Post by Vince Marin, Communications, ICLEI Southeast Asia
We are starting the 10-day countdown to Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific – the first Asia-Pacific Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, organized by ICLEI, the World Mayors’ Council on Climate Change, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (an ICLEI Member). Drawing on the success of the Resilient Cities annual global forum that has drawn hundreds of participants to Bonn, Germany since 2010, RCAP 2015 brings the event and focus to the Asia-Pacific, for the first time, catering to the situation, challenges, and opportunities of local governments in the region.
Around 200 participants from Asia-Pacific and beyond are expected to participate in RCAP 2015, including mayors, high-ranking city officials, representatives from the UN and development agencies, researchers, and potential financiers. The event will offer a combination of high-level plenaries and technical sessions on financing mechanisms, green growth, health, climate and biodiversity, regional cooperation, Urban Nexus, linkages to disaster risk reduction, and much more, as well as networking opportunities with local government leaders and a range of international experts.
ICLEI Southeast Asia Secretariat (ICLEI SEAS) Regional Director Victorino Aquitania said that this is an “opportunity not to be missed” by local governments in Southeast Asia, particularly as the region is among the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. “More than ever, Southeast Asian local governments are facing the challenge of dealing directly with issues of climate change and sustainable development, and delivering effective responses at the local level,” Mr. Aquitania said. “RCAP 2015 will offer a variety of innovative solutions and help local governments mainstream the same into policy and practice.”
RCAP 2015 will likewise promote concerted and coordinated resilience action in the Asia-Pacific region, including the creation of an ‘Asia-Pacific Mayors’ Council on Climate Change’ as a regional advocacy movement of local governments in support of related global efforts.
As most countries in Asia continue to witness rising population and urbanization, institutional capacities across local governments in the region are widely uneven, and, on the whole, remain limited. Mr. Aquitania enthused over the chance for local governments to learn from one another and greatly improve their capacities, on a platform, he notes, that is “right in our own backyard.”
“Though the challenges may appear complex and daunting, there is a ‘world of solutions’ – as the RCAP 2015 secretariat put it – out there, and we hope Southeast Asian local governments will join us in finding it,” Mr. Aquitania said.
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