July 14, 2008 — Climate change leading to extreme weather events threatens many of East Asia's cities and could undercut recent economic progress in the region. The consequences of climate change-induced natural hazards will be particularly severe in coastal cities. East Asia is home to about 30 mega cities, those with population of 5 million or more. Most of these cities are near the ocean or rivers. As a result, more than 100 million people in countries like Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines are exposed to the increased risks of natural hazards caused by rising sea level.
What can East Asian city managers do to reduce the risk from climate change impacts and related natural hazards? The World Bank's East Asia and the Pacific Region, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) have teamed up to produce a guide to understanding climate change and multi-hazard risk reduction, in which a range of solutions tailored to East Asia's urban centers is provided. The content of the primer is based on a stocktaking of existing literature and analysis of practical tools for climate change mitigation and adaptation and disaster prevention and coping strategies. The primer also includes self-assessment tools to engage city officials in determining their cities' level of exposure and vulnerability; based on the outcomes of the assessment, the primer guides the user through actions that can be taken to reduce the potential risks identified. The scope of actions include mitigation and adaptation measures like the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, land use plans, energy efficiency, emergency management and preparedness plans, structural and non-structural interventions, and risk financing options. Case studies of global cities that offer best practice examples from which East Asian cities can learn have also been included. Materials from the launch can be downloaded below. Agenda (108kb pdf)
Proceedings (96kb pdf)
Opening remarks (380kb pdf) - Mr. Jerry Velasquez, Senior Regional Coordinator on behalf of Mr. Salvano Briceno, Director, UN/ISDR Session 3 - Keynote Address Session 4 - A Primer on Climate Change Impacts and Disaster Risk Management in Urban Areas in East Asia Session 5 - Guidance from the Primer: Understanding the Local Impact of Climate Change and Disasters Session 6 - Guidance from the Primer: Innovative Strategies to Tackle Climate Change and Disaster Risks Session 7 - Guidance from the Primer: From Strategy Development to Action -- Investing in Resilience |
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