ADB organised its event with donors on 12 May 2021, titled “Better Data for better decisions”. Interventions from ADB Director General for Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Bruno Carrasco, and further senior management participation alongside operations teams in Cambodia and Indonesia, stressed the importance of Earth Observation data.
The event facilitated the involvement of Developing Member Countries representatives, and Indonesia announced the ongoing discussion to allocate several million dollars for EO applications as part of an ADB loan in 2023. The foreseen use of EO is for Flood Management and Coastal Protection.
For the identification and coordination of existing resources in the Operational Departments, the Digital Technology for Development Unit has recently launched an internal initiative on EO for development and digital transformation. The work program is being drafted and also includes the term of reference for the Trust Fund and other forms of the financial contribution for the sustainability of the EO initiative.