Asia Pacific region predicted to be the most urban cities in the next decades. That phenomenon will bring an increasing infrastructure development, energy consumption, high demand in fossil fuels for transportation, inappropriate waste management, which all contribute to GHG emissions.
Each country in the IMT sub-region has shown its concern to reduce GHG emissions. IMT-GT also commits to transforming IMT-GT into a highly integrative, innovative, inclusive, and sustainable sub-region by 2036 through Vision 2036. Furthermore, with the assistance from ICLEI, IMT-GT has also prepared the Sustainable Urban Development Framework (SUDF) and identified the priority sectors project for financing along with key indicators and timeline.
To achieve those ambitions, it is important to paid attention to both vertical (national – local government) and horizontal (local – local government). During the speech, Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi the Secretary-General of UCLG ASPAC highlighted the importance of vertical integration. “Vertical integration is the key. We need vertical integration, as well as horizontal integration. Cities can’t do their best if cities are not given a good enabling environment that is provided by the central government”, she said.
Responding to those issues, Urban-ACT as an ambitious 4-year Collaborative Climate Action (CCA) support program aims to strengthen the CCA and enhancing the capacities of city governments to engage in a meaningful way in climate change dialogue and implementation across the program’s countries and within the region. This program is funded by the German Government International Climate Initiative (IKI) and led by a consortium of partners including GIZ, UNESCAP, UCLG-ASPAC, and IREUS.
The transboundary intervention comes in four topics area, which are transport and connectivity, solid waste management, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions, energy, and water efficiency, with the addition of the cross-cutting topics (GHG emission and education on sustainability).
This design workshop conducted on 15 – 16 June 2021 is part of the preparation to define possible transboundary interventions within the IMT-GT that can be supported through the Urban-ACT program in 2022. “we try to identify the right context to make sure the support from Urban-Act makes sense and can really support the need” said Heinrich Gudenus from GIZ.
To find out which proposed project should be supported under Urban-ACT program, the committee has provided voting. According to the voting result, most participants think the proposed projects should be supported under Urban-ACT program are the shift to electric mobility and comprehensive mobility planning.
By KM Team
