Workshop on Space Technology Applications for Sustainable Development of Asia

ADB's long-term strategic framework — Strategy 2020 — clearly defines our vision: a vision of an Asia and Pacific free of poverty; a region where the vast majority have joined hands on the path to prosperity. It also defines ADB's role in pursuing this vision through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
We need to make growth more inclusive — to expand access to opportunities so that all can participate, regardless of their individual circumstances.
But we have challenging issues to achieve our goal. One issue is how to address the fact that Asia and the Pacific is a very disaster–prone region. A study has shown that, during 1980–2006, more than 45% of the world's water–related disaster fatalities and 90% of affected people were from Asia. And, climate change is a fundamental threat to achieving Asia's development objectives, and to life and livelihoods. These threats put the poor at risk more than anyone. Thus, protecting people from them is one of the most important measures for all of us.
http://beta.adb.org/news/speeches/workshop-space-technology-applications-sustainable-development-asia