The role of cities in addressing climate change is increasingly recognised in international arenas, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the New Urban Agenda. Asia is home to many of the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts and, along with Africa, will be the site of most urban population growth over the coming decades. Bringing together a range of city experiences, Responding to Climate Change in Asian Cities provides valuable insights into how cities can overcome some of the barriers to building climate resilience, including addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. The chapters are centred on an overarching understanding that adaptive urban governance is necessary for climate resilience. This requires engaging with different actors to take into account their experiences, vulnerabilities and priorities; building knowledge, including collecting and using appropriate evidence; and understanding the institutions shaping interactions between actors, from the national to the local level. The chapters draw on a mix of research methodologies, demonstrating the variety of approaches to understanding and building urban resilience that can be applied in urban settings. Bringing together a range of expert contributors, this book will be of great interest to scholars of urban studies, sustainability and environmental studies, development studies and Asian studies.

This book presents good practices in Asia and ASEAN countries for effectively promoting advances in response to climate change, which can help to achieve sustainable development in Asia and around the world. As a proposal, the aim is to influence the discussions at COP 21 by providing a positive agenda with concrete actions from an Asian perspective. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 describes the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction scenario from an Asian perspective and in line with global 2 ° targets. Based on modeling analysis, the studies demonstrate the theoretical potentials and send the policymakers at COP 21 the positive message that “Asia can reach the target.” As Asian countries vary in terms of their economic strength, country-specific scenario studies for the two giants China and India as well as for Japan and Vietnam are introduced to show the different approaches for each country. Part 2 shows successful examples of how modeling analysis are reflected in actual policy development, which provides practical guidelines to help policymakers develop their own roadmaps with stakeholder dialogue, not only in Asia but also in other regions of the world. The Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) roadmap development in Thailand as well as the Iskandar Malaysia project show at the country and city level how researchers and policymakers are working closely to succeed. Part 3 focuses on a number of sector-specific activities including transportation, forestry, capacity development, and inventory work in Asia. Rather than discussing the Low Carbon Society (LCS) concept in detail, the respective chapters highlight unique, concrete, and practically applicable examples from Asia, showing how Asian countries are addressing climate change mitigation issues in a collaborative manner, an approach that can be replicated in other regions. While the ultimate goal of this book is to facilitate international climate regime making, local government and international organizations (United Nations, World Bank, and others) officers, researchers, international NGO/NPOs, consultants, students (particularly those studying international relationships or environmental studies), as well as reporters will find this book useful in broadening their understanding of low-carbon development in Asia.

This open access book documents myriads of ways community-based climate change adaptation and resilience programs are being implemented in South Asian countries. The narrative style of writing in this volume makes it accessible to a diverse audience from academics and researchers to practitioners in various governmental, non-governmental and international agencies. At a time when climate change presents humanity with a gloomy future, the stories of innovation, creativity, grassroots engagement and locally applicable solutions highlighted in this book provides insights into hopeful ways of approaching climate solutions. South Asian countries have been dealing with the impact of climate change for decades and thus offer valuable learning opportunities for developing countries within and beyond the region as well as many western countries that are confronting the wrath of climate induced natural disasters more recently. SANDEE has been a pioneer in the development of research and training in environmental economics and related issues in South Asia and Prof Maler has been throughout SANDEE's history, its mentor, and its strongest supporter. Many young economists in South Asia have significantly benefited from Prof Maler's guidance and inputs. The present volume on “Climate Change and Community Resilience: Insights from South Asia” is a fitting tribute and an excellent reflection of Prof Maler's contributions to the SANDEE programme throughout his association. - Mahesh Banskota, Ph.D. Professor, Development Studies School of Arts, Kathmandu University This comprehensive volume aptly identifies grassroots initiatives as the core of the problem of adaptation to climate change. The analysis of the different experiments is lucid, inclusive, and full of interesting detail. The methodologies used and the subjects covered span a range of frameworks and narratives. Put together, the studies are a fitting tribute to Karl-Goran Maler, who spent years putting his impeccable expertise to use for the cause of enhancing research in South Asia. - Kanchan Chopra, Ph.D. Former Director and Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, and Fellow, SANDEE The slow international policy response to climate change elevates the importance of understanding how communities can respond to climate change’s many threats. This unusually accessible volume provides that understanding for South Asia while being relevant to the rest of the world. Its emphasis on research by scholars from the region makes it a wonderful tribute to Prof. Karl-Göran Mäler, who contributed so much to the growth of environmental economics research capacity in South Asia. - Jeffrey R. Vincent, Ph.D. Clarence F. Korstian Professor of Forest Economics & Management Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, USA

Climate change is a major threat to improving prosperity in Asia and the Pacific. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has an important role to play in responding to the threats---and opportunities---presented by climate change in the region. To better align its investments and associated policy and institutional support with the priorities of its developing member countries relating to climate and development each of ADB's five regional departments---covering Central and West Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, South Asia, and Southeast Asia---has drafted a Climate Change Implementation Plan to serve as a guide for climate-related responses, both to mitigate greenhouse emissions and to adapt to climate change impacts. This report summarizes the recommendations of the regional plans and outlines ongoing and planned interventions to help build low-carbon, climate resilient economies in Asia and the Pacific.

Crucial Issues in Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol: Asia and the World focuses on responses to climate change in the world''s most populous region. This book provides the most comprehensive insight to the climate change discourse within Asia to date by drawing on the diverse disciplines and experience of legal practitioners, climate change consultants, government officials and academics. Individual chapters address issues such as how the various Asian countries OCo highly disparate in their cultures, socio-economic conditions and political systems OCo are responding to climate change, the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change, and the effective implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in Asia. Sample Chapter(s). Foreword (37 KB). Chapter 1: Climate Disruption: Remaking the Agenda of Meas in Asia and the World (138 KB). Contents: Setting the Stage: Climate Disruption: Remaking the Agenda of MEAs in Asia and the World (N A Robinson); Reframing Global Warming: Toward a Strategic National Planning Framework (S V Valentine); Climate Change OCo Living in the Anthropocene (J Obbard); Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): An Overview of the Clean Development Mechanism in Southeast Asia (J Lin); CDM in China (X Yang & X Wang); Empirial Considerations in the Development of CDM Projects in Asia (W I Y Byun & F H C Chan); Making Markets Work OCo A Review of CDM Performance and the Need for Reform (C Streck & J Lin); Emissions Trading in the European Union and Asia: Regional Framework: The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme OCo Past, Present and Future (K Deketelaere & M Schurmans); Trends in Carbon Trading: Practical Lessons (A Beatty & E Williams); Effective Implementation of the Kyoto in Asia: Singapore''s National Climate Change Strategy (K Suresh); Japan: Achieving Its Kyoto Target (H Isozaki); Compliance Under the Kyoto Protocol and Its Implications for the Asian Region (M S Manguiat); Climate Change as a Threat to Peace & Security: Glacial Melting & Human Security in the Himalayas (K Khoday); The Kyoto Protocol and Beyond: A South Asian Perspective (A Gunawansa); Beyond Kyoto: Climate Change Including a Discussion of the AP6 Initiative from the Australian Perspective (M I Jeffery); Protecting Forests to Mitigate Global Climate Change (C streck). Readership: Environmental lawyers, policy makers, practitioners in CDM, tertiary students in environmental sciences.

"A report of the CSIS Asian Regionalism Initiative, July 2010."