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The purpose of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Pacific Strategy 2005-2009 is to provide a framework for ADB operations in its 14 Pacific developing member countries (PDMCs)1 and for ADB support to regional cooperation in the Pacific. This third ADB Pacific Strategy will allow ADB's Pacific Department (PARD) to better focus its activities, deepen its experience and expertise in key result areas (KRAs), and align resources to strategy objectives, in order to maximize the impact of ADB support to the development efforts of the PDMCs.

The economic and cultural patterns of Pacific countries have evolved in a manner that places a strong dependence upon the health of their natural environments. Most Pacific countries are characterized by small island masses dispersed over the world's largest ocean. Many of their diverse landscapes and seascapes are unique, but due to geographic isolation and often extremely limited land and freshwater resources they are naturally fragile and vulnerable to change. This is further complicated by the fact that the region is prone to a wide range of natural disasters such as volcanic activities and cyclones, and must face the potentially devastating consequences of an increased of frequency of extreme climatic events coupled with sea-level rise resulting from global climate change.