MANILA, Philippines (June 18, 2026) — Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) across the Asia-Pacific are moving closer to establishing a standardized, globally recognized mechanism to finance critical infrastructure before disasters strike, signaling a vital shift from reactive recovery to proactive economic resilience.
The Catalyst:
To bridge the gap between risk anticipation and actual capital deployment, ADFIAP has entered a strategic alignment and consultation with its prominent member, the Development Bank of Japan Inc., in coordination with the Japan Economic Research Institute Inc. Inc. The dialogue was advanced on June 17, 2026, during a high-level executive visit to the ADFIAP headquarters in Manila by Mr. Yoshiki Hiruma, Chief Manager of the Economic and Industrial Research Department at the Development Bank of Japan Inc., and Mr. Kenji Omi, Senior Consultant of the Overseas Research Department, Industrial Division at the Japan Economic Research Institute Inc.
Following their highly productive exchange with the Secretariat, the organizations are actively exploring the co-development of a pioneering regional certification framework anchored in the groundbreaking ISO 37116 standard, which provides the rigorous global guidelines necessary for financing ex-ante (pre-disaster) investments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
The Tangible Impact for the Asia-Pacific:
Historically, financing pre-disaster resilience has been challenging because the Return on Investment (ROI) is based on “avoided losses” rather than direct revenue. By investigating the application of ISO 37116 through a potential certification model, ADFIAP and the Japan Economic Research Institute Inc. aim to empower DFIs to accurately value, underwrite, and fund preparedness.
The exploration of this certification framework focuses on three critical outcomes:
- Institutional Readiness Assessment: Examining standard mechanisms for evaluating and certifying a DFI’s internal capacity to structure, evaluate, and manage complex ex-ante risk investments.
- Defining “Bankable” Resilience: Finding ways to translate abstract disaster risk management principles into highly bankable, standardized projects that can attract global ESG and climate adaptation capital.
- Systemic Portfolio De-risking: Assisting banks in systematically embedding resilience and DRR metrics directly into their core lending operations and investment mandates.
The ADFIAP Perspective: The Architect of Resilience
This strategic alignment underscores a massive evolution in the role of the modern development bank. As emphasized by ADFIAP Secretary General Enrique I. Florencio, DFIs are no longer just expected to fund traditional projects—they are mandated to anticipate systemic risks and guarantee long-term economic stability.
“We see exceptional value in collaborating with the Japan Economic Research Institute Inc. on a certification framework to assess the readiness and resilience of DFIs,” Florencio stated, noting that the initiative aligns perfectly with ADFIAP’s overarching mission and the forward-looking priorities of members like the Development Bank of Japan Inc.
By integrating this potential ISO 37116 certification framework with existing ADFIAP capacity-building platforms such as the ADFIAP Institute, the Nexus+ facility, and ongoing ESG programs, ADFIAP is working to equip its members to be the primary architects of resilient development pathways across the Asia-Pacific.