which inundated large parts of the country, including parts of Bangkok—highlighted the importance of di-saster risk management in a region prone to natural disasters and the ef-fects of climate change. To help address the growing challenge of flooding in cities, the Bank produced a guidebook to support government efforts to build flood mitigation measures into urban planning. I t is also working with partners to help Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries increase financial resilience as part of a broader pro-gram to strengthen the capacity to reduce disaster risk.

eAst AsiA And pAcific

FIGURE 2.3

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

IBRD AND IDA LENDING BY SECTOR | FISCAL 2012 SHARE OF TOTAL OF $6.6 BILLION

Water, Sanitation, and

FIGURE 2.4

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

IBRD AND IDA LENDING BY THEME | FISCAL 2012

SHARE OF TOTAL OF $6.6 BILLION

Photo: stephan bachenheimer

3

4

Cooperation with countries and bilateral and multilateral institutions, and collaboration within the Bank Group, are integral to the Bank’s work in the region. The Bank is working with the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Pacific

I sland Forum, the Asian Development Bank, the Australian Government Overseas Aid Program (AusA I D), the Japan I nternational Cooperation Agency (JICA), and many other partners to expand development impact. (See https://www.wendangku.net/doc/d54714129.html,/eap .)

Delivering Customized Solutions

Reflecting the diversity in the region, priorities vary across countries or country groups. In China, knowledge transfer and experience sharing has become a vital part of the Bank’s partnership. China 2030, a joint research report with the Development Research Center of China’s State Council, was released in February 2012. The book offers policy recommendations to support China’s transition to a high-income economy. The majority of in-vestment projects in China have an environmental focus, because inclu-sive green growth is a top priority for the country. Poverty reduction, par-ticularly in China’s interior and western provinces, remains a key challenge. Delivering innovative solutions to meet client demand is a strong focus for the region. In Mongolia, the Bank is helping to establish a nationwide “e-health” information system based on Internet and mobile technology. I ndonesia received a loan of $175 million to increase power generation from renewable geothermal resources, and to reduce local and global e nvironmental impacts. After tropical storm Washi, the Bank provided $500 million of immediate financial assistance to the Philippines from the Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO), the first of its kind in the region.In the Pacific Islands, the Bank is ramping up its activities on regional integration and connectivity, building resilience against external shocks, and promoting economic reform and private sector development. n fewer than five years, over one million people have gained access to affordable mobile phones. In line with World Bank corporate priorities, ef-forts to engage systematically with countries on gender were strength-ened this year, and included the release of a regional companion volume for the World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development.

Republic of Korea

Lao People’s Democratic Republic Malaysia

Marshall Islands

Cambodia China Fiji

Indonesia Kiribati

Papua New Guinea Philippines Samoa Solomon Islands

Thailand Timor-Leste Tonga Vanuatu Vietnam

Federated States of Micronesia Mongolia Myanmar Palau

CountRies eligible foR WoRld bank boRRoWing east asia and PaCifiC Regional snaPsHot Total population 2.0 billion Population growth 0.7%Life expectancy at birth

72 years Infant mortality per 1,000 live births 20Female youth literacy

99%Number of people living with HIV/AIDS 2.3 million 2011 GNI per capita

$4,235GDP per capita index (2000 = 100)

224

note: Life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births, and female youth literacy are for 2010; other indicators are for 2011 from the World Development Indicators database. HIV/AIDS data are from the 2012 UNAIDS report, “Together We Will End AIDS.”

total fisCal 2012 total fisCal 2012New commitments Disbursements IBRD $5,431 million IBRD $3,970 million IDA $1,197 million

IDA $1,484 million

Portfolio of projects under implementation as of June 30, 2012: $30.3 billion

eASt ASIA AnD PACIfIC ReSultS HIGHlIGHtS

? W ith?the?support?of?the?Avian?and?Human?Influenza?Control?and?Preparedness Project, lao PdR responded effectively to contain several avian flu outbreaks. Between 2006 and 2011, all 17 prov-inces in Lao PDR established multisectoral avian influenza teams to mobilize in case of an outbreak; biosecurity training was con-ducted for 305 slaughterhouses (compared with a target of 181), 733 poultry traders, and 1,556 fighting-cock owners; and active disease surveillance was established in 156 markets (surpassing the target of 150 markets), entailing inspection at least twice a month. One hundred percent of diagnostic tests were carried out within 48 hours of samples reaching a laboratory, and 100 per-cent of samples reached a laboratory within 48 hours of the dis-ease outbreak. (See https://www.wendangku.net/doc/d54714129.html,/YVPd2RYif0.)? I n indonesia , the Female-Headed Household Empowerment Program has improved the lives of 20,000 women and 52,000 family members through training, scholarships, and organization and network development. The 61 early childhood education centers built by the project have provided assistance to 2,343 poor students, and the project’s 92 literacy centers have taught 2,562 poor women to read. (See https://www.wendangku.net/doc/d54714129.html,/kVt9oMX080.)

? B y?fiscal?2012,?the Post-Tsunami Reconstruction Project in samoa had completely restored road access for communities, serving about 5,000 people. I t is also rebuilding seawalls. (See https://www.wendangku.net/doc/d54714129.html,/67dlXQgMk0

.)