Practical Strategies for Urban Adaptation in Asia: the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network Dr. Stephen Tyler ISET Cities and Climate Change: COP 16 Dec 3, 2010

Cities and Climate Change  Refuges of climate resilience, job creation, economic innovation and growth?  Or concentrations of poverty, vulnerability and increased exposure to climate hazards?

Conceived and funded by Rockefeller Foundation 5 year program intended to –catalyze attention, funding, and action on building climate change resilience for poor and vulnerable people in cities –create robust models and methodologies for assessing and addressing climate risk –Implement local adaptation measures –Build recognition and support for urban climate resilience 4 countries, 10 medium size cities Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network

ISET is an international, non-profit, applied research institute registered in the United States but with members and advisors in many parts of Asia. Individuals and organizations involved in ISET all share a commitment to INNOVATION for environmentally sustainable development and poverty alleviation. ISET works extensively on climate change, water management, energy and related topics Introduction to ISET – The Institute for Social and Environmental Transition

ISET's mission: -to improve understanding and elevate the level of dialogue so that nations and local communities can better respond to challenges such as climate change in a dynamic global context -to serve as a framework for equal collaboration between individuals and organizations in the North and South on programs that address the first mission ISET’s role in ACCCRN (phase 2): methodology, technical support, coordination, India / Vietnam lead ISET’s Mission

Led by local government Engagement of multiple departments and stakeholders Studies by national experts What Makes ACCCRN Different Capacity building and shared learning Networking activities between cities and other partners Collaborative workplan development

Diagram: Arup

Includes the ability to: Learn from and adapt to experience – i.e. to change strategies or structure of the system Respond to unexpected events Urban Climate Resilience Resilience is the capability of a system faced with shocks or stresses to maintain or quickly restore its function. Can Tho

Framework tries to: -Accommodate high uncertainty through iterative processes -Recognize multiple sources of vulnerability -Integrate across scales -Focus on strategic issues and processes rather than specific projects Urban Climate Resilience Framework

Who? -Focus on agents (individuals, organizations, groups): their behavior, socio-economic position, authority, marginalization, etc -Key capacities: learning, visualization and planning, (re-) organization What? -Urban systems comprise elements and linkages: ecosystems, infrastructure, institutions, knowledge -Key characteristics: flexibility and diversity, modularity and redundancy, safe failure Fragile systems / low capacity agents + exposure = vulnerability Urban Climate Resilience Framework

To integrate climate resilience thinking into planning procedures in order to enable vulnerable groups living in cities to anticipate, respond to and recover from projected climate change impacts. Objective of City Resilience Planning

Basic information and data required to inform planning, e.g. climate scenarios, local vulnerability assessment, other data sources. Multi-lateral and participatory processes to share local knowledge and experience, e.g. community level HCVA and SLD process with stakeholder representatives. SLDs engage different city departments, local experts, national / international scientific authorities, civil society, disaster response organizations, and vulnerable groups. Exchange and validate new information, guide foundations of planning Small scale pilot projects proposed to test preliminary adaptation measures and improve community conditions Detailed studies of high priority issues where data is lacking Actions proposed to address important areas of vulnerability Key Elements of Urban Climate Change Resilience Planning

Process SLDs Engagement Shared Learning Multiple stakeholders Vulnerability Assessment Climate context and impact Vulnerable groups and sectors Sector studies and Pilots Detailed study of major issues Experience with small scale activities Resilience Planning Develop strategy for action Select priorities Assemble complementary activities Science and Local Knowledge

Approach Capacity building and local engagement more important to build local understanding than technical sophistication and detailed analysis; Iterative - we can return and improve analysis in future, or add in-depth studies on key issues. Study Climate Impacts and Vulnerability Develop Resilience Actions Analyze and Prioritize Options Select Priorities and Develop Proposals Implement successful proposals

ACCCRN City level workflow Assess Climate Vulnerability Learn from SLDs, Sector Studies, Pilots Resilience Planning: produce Resilience Strategy Develop Proposals for High Priority Actions Implement (Phase 3)

SLD process proved innovative and helpful –Indonesia –Vietnam Climate projections not available in useful format –Data hard to find or non-existent –Format unhelpful –Don’t explain uncertainties –Don’t respond to key decision parameters Process takes time City partners have been able to build multistakeholder planning processes and use the tools (18 months or less) Results of Resilience Planning

Proposed priority actions included capacity building for agents, strengthening of infrastructure, ecosystems, knowledge and institutions City partners tied in resilience plans to other plans and funding activities –Infrastructure projects –Public health and sanitation programs Managing uncertainty: –Base analysis on existing climate vulnerabilities and extend –Scenarios –“no-regrets” strategies –Detailed studies of key issues –Increase awareness –Avoid maladaptation Results of Resilience Planning 2

New planning processes put in place –Sustainability varies Issues affecting vulnerable groups central to plans –Urbanization, economic development New concepts and new information from outside sources applied to local planning City partners have been able to build multistakeholder planning processes and use the tools (18 months or less) Beginning to share experiences within country Not yet evidence of influence on national policy Preliminary Outcomes

Dr. Stephen Tyler – Ken MacClune –