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CITIES AT RISK: Developing Adaptive Capacity for Climate Change in Asia’s Coastal Megacities

CITIES AT RISK: Developing Adaptive Capacity for Climate Change in Asia’s Coastal Megacities

The East West Center (EWC) and the global change SysTem for Analysis Research and Training (START), together with a number of partners including the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), International Human Development Programme (IHDP), Urban Global Environmental Change (UGEC) programme, Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ), and ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), with financial support from the Asia Pacific Network (APN) and ICSU, collaborated to host a major workshop on Cities at Risk: Building Adaptive Capacity for Climate Change in Asias Coastal Megacities on 26 to 28 February 2009 in Bangkok. It brought together scientists, urban planners and officials, and representatives of disaster management and development agencies to review scientific findings and projections regarding climate-related risks (e.g., sea level rise, extreme climate events, intensification of storms and storm surges) for Asia’s coastal megacities.

Workshop participants examined potential vulnerabilities and current coping mechanisms as well as means for improving networking and communication between urban planners/officials and the scientific community. Case studies from Dhaka (Bangladesh), Shanghai and Hong Kong / Shenzhen / Guangzhou (China), Mumbai and Calcutta (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Karachi (Pakistan), Manila (Philippines), Bangkok (Thailand), and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) provided examples that anchored discussions during the workshop.

Workshop participants worked to develop recommendations relating to future priorities for policy-relevant research and science-based capacity building to promote adaptation for climate change in Asia’s coastal megacities. A workshop report will be produced that will include recommendations for follow-up activities, a monograph or special journal issue that will include selected workshop papers, and a policy brief based on workshop presentations, discussions, and recommendations.

For additional information, please contact Prof. Roland Fuchs (FuchsR@EastWestCenter.org) at the East West Center (www.eastwestcenter.org) or Ms. Clark Seipt (cseipt@agu.org) at START (www.start.org).

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