Asia and the Pacific bears the largest share of the world’s disaster impacts, with 36% of worldwide natural hazard events occurring in Asian Development Bank (ADB) developing member countries (DMCs) from 2004 to 2023. The brunt of disaster impacts falls disproportionately upon poor and vulnerable populations and can generate long-term setbacks to sustainable economic development. The trend of increasing disaster losses across the region underscores the continued importance of investing in resilience as a central tenet of recovery and reconstruction. Transforming countries toward resilient long-term development pathways by building back better is critical to prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

The ADB Build Back Better Sector Dialogues aim to share regional voices, stories, ideas and lessons learned on enhancing climate and disaster resilience through effective and well-designed emergency assistance. The series will feature perspectives from ADB staff, global thought leaders and local voices. This knowledge series is centered on ADB’s new “Build Back Better” sector guides, launched in October 2024 as practical, solution-oriented resources to support its clients, partners and staff to enhance the climate and disaster resilience of communities, infrastructure and systems through building back better. The guides are based on principles, measures, and lessons learned from the international literature, over 20 years of ADB disaster and emergency assistance, and wide-ranging consultations and expert inputs. The six guides cover cross-cutting themes (volume 1) and transport, water, sanitation and hygiene, irrigated agriculture, social infrastructure, and power sectors (volumes 2-6).