Masato Kanda Reelected ADB President for 5-Year Term

ASEAN cannot wait for the next shock to expose its weakest links. Every connection delayed is resilience deferred. From power grids to digital networks, the connections our economies depend on are no longer a convenience. They are the foundation of economic security.

ADB is getting more money to where it is needed most: small businesses, lower-income families; and communities that struggle to access finance. By sharing risk with leading insurers, we can lend more through financial institutions, support more jobs and homes, and make our capital work harder for development.

Water underpins our health, our food, and our energy. It sustains ecosystems and powers economies, including through clean and reliable hydropower. In a world unsettled by conflict and volatile energy markets, the link between water and energy security has rarely mattered more. Water security is not merely a resource issue. It is the foundation of economic development.

ADB is acting with speed and scale to support countries experiencing a range of impacts from the Middle East conflict, including pressure on finances, remittances, tourism, and fuel and fertilizer supplies.

At this time of acute uncertainty and risk, we are deploying our full suite of crisis response instruments—including budget support, trade finance, and a new mechanism to rapidly repurpose existing portfolio funds—to deliver the tailored and timely support our members, from large to small, need to safeguard their economies and communities.

We have been painfully reminded in recent weeks that, when it comes to energy security, no country can go it alone. We must build a power system that connects our economies, strengthens our resilience, and delivers energy across the region. Delay will mean higher prices, weaker growth, and lost opportunities for millions of people.