31 July – 4 August 2017, Bangkok — As cities step up their efforts in integrating climate change risk management and reduction in urban planning, pressing needs have been identified in enhancing trainers’ capacity and knowledge related to climate change adaptation strategies, especially in the context of urban planning in megacities. It is against this background that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) jointly organized an International Meeting on Building Capacity for Urban Climate Change Adaptation and a Training of Trainers for Urban Climate Change Adaptation in Southeast Asia on 31 July – 4 August 2017. The International Meeting was held at BMA headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand; and the Training of Trainers was held at the Evergreen Hotel, Bangkok.
Trainees from Lao PDR, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand attended the event, with trainers from ICLEI Southeast Asia, Mahidol University, USAID ADAPT Asia and Mahidol University. Collaborators from the APN SEACLID/CORDEX also attended as trainers for the event.
APN is represented by Dr. Monthip Sriratana (national Focal Point for Thailand), Dr. Erna Sri Adiningsih (Scientific Planning Group Member of Indonesia), Dr. Chi Kim Ngo (Scientific Planning Group member for Viet Nam) and Dr. Linda Anne Stevenson, Head of the Division of Communication and Scientific Affairs of the APN Secretariat.
Opening remarks were given by Professor Kiat Ruxrungtham, Vice President for Research and Innovation, Chulalongkorn University, Dr. Stevenson of the APN Secretariat, Dr. Kriengpol Padhanarath, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the BMA, and Dr. Wiparat De-ong, Deputy Secretary General, NRCT.
“Recent research and supporting observations have provided new insights into some of these changes and their impacts but have, at the same time, opened a number of new and challenging issues and questions,” noted Dr. Stevenson in her opening remarks, “As a network of 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, APN seeks to identify and address these global change issues through scientific research, capacity building and science-policy dialogue.”
The plenary session features expert presentations on climate change adaptation research and strategies in Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. These include a keynote presentation by Dr. Adiningsih which focus on adaptation strategies in Jakarta, Indonesia; a briefing of the Bangkok Master Plan on Climate Change Adaptation 2013–2033 by an official from BMA; and guidelines for green urban design, among others.
On Day 2, speakers from research and development agencies will talk about global, regional and local knowledge actions to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation into urban planning and development strategies. This will be followed by case study presentations by invitees from eight Southeast Asian countries. Afterwards, participants will be organized into groups to further explore the work specific to different types of cities—coastal megacities, medium and growing cities, highland/inland cities and tower cities.
The following days will include talks on low carbon cities, urban ecology, integrated waste management, and knowledge sharing on important tools such as climate risk and vulnerability analysis and cost-benefit analyses. A roundtable will follow to explore the methodologies and tools for urban resilience, which include remote sensing, field survey and GIS modelling. Participants will engage in hands-on exercises to “developing their own resilient cities” making use of the new knowledge acquired in previous days.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Linda Anne Stevenson, Head, Division of Communication and Scientific Affairs, APN Secretariat. Email: [email protected].
Dr. Jariya Boonjawat, Advisor, Atmospheric Research Group, Southeast Asia START Regional Center, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Email: [email protected].