Asia's infrastructure race is just getting started.

Emerging economies across the region will need to invest as much as $26 trillion on building everything from transport networks to clean water through 2030 to maintain growth, eradicate poverty and offset climate change.

That's according to an Asian Development Bank report released Tuesday that highlights the need for massive construction and upgrading of public works in addition to much greater private sector investment. Leaving out spending to mitigate climate change, some $22.6 trillion will still be needed over the same period, the ADB said.