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.