The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) Asia organised several sessions, highlighting the critical role of locally led adaptation in enhancing resilience, at the Eighth Asia Pacific Urban Forum, organised from October 23 to 25, 2023 in Suwon, South Korea.

At the forum, CDKN Asia partnered with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) for a session on ‘Investing in Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) for bottom-up approach to urban resilience’, which brought together decision makers, policy makers, urban practitioners as well as community leaders to discuss the pivotal role played by communities in initiating and scaling up locally led adaptation interventions. Speakers from India, Nepal and Bangladesh highlighted the key barriers and challenges faced while investing in LLA, such as lack of robust data and scientific information to predict the vulnerabilities at the local level, and the rigid and cumbersome processes involved in accessing funds, among others.  They stressed that communities should be central while shaping policies and actions that impact their lives, mentioned success stories to showcase how local experiences can inform government priorities, and highlighted the need to engage the community to foster inclusive governance and participatory decision-making.

Mr. Omar Siddique, Head of Unit, Sustainable Urban Development, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), delivered the keynote speech. The panellists comprised Ms. Mahmuda Alam from Bangladesh; Mr. Nilesh Rajadhyaksha, Programme Director, Urban Strategy Unit, NIUA and also the Head of the U20 Technical Secretariat; Mr. Dewan Kamal Ahmed, President, Municipal Association of Bangladesh and Mayor, Nilphamari Municipality, Bangladesh; Mr. Pourya Salehi, Head, Urban Research, Innovation, and Development Team, ICLEI World Secretariat; and Ms. Lumanti Joshi and Ms. Laxmitara Dangol, representatives of a community women’s forum, Nepal. The session was moderated by Mr. Emani Kumar, Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia.

In another session, CDKN Asia partnered with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to discuss ‘New Style of Long-Term Strategies for Local Governments’, focusing on Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). It was an excellent opportunity to showcase the VLRs developed for Singra (Bangladesh) and Dhulikhel (Nepal) under CDKN Phase 2. Experts and panelists shared their views on various initiatives undertaken at the local level towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Melbourne (Australia). The session was moderated by Mr. Jubaer Rashid  of ICLEI South Asia.