BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) has approved a new emergency financing
mechanism designed to help developing member countries respond more
quickly to crises by reallocating existing funds, Trend reports.
The Rapid Resource Reprogramming and Deployment Option (3RDO)
allows governments to repurpose portions of their current ADB
sovereign portfolios to support immediate relief and early recovery
efforts—without waiting for new financing approvals.
The mechanism targets the most critical window in the aftermath
of disasters, when governments must secure essential goods and
services and stabilise key public functions.
Under the framework, eligible countries can request to redirect
up to 10% of their undisbursed sovereign portfolio, or up to 25%
for small island developing states. Funds are channelled through
pre-approved contingent projects, allowing disbursement to begin
within 24 hours of a formal request, provided agreed trigger
conditions are met.
ADB data show that between 2020 and 2025, its member countries
in Asia and the Pacific recorded 1,227 disasters, resulting in more
than 106,000 deaths and approximately $341 billion in economic
losses. Emergency declarations were issued in 62 cases, accounting
for 56% of total fatalities and 23% of total losses—highlighting
the disproportionate impact of the most severe events.
The bank said the new instrument complements existing
crisis-response tools rather than replacing them, while also
encouraging stronger disaster preparedness and governance
frameworks.
