East Asia Summit

Sharing knowledge about how cities across East Asia can be more sustainable will be the focus of an Australian-led three day workshop in Indonesia next week.

Policy makers from 18 East Asian countries will meet with counterparts from the Australia government and researchers from CSIRO in Makassar Indonesia from 17-19 April 2012.

The second of two workshops, this event brings researchers and decision makers together to share knowledge and experience around sustainable and climate change adapted cities.

At the first Urban Sustainability: Adapting to Change workshop, held in Can Tho, Vietnam in March this year, participants discussed the common challenges of rapid urbanisation, water supply and quality, and livelihoods improvement being faced in the cities across the region.

Projected impacts of climate change are considered likely to exacerbate these challenges over coming decades. The seminars will be a significant contribution by Australia to progressing action on environmentally sustainable cities, which was identified by East Asia Summit Environment Ministers in 2008 and 2010 as the forum’s priority.

The outcomes of the seminars will be reported to the 3rd East Asia Summit Environment Ministers Meeting scheduled for late 2012.

“These research projects share common themes of improving understanding of urban water sustainability and livelihoods under a changing climate.”

Dr Brenda Lin

CSIRO is running a number of research projects in Indonesia and the Mekong region encompassing parts of China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

“These research projects share common themes of improving understanding of urban water sustainability and livelihoods under a changing climate,” said Dr Brenda Lin, CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship.

“These projects are also building local capacity and facilitating sharing of local knowledge and practice. By sharing information about initiatives underway in different country contexts, it is hoped that policy makers across the East Asian region can learn about best practice on climate adaptation research and responses, and use this to develop adaptation options that can be transferred across national borders.”

The two workshops include regional partners identified at the 1st and 2nd High Level Seminars organised through the East Asia Summit process.

Participants include delegates from the 18 East Asian nations, CSIRO researchers from the Climate Adaptation Flagship, as well as Australian Government representatives.