ADB’s Third Decade (1987–1996) (updated edition)

The growth momentum within the region continued. Intraregional trade and investment grew rapidly as Asian economies drew increasing strength from within the region. Interest was growing both within and outside Asia to understand and assess policy recipes for rapid and sustained “miracle growth.”

The decade opened with recommendations from a panel of eminent development experts for a new role for ADB in the 1990s. Donor expectations evolved and placed greater emphasis on aid effectiveness of development assistance. In response, ADB strengthened internal procedures and gave greater attention to project quality. ADB moved to a new headquarters to centralize its operations. New members joined from Central Asia and some existing but nonactive members renewed their regular links with ADB. Lending picked up considerably while regional activities began to grow.

ADB through the Decades

The 5-volume publication, ADB through the Decades, provides a historical account of how ADB has evolved to respond to the dynamic changes across the Asia and Pacific region over the past 5 decades.

With the specialized report, A History of Financial Management at Asian Development Bank: Engineering Financial Innovation and Impact on an Emerging Asia, this 5-volume series serves as a companion to the ADB corporate history book to be launched in 2017. Together, these publications provide the first comprehensive corporate narrative on ADB’s history since the previous ADB history book, A Bank for Half the World, was published in 1987.