The Technical Assistance for Promoting Climate Change Adaptation in Asia and the Pacific will receive a grant of 2.8 million dollars from the United Kingdom and another grant of 800,000 dollars from the Japan Special Fund, which will be managed by ADB.

The project is designed to help countries across the region incorporate measures to adapt to future climate conditions both in their respective investment planning and national development programs, said the multilateral finance bank.

The project will also address the need to coordinate and strengthen international community responses for adapting to climate change to avoid inefficient use of resources.

"The assistance aims to improve the ability of participating governments to adapt to climate change," said Nessim J. Ahmad, ADB director of the Environment and Social Safeguard Division, in a press release.

"Climate change will have devastating impacts in Asia, and it is the poorest who are likely to suffer most," said Ahmad, adding that it is necessary for the bank to work together with its developing members and other partners to improve understanding of the likely impacts of climate change and identify how best to promote adaptation measures across the region.

Rapid climate changes are expected to create a range of adverse impacts in Asia and the Pacific. Many natural ecosystems are vulnerable to climate change and some will be irreversibly damaged.

Climate change poses a threat to achieving poverty reduction and economic growth in many developing members of ADB. The ability of these economies to adapt to climate change will be instrumental in their fight to reduce poverty and promote sustained economic development.

Three issues have to be addressed to strengthen the ability of the region to adapt to climate change, said the bank. The first is the need to have a better understanding of future environmental conditions in vulnerable Asia-Pacific ecosystems. Second, developing member countries need assistance to strengthen their existing adaptation plans. Third, the international community needs to be more responsive to developing member countries' changing needs.