The Asia-Pacific region is undergoing rapid urbanization, with a projected population of over three billion people living in cities by 2050. This growth presents substantial challenges in providing sustainable infrastructure and services to meet increasing demand. Urban areas are responsible for approximately 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, and many cities in Asia are already facing severe impacts from climate change, posing risks to the population, environment, and local economy.
To address the challenge of climate change, the Urban-Act project is being implemented in five countries in the Asia-Pacific region: China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The overarching objective of this project is to improve the enabling conditions for planning and implementing evidence-based and inclusive urban climate actions in these countries, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the United Nations.
In China, the project focuses on several key areas. Firstly, it aims to develop an integrated spatial planning, monitoring and assessment system that considers the impact of climate change on territorial and spatial planning. This comprehensive approach will enable better decision-making and resource allocation for low-carbon and resilient urban development. Additionally, the project seeks to enhance cross-sectoral and multi-level coordination between different departments at the city level and responsible ministries at the national level. This coordinated approach will ensure effective implementation of climate actions and policies. Furthermore, the project aims to scale up development experience and successful examples from China to the other partner countries of Urban-Act in the Asia-Pacific region. By sharing experiences and successful strategies, the project seeks to accelerate progress in urban climate action across the region, fostering collaboration and collective learning.