According to ADB documents:

The knowledge and support technical assistance cluster will support selected Southeast Asian developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank to plan and develop livable cities that are smart, inclusive, environmentally sustainable, resilient, and competitive. The KSTA will leverage a OneADB approach and ADBs knowledge, finance, and partnerships to support project preparation and implementation, financing, and associated capacity development in the areas of (i) planning systems, (ii) service delivery, and (iii) financial management of the cities.

To ensure Southeast Asian cities minimize the challenges and maximize the opportunities resulting from urbanization, cities will need to ensure they have sufficient capacity for:

(i)Effective Urban Planning: Many SEA cities lack the technical capacity for integrated urban planning, and design and delivery of resilient and green urban infrastructures and services. The cities also lack the capacity to identify, assess and adopt smart and innovative technologies for urban planning to address climate change and rapid urbanization. Inadequate institutional structures, overlapping and fragmented arrangements to oversee management of complex and demanding urban services, and lack of appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks, integrated planning, and financing systems have all led to urban sprawls and unplanned developments, urban environmental degradation, and overall poor level of livability, sustainability, and resilience in the SEA cities;

(ii)Effective Service Delivery: Many SEA cities lack capacity to identify, assess and adopt innovative approaches and smart technology. In addition, there are various challenges including budget and capacity for asset management, and sustainable operation and maintenance at the local government and service provider level which limit effective and efficient delivery of services to its citizens.

(iii)Effective Financial Management: The annual infrastructure investment needed for the SEA region was estimated to be about $210 billion from 2016 to 2030. The local and city governments, and the municipal service providers receive limited financial income through tax, tariff, subsidy from the central government, and other sources. Due to lack of well-regulated tariff systems, prudent financial management capacity, smart and innovative solutions, local capital resource mobilization and private sector participation, and inadequate revenue streams, the cities cannot invest enough in the key infrastructures and services that will improve livability and resilience.

Responding to both the challenges and opportunities of urbanization, and the need to enhance planning, service delivery and financial management, the TA is designed to support SEA cities to leapfrog using the exponential growth and emergence of technology and innovations. The deployment of broadband infrastructure, mobile telecom penetration, and wireless connectivity across SEA countries provides an opportunity for cities and service providers to plan, coordinate, govern, and finance urban services more effectively and efficiently. As such the TA will explore the possibility to apply disruptive technologies such as mobile internet, big data, cloud technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the automation of knowledge work to increase city smartness and as a result enhance livability. Examples of technologies to be explored include operating systems using real time data from sensors and IoT, tax payment and tariff collection systems, analyzing habitation patterns through socioeconomic profiles, understanding citizens' needs, analyzing service usage patterns, analyzing climate change events, and forecasting future events. Attracting private sector participation and investment through new technology, and financial innovation, the cities could break the norms and deliver more competitive, livable, and resilient environment to the citizens

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: Cambodia - Nation-wide, Battambang, Kampot, Krong Bavet, Phnom Penh, Poipet; Indonesia - Nation-wide, Makassar, Palembang, Pontianak, Semarang; Lao People's Democratic Republic - Nation-wide, Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannakhet; Malaysia - Nation-wide, Penang; Philippines - Nation-wide, Baguio, Baguio City, Coron, Davao, El Nido; Thailand - Nation-wide, Chon Buri; Viet Nam - Nation-wide, Gia Nghia, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Phan Rang, Phan Thiet

ADB Project Officer
Thu, Kyaw
Southeast Asia Department

Project contacts not available at the time of disclosure.

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