Enhancing Local Capacities in Socially Inclusive Resilience in Asia (SIRA)

The threat of climate change to sustainable urban development in Asia requires urgent action. Local governments need to strengthen their capacity to address climate change and its impacts. A proposed project aims to identify and address the technical knowledge and capacity needs of local governments in the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, and Bangladesh through a comprehensive program. This program will include online and offline training events, peer exchanges, and internships, aimed at enhancing the participation of women and marginalized groups in local governance. The tools and materials used in the project will be made available for future replication by other local governments.

Duration: 1 April 2024 – 28 February 2027 (3 Years)

Countries Involved: Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines

More Details: https://clareprogramme.org/project/enhancing-local-capacities-in-socially-inclusive-resilience-in-asia/

The overarching impact of the project will be a heightened understanding of climate risks among local government officials and climate practitioners, particularly women, in their respective countries and cities. This understanding will be instrumental in fostering informed and inclusive climate-resilient urban development in Southeast and South Asia, aligning with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

The specific objectives of the project are to:

Identify the capacity-building needs of local governments and climate practitioners in the four target countries and develop tailored training modules and
Deliver tailored training modules and approaches to strengthen the capacity of local governments and local climate practitioners in 4 target countries to support socially inclusive climate-resilient urban development
Enhance the capacity and voice of various disadvantaged groups, especially women, in local development planning and decision-making processes,

Enhanced capacity of 60+ local governments and climate practitioners in 4 countries for socially inclusive, climate-resilient development.
Established partnerships in each country for scaling up and sustaining training programs, setting up at least two lighthouse institutions.
Provided internship opportunities for women professionals in planning and decision-making at local government levels in 4 target countries.

1. Project Design Stage:

4 Stakeholder Consultations
10-12 Key Informant Interviews
4 Country Needs Analysis Reports
Development of 6-8 training modules

2. Project Delivery Phase

Annual Country Capacity Strengthening Programme Report
Capacity strengthening of officials from 15 local governments in each country
Offline and online shared learning exchange sessions
3-5 annual internships for women

3. Project Monitoring and Institutionalization Phase

Training Assessment Report

United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC)