ADB approves $2 million grant for smart infrastructure

MANILA, Philippines — Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $2-million technical assistance grant for smart infrastructure facility planning and monitoring in select developing member countries, including the Philippines.

Other countries identified for participation in the program are Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The technical assistance will identify, demonstrate, and evaluate how to use high-level technologies to effectively plan high-quality infrastructure investments, especially for transport infrastructure, and measure their economic impacts.

The grant comes from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction financed by the Japanese government.

ADB said spatial information, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Internet of Things could be used for designing, constructing, maintaining, and monitoring high-quality infrastructure projects.

“Governments and international development agencies, however, have been struggling to find effective ways to use high-level technologies. Without proper planning and consideration of options available, valuable opportunities could be missed,” ADB said.

“The value of missed opportunities could be invaluable. Thus, there is a strong and urgent need to conduct pilot case studies involving the effective use of high-level technologies to draw policy recommendations,” it said.

The project aims to impact on the physical and financial sustainability of transportation infrastructure in ADB developing member countries.