OFFBEAT MAIL

The Asia-Pacific region is consuming more resources than its ecosystems can sustain, threatening the future of the region’s beleaguered forests, rivers, and oceans as well as the livelihoods of those who depend on them, says a new joint report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and WWF. The joint ADB-WWF study, Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific, focuses on ways of preserving key large-scale regional ecosystems, including the forests of Borneo, the marine wealth of the Coral Triangle, the Mekong region’s diverse habitats, and the mountainous Eastern Himalayas. These areas contain some of the region’s most important natural resources on which millions of people depend for their sustenance and development. “Major ecosystems such as the Coral Triangle and the heart of the Borneo rainforest are vital to the future of Asia and the Pacific,” said Nessim Ahmad, ADB’s Director for Environment and Safeguards. “We need large-scale programmatic efforts

MANILA – Philippines Secretary of Finance Cesar V. Purisima (left) meets Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda at ADB headquarters as part of preparations for hosting the organization’s 45th Annual Meeting, which took place 2-5 May in Manila to discuss a range of issues related to economic and social progress for Asia and the Pacific. The annual meeting had attracted more than 4,000 participants and global media.

MANILA – Asian Development Bank president Haruhiko Kuroda opened Tuesday (June 5) a new rooftop solar power project that will provide clean, renewable energy to ADB’s 20-year-old headquarters in Manila. “Using rooftops and other open spaces is an efficient way for businesses and homes to capture and use the energy of the sun,” said S. Chander, Director General of ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department. “We hope other companies will follow ADB’s example.” The 2,040 photovoltaic panels occupying 6,640 square meters on the roof of ADB’s main building will generate 613 megawatt hours of electricity per year to run a portion of the Bank’s air conditioning, lighting, and computer systems, reducing its carbon footprint. The solar rooftop project received support from Philippine government agencies, such as the Department of Energy, the City Government of Mandaluyong, the Manila Electric Company, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of Environment and Natural