ADB, Partners Launch $115 Million Coastal Pollution Reduction Program

MANILA — The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have partnered to lead a new $115 million global program to reduce pollution in coastal areas and river basins.

The Clean and Healthy Oceans Integrated Program (CHO-IP) will contribute to a sustainable blue economy by curbing coastal pollution at the source, improving sustainable practices on land and in marine habitats, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

The program will focus on a subset of countries that contribute significantly to pollution loads in two or three large marine ecosystems, one of which prioritizes the needs of Small Island Developing States. Focusing on a limited number of ecosystems will deliver measurable impact that can be scaled up across their respective regions.

The program will be funded by the Global Environment Facility, with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as a scientific partner.

“The CHO-IP is a major step forward in the fight against coastal pollution,” said ADB Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department Director General Bruno Carrasco. “The program will help to protect marine biodiversity and ecosystems, and support a sustainable blue economy to help continue alleviating poverty in Asia and the Pacific.”

The CHO-IP will also work to improve sustainable practices in industry, agriculture, fisheries, and other sectors that contribute to coastal pollution. It is expected to benefit 200,000 hectares of landscape and 14.3 million hectares of marine habitats, while mitigating 5.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The program is aligned with ADB’s $5 billion Healthy Oceans Action Plan which finances projects that seek to improve ocean health and the marine economy. Under the CHO-IP, ADB will help address the challenges brought about by climate change and ecosystem degradation and loss, and boost ocean investments in its developing member countries.

This ADB partnership with other regional multilateral development banks and UN technical agencies leverages the comparative advantages and leadership of each organization to reduce ocean pollution at global and regional scales.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.