KATHMANDU, JULY 8
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Arnaud Cauchois as the new country director for Nepal.
As Country Director, Cauchois will lead ADB operations in the country and policy dialogue with the government of Nepal and other development partners.
He will oversee the implementation of ADB's country partnership strategy for Nepal that focuses on the country's long-term development needs through improved infrastructure for private sector-led growth, improved access to devolved services, and environmental sustainability and resilience.
"ADB has been a long-term development partner of Nepal. I look forward to building on strong partnership and working closely with the government, development partners, and other stakeholders in supporting Nepal's development agenda and poverty reduction efforts," Cauchois said in a statement. "My immediate priority will be to support the government of Nepal as it addresses both the immediate and longer-term health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19 crisis."
In the medium-term, Cauchois indicated the need to support the government with the development of integrated solutions by combining expertise across sectors and mixing public and private sector financing. Expansion of private sector operations, as well as green resilient and inclusive projects, will be pursued in close collaboration with the government and development partners.
Cauchois has almost three decades of professional experience, including over 15 years with ADB. Cauchois, a French national, joined ADB in 2005 as a rural development specialist and has since held numerous leading positions. Prior to this appointment, he served as principal water resources specialist for India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and was outposted in ADB's India resident mission.
He was also assigned in ADB's Nepal resident mission for six years and led the improvement of the water management systems in Nepal.
He holds a Master of Science degree in water resource management from the Superior School of Tropical Agronomy in Montpellier, France.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 9 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
