ADB is organizing a training series on Circular Economy entitled “Accelerating the Circular Economy: Integrating Circularity into Programs, Projects, and Policies”. Delivered through four events in 2024, this initiative of the Environment Group presents cross-sectoral knowledge and experience gained by ADB’s project teams and partners during project design and implementation.

Asia is home to an estimated 350 million smallholder farmers, who produce around 80% of the food consumed in the region. The impacts of climate change on soil quality and productivity, exacerbated by a growing fertilizer shortage, threaten the region's food security and smallholder farmers' livelihoods.

The Circular Economy is an emerging theme internationally. A Circular Economy is a systemic approach to decouple economic development and activity from consuming finite resources. A Circular Economy will allow ADB to tackle global environmental challenges, including climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, while supporting economic development and reducing poverty.

Water systems and utilities under the circular economy model ensure that the value and usefulness of resources are preserved for a long time.

In this knowledge sharing session, Claudio de Jesus of Águas de Portugal discussed the opportunity for water utilities to shift from a conventional operational model to one that supports the circular economy, maximizing the use and value of water and conserving both natural and financial capital.