The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Mongolia marked the beginning of a US$1.4 million technical assistance project with a workshop aimed to strengthen water governance at the river basin level and scale up lessons learned for application across Mongolia. A total of 70 people attended the workshop in Ulaanbaatar, including Ministry of Environment and Tourism Director General Ms. T.Bulgan

The technical assistance project will help strengthen water governance and river basin water planning in Mongolia, empowering authorities to address water challenges and improve decision making on strategic investments necessary to support growth, health, and the well-being of communities.

The technical assistance project is funded by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) and the High-Level Technology (HLT) Fund. Financed by the Government of Japan, JFPR was established in May 2000, providing direct grant assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups of ADB’s developing member countries while fostering long-term social and economic development. Over the past 17 years, JFPR has supported over 48 projects in Mongolia dealing with poverty alleviation, livelihoods, and the environment.

Since its inception in 2017, the HLT Fund has been providing grant support to 15 projects, including three in Mongolia. It seeks to address various development challenges in ADB’s developing member countries by promoting the integration of technology and innovative solutions into ADB-financed and administered projects. (The Financial Times)