A book edited by IIED researchers shows how cities across Asia are building climate resilience.
Responding to Climate Change in Asian Cities: governance for a more resilient urban future
Responding to Climate Change in Asian CitiesResponding to Climate Change in Asian Cities: governance for a more resilient urban future looks at how cities in five Asian countries are responding to climate change and identifies key learning points for urban planners around the world.
The book is edited by three researchers from IIED's Human Settlements research group: Diane Archer, Sarah Colenbrander and David Dodman. The book features chapters written by local practitioners in Asia that discuss climate vulnerability and measures to build resilience in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Archer leads IIED's cities and climate change team. In a recent blog about the book, she stresses the value of including contributions from local researchers and practitioners. She says their local, real-world perspectives can inform practical action to build resilient cities in low- and middle-income countries.
The book's chapters, which are briefly outlined in a book note produced by the Environment & Urbanization journal, look at such diverse topics as the vulnerability of migrant workers in Indian cities, child-centred adaptation, resilient sanitation in Dhaka, water security in Baguio City in the Philippines, and flood index-based insurance in Da Nang City, Vietnam.
The chapters were initially prepared as working papers for the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN), a multi-year programme funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.
In a concluding chapter, the editors outline the key learning points from the case studies. They stress that urban climate change adaptation must go beyond physical measures.
They say adaptation planning must include socio-political action – building public awareness, including marginalised communities and appreciating diverse forms of expertise. Truly adaptive governance puts people at the centre of the response to climate risk.
Reviews
The book has received positive reviews. One leading urban practitioner, Debra Roberts, head of Sustainable City Initiatives in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, praised it as a "much needed" and thoughtful analysis.
"In the wake of COP21 and Habitat III, this timely book points to the extraordinary potential that cities in Asia – and other rapidly urbanizing parts of the world – have to respond to the complex and unpredictable impacts of climate change," said Roberts. "It cautions, however, that this potential can only be realised if we heed the SDG call to 'leave no one behind'.
"This is the nub of the 21st century resilience challenge: "how do we use our cities to avoid non-linearity in some global systems (eg tipping points and thresholds in critical earth systems) while encouraging it in others (eg transforming society to ensure inclusion and equity for all)? The thoughtful analysis presented here is a much needed resilience Rosetta Stone for the local governments around the world who will have to rise and embrace this complex challenge."
Arif Hasan, architect and chairperson at the Urban Resource Centre in Karachi, Pakistan, said: "This is an important book. It deals in easily understandable terms with the additional stress that climate change will place on already stressed cities and the need for new governance systems that are required to deal with this pressure. It is a must read not only for academics and practitioners but also for those otherwise involved in the issues of climate change related environment, poverty and political issues."
"This book is a strategic contribution to our understanding of urban climate resilience in Asia," said Wijitbusaba (Ann) Marome, assistant professor of urban environmental planning and development, Thammasat University, Thailand. "A diverse set of case studies illustrate the required paradigm shift in climate governance, towards a more inclusive approach, with multiple stakeholders acting at multiple levels for sustainable urban local development."
Mark Redwood, vice president of water, sanitation and environment at Cowater International, Canada, said: "In many respects, cities are at the front line of climate change impacts both in terms of financial and human cost. This book provides an in-depth review of cities in Asia that are at the forefront of problem solving and innovation in how to adapt to climate change. The authors are right: to succeed in reducing the impact of climate change, "out of the box" and evidence-based problem solving will be essential when it comes to the provision of services and the reform of the institutions that provide them."
Purnomo Dwi Sasongko, secretary of development and planning agency of Semarang City, Indonesia, said: "Cities are complex and man-made environments, and the many challenges facing today's cities will become more complex due to the effects of climate change on infrastructure, economic growth, social structures and systems. Readers of this book will find many examples and innovations in methods to address the impacts of climate change and lead to more climate resilient cities in Asia."
The book will benefit researchers and practitioners focusing on environmental resilience in an urban context, as well as people involved in development studies and Asian studies.
- Blog: how good governance in cities across Asia is underpinning an effective response managing climate change risk, by Diane Archer
Responding to Climate Change in Asian Cities: governance for a more resilient urban future, edited by Diane Archer, Sarah Colenbrander, David Dodman (2017), available to purchase from Routledge, 222 pages, hardback (ISBN: 978-1-13-865857-8)/eBook (ISBN: 978-1-31-562070-1)