Initiating and sustaining action: Experiences building resilience to climate change in Asian cities

Abstract

Across Asia, and more widely, significant investment is being made by donor organisations to catalyse awareness about climate change impacts in dynamic urban environments. This investment has initiated processes that enable cities to adapt and become more resilient, thereby reducing risk to rapidly growing urban populations – notably those that are most vulnerable or marginalised. The key question is to what extent such donor funded programs are able to create the foundations for sustained action that ultimately results in the integration of urban climate change resilience (UCCR) in future policy, development plans and everyday decision making. At present there is limited evidence to inform either what those foundations might look like, or the pathways to putting them in place. This paper draws on the experiences of 10 Asian cities participating in the Rockefeller Foundation funded Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) identifying key areas for action – stakeholder engagement, generating credible knowledge and integration in policy and planning at a local, regional and national level – whilst recognising the importance of influencing city budgets and attracting private sector funding.