City leaders in Asia must join forces to make cities resilient

Cities are facing multiple challenges, but climate change is a challenge like no other. Many cities in the region are vulnerable to climate catastrophes. With their dense populations, high levels of economic activity, income disparity, housing of the poor in ‘unsafe’ places, and vulnerable infrastructure, cities here are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and face a range of climate-related challenges. This edition of the Asian Cities Summit is centred around the theme ‘Inclusive and Resilient Cities’ to accelerate the joint actions

Every city is different. They are diverse in their geographical locations and topographies, governance structures, financial capacities and resources. Then, why do cities need to come together to address the challenges of urbanisation? Can’t each city handle it on their own? Well, let me tell you, that kind of thinking is as outdated as a rotary phone.
Cities in Asia are bound to grow so fast that they can’t keep up with the demand for infrastructure and services. There will be a strain on natural resources, impact on the environment, and social inequalities that arise if urban spaces are erroneously built for the privileged few and not for all. And cities are also at the front of climate change-induced disasters and man-made catastrophes. Natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and pandemics – they can all strike at any time, and cities need to be prepared. Most of you will agree that all cities are at risk of such calamities. No city in the region is disaster-proof, absolutely. All of us have witnessed this during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has underlined the importance of working together to face disasters and other challenges collectively.

Let’s join hands

No city is perfect. They have their strengths and weaknesses. Some countries are good at handling housing problems, some have championed the cause of the poor, and some have managed urban mobility wonderfully. When all such knowledge and understanding come together, the collective force of cities becomes formidable. Collectively, cities can achieve more than they ever could on their own. They can share knowledge, expertise, and resources. They can learn from each other’s successes and failures. They can develop innovative solutions that they would never have thought of on their own.
Cities must be united in the shared commitment to creating sustainable, livieble, and inclusive cities for all. One of the main objectives of this Summit is to bring city representatives from the region on a platform and forge relationships to tackle the challenges of urbanisation in Asia. Till the last edition, the Summit was called the South Asian Cities Summit, but from this year onwards, we at AIILSG have decided to call it the Asian Cities Summit for two reasons. The first one is that we were receiving overwhelming responses from all countries in the Asia Pacific, and the second one is that Asian cities have various commonalities in their urban structure, challenges, resources and financial strengths. It was a no-brainer decision to rename it as Asian Cities Summit.
As we envision the forum’s role on a broader scale, we are reminded of the critical role that city leaders play in shaping the future of our urban environments. City leaders must work collaboratively and with a shared vision to ensure that our cities continue to thrive and grow sustainably while providing opportunities and benefits to all their citizens.

Pressing challenges: Highlights from IPCC

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report finally released its Synthesis Report (SYR) on March 20. It has detailed why it is urgent for all of us to take action now in the 8000-page document available to read on the IPCC’s official website. It combines the findings of three Working Group reports and paints a comprehensive picture of where we are and where we’re headed. The report doesn’t mince words – the climate crisis is happening right now, and it’s all due to human activity, specifically, the burning of fossil fuels.
The IPCC finds that there is a more than 50 per cent chance that global temperature rise will reach or surpass 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) between 2021 and 2040 across studied scenarios. Under a high-emissions pathway, specifically, the world may hit this threshold even sooner — between 2018 and 2037. Global temperature rise in such a carbon-intensive scenario could also increase from 3.3 degrees C to 5.7 degrees C (5.9 degrees F to 10.3 degrees F) by 2100. To put this projected amount of warming into perspective, the last time global temperatures exceeded 2.5 degrees C (4.5 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels was more than 3 million years ago. What can cities do? They need to become sustainable and reduce their emissions.
It is no secret that cities contribute around 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a massive chunk, and it’s why the report emphasises the crucial role of cities in addressing climate change. It’s high time for cities to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate impacts. The report highlights the vital role of cities in addressing climate change and provides a range of strategies for reducing emissions and building resilience in urban areas. It’s up to us to act quickly and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future.
Cities need to work on mitigation and adaptation at the same time. The report lists several strategies cities can adopt to reduce emissions, including investing in sustainable transport, improving building efficiency, and shifting to renewable energy sources. It also stresses the need for cities to work with their communities to ensure that climate action is equitable and inclusive. The report also highlights the need for adaptation in urban areas. Extreme weather events, sea level rise, and other climate-related risks are becoming more severe, and cities must build resilience to deal with them. This includes investing in green infrastructure like green roofs and parks and improving water management to minimise the risk of flooding.
The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report’s Synthesis Report is a wake-up call. The climate crisis is real, it’s happening now, and we need to take urgent action. Asia is bound to build more cities, and the pressing challenge would be to build them sustainably.
Asian cities have several examples of the haphazard urbanisation phenomenon and its impacts on cities and citizens. The fast-paced urbanisation often leads to the expansion of cities into green spaces, putting pressure on natural resources and exacerbating climate change. City leaders will have to rethink their choices of the kind of development they promote. They need to find out ways collectively and means to build sustainable infrastructure, affordable ways of generating renewable energy and promote public transportation systems. They will also have to ensure that urban growth happens equitably and benefits people fairly and the gap between rich and poor does not grow. For this, all city leaders must provide affordable housing and ensure equitable distribution of civic services.
Asian cities must also address the issue of urban resilience. City leaders must invest in resilience-building measures such as early warning systems, disaster preparedness training, and infrastructure that can withstand extreme events.
Despite these challenges, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of Asian cities. Urbanisation presents significant opportunities for economic growth, innovation, and cultural exchange. By working together, city leaders can develop strategies and solutions to tackle the challenges presented by urbanisation and create vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive cities for the 21st century.

Cities must be united in the shared commitment to creating sustainable, livable, and inclusive cities for all. One of the main objectives of this Summit is to bring city representatives from the region on a platform and forge relationships to tackle the challenges of urbanisation in Asia