The 8th UCLG ASPAC Congress & International Conference: “Building Climate Resilience in the Asia Pacific”

The growing concern on climate change has given rise to various climate action as a result of overall awareness on one of the most pressing challenges of climate change spreading all over the world. A good deal of studies, speeches, debates, policies, and implementations surrounding climate has, therefore, precipitated climate terminology.

One of those is climate resilience, a gradually more familiar term, has been used in numerous occasions. While the term ‘climate action’ is deemed more general and diverse, ‘climate resilience’ brings the impacts of climate change as a core subject matter.

These impacts of climate change include (1) acute events like heavy downpours, hurricanes, and wildfires; and (2) chronic events like rising sea levels, worsening air quality, and population migration[1]. These occur in many corners of the world and has caused devastating losses in an array of forms.

Simply put, climate resilience is defined as the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate[2]. In consequence, local governments and cities are in need of guidance given the fact that context and thus priorities of the cities related to climate change and resilience vary from one to another.

The provision of tools to assess climate risk based on valid data becomes pivotal to guide the stakeholders in taking the first steps towards the mitigation and the adaptation of climate change. Achieving climate resilience in this way simultaneously keeps the implementation on track with international agenda or frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement, and the recently launched Cities Race to Resilience; a sister campaign to the Cities Race to Zero.

At times, these international agenda or frameworks are locally contextualised to meet the real situation among cities. As a result, the implementation of climate action usually requires alternative financing to turn the projects to be bankable due to the limited condition of reliance upon central government. It is also important to note that the lack of funding could be attributed to the fact that local government budget have been targeted towards COVID-19 response and mitigation.

The access of information about alternative financing appears to be indispensable. This is especially so during difficult times due to the COVID-19 pandemic imposing more dangerous threats towards local governments and cities far from the central government and in the outer reach of interests.

The United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), the largest regional section of UCLG, has been giving continuous support to provide plentiful access of information. This exposure is the support local governments and cities could benefit from to achieve short-term and long-term implementations.

UCLG ASPAC acknowledges that the region collectively could contribute to the overall climate efforts internationally. In addition to that, UCLG ASPAC understands the role of local governments and cities in building climate resilience arises due to the current condition.

Capturing the emergency and the urgency of such unprecedented challenge, UCLG ASPAC is highlighting the role of local governments and cities in building climate resilience arises due to the current condition in the 8th UCLG ASPAC Congress and International Conference. Under the big theme “From Steady Recovery to Sustained Prosperity in Post COVID in Asia Pacific,” the event will be conducted in virtual format. And it is scheduled from 7 to 9 September 2021 and co-hosted by the Zhengzhou Municipal People’s Government.

Ensuring the inclusivity of the event, UCLG ASPAC engages a plethora of participants, and it is expected to prioritise the 2030 agenda and to build resilience.

It’s time for cities to reflect and reset how we live, interact and rebuild our cities.

No City and Local Government should act alone. Horizontal as well as vertical integration is crucial, and Cooperation is the key for successful action.

Let’s join the 8th UCLG ASPAC Congress!

It is a platform of collaboration and knowledge sharing!

 

By KM Team

[1] https://www.c2es.org/content/climate-resilience-overview/#:~:text=Climate%20resilience%20is%20the%20ability,better%20cope%20with%20these%20risks.

[2] Ibid.