Sustainable Urban Development and Climate Change

Urbanization and Climate Change are two of the defining Sustainable Development issues for this century. They are also inextricably linked. Cities are already responsible for a majority of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption – and at the same time cities will be most affected by the consequence of the climate change due to concentration of population and assets, and an increase in the intensity and frequency of natural disasters caused by climate change. At the same time, calculations show that if developing countries urbanize and consume resources as developed countries have, it will take a resource base as large as four planet earths to support the growth.

The objective of the session was to introduce two new product lines designed to address these challenges: The 'Climate Resilient Cities' Initiative and The 'Eco2 Cities: Ecological Cities as Economic Cities' Program.

Climate Resilient Cities
The session introduced a conceptual framework developed by the EAP region for city managers to better prepare themselves for climate change and disaster risk management, and demonstrated how the tools can be adapted to other regions, including MENA, South Asia, and Africa. The objective was to offer information to Bank staff on mainstreaming resilience into their ongoing projects.

Eco2 Cities
This session introduced the new Eco2: Ecological Cities as Economic Cities business model. The objective of this new model is to help cities achieve ecological and economic sustainability through integrated planning and management, and strategic investments to be financed by WB Group's various financial instruments. Eco2 Cities will use spatial development and urban design and material flow analysis and resource efficiency, particularly energy efficiency, as two diagnostic and planning instruments for Eco2 cities development. The Eco2 cities program proposes an integrated and cross sectoral approach to sustainable urban development. The Eco2 Cities program will also contribute to the reduction of GHG in the urban areas within a large framework of sustainable urban development. The main Eco2 report will be completed and launched at the Urban Research Symposium in Marseille between June 28-July 1, 2009. The EAP Eco2 team presented the overall framework of Eco2 as well as its two major instruments and some specific cases in the session and invited participants' opinions and suggestions on this new business product.

Agenda

2:00 pm to 2:10 pm - Opening Remark by the Chair
Keshav Varma
Introduction: Urban Challenges in East Asia and the Pacific and EAP's response

2:10 pm to 3:30 pm - Climate Resilient Cities
Abhas Jha, Lead Urban Specialist, EASUR
Scaling up in East Asia as part of an integrated DRM agenda
Presentation (pdf)

Fatima Shah, Urban Economist, EASUR
What is the Primer and the follow on program of assistance to cities in EAP
Presentation (pdf)

Federica Ranghieri, Environmental Spec., EASOP
Preliminary lessons from Vietnam
Presentation (pdf)

Rosanna Nitti, Sr Urban Spec., MNSSD
An application of the Primer in MENA: Hotspots
Presentation (pdf)

Kremena Ionkova, Urban Specialist
How can Africa adapt the Primer's tools to its context?

3:30 pm to 3:45 pm - Coffee break

3:45 pm to 5:20 pm - Eco2 Cities: Ecological Cities as Economic Cities
John Roome, Sector Director, EASSD
Opening Remarks

Hiroaki Suzuki, Urban Sector Leader, EAP
Eco2 Program Overview
Presentation (pdf)

Arish Dastur, Urban Specialist
Eco2 Analytical and Operational Framework
Presentation (pdf)

Alain Bertaud, Urban Planner and Land Development Expert
Spatial Development and Urban Design
Presentation (pdf)

Sebastian Moffatt, Urban Systems Design and Ecological Planning Expert; Founder: The Sheltair Group
Material Flow Analysis
Presentation (pdf)

5:20 pm to 5:30 pm - Closing Remarks
Abha Joshi-Ghani Sector Manager, Urban Development Unit, FEU