Last week we were at the ICLEI Resilient Cities Congress in Bangkok. This was the first Resilient Cities Congress held in Asia. Municipal leaders came together to discuss their challenges and successes as they strive to create more resilient communities. ICMA was excited to support the Durban Adaptation Charter as it expands its presence into Asia. Sean O’Donoghue from the DAC Secretariat was there to welcome new members into the DAC Community. Fourteen communities committed to accelerating adaptation action by:

1. Mainstreaming adaptation as a key informant of all local government development planning
2. Understand climate risks through conducting impact and vulnerability assessments
3. Prepare and implement integrated, inclusive and long-term local adaptation strategies designed
4. Ensure that adaptation strategies are aligned with mitigation strategies
5. Promote the use of adaptation that recognizes the needs of vulnerable communities and ensures sustainable local economic development
6. Prioritize the role of functioning ecosystems as core municipal green infrastructure
7. Seek the creation of direct access to funding opportunities
8. To develop an acceptable, robust, transparent, measureable, reportable and verifiable (MRV) register
9. Promote multi-level and integrated governance and advocate for partnerships with sub-national and national governments on local climate action
10. Promote partnerships at all levels and city-to-city cooperation and knowledge exchange

Recognizing the exacerbating effects that urbanization will have on communities already dealing with climate challenges, the over 300 participants at the Congress created and committed to the Bangkok Declaration. Knowing that the population of Asian cities could reach 1.8 billion by 2030, the mayors and municipal leaders called for cooperative action in the between local and national governments as well as the community to:

1. Focus on innovative systems based approaches
2. Promote concerted and coordinated urban resilience action through community engagement
3. Increase multi-level and multi-sectorial partnerships
4. Ensure that risk assessments provide quantifiable evidence and are mainstreamed into urban planning
5. Develop and benefit from new financial mechanisms
6. Build capacities of local governments in risk assessments
7. Ensure that the measures for building resilience is equitable
8. Connect urban risk reduction planning and implementation with existing global initiatives

The Congress included the launch of a new resource that will help cities connect as they work toward the ideals set out in both the DAC and the Bangkok Declaration. The Rockefeller Foundation announced the launch of their Asian Cities Climate Change Resilient Network. Individuals can sign on to be part of the online network that will provide a platform for knowledge sharing around climate change resilience in Asia. Individuals interested in the network can join at www.acccrn.net

We’d love to hear from cities from around the world to see how they are addressing resiliency in their communities! We welcome you to blog about your experiences here or share your experience on our Knowledge Network page.