Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network Announces Plans for Two Thai Cities to Join the Network
Chiang Rai and Hat Yai Join Eight Other Asian Cities in Developing Climate Change Resilience Strategies
(Bangkok, Thailand - December 2009) The Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) – a network of cities in India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam that are working to develop robust plans to address the consequences of climate change – announced today the two cities in Thailand that will join the other eight cities throughout Asia that have already been selected.
Chiang Rai and Hat Yai in Thailand will join Surat, Indore, and Gorakphur in India; Bandar Lampung and Semarang in Indonesia; and Da Nang, Can Tho, and Quy Nhon in Vietnam.
ACCCRN was launched in January 2009 as part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s $70 million climate change resilience initiative. The objective is to help selected cities develop climate change risk and vulnerability strategies that will be followed by the development of a range of resilience-building interventions such as climate-resilient housing and more effective water management. Current partners within the network include the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).
With Asia’s rapidly growing population – projected to account for more than 60 percent of the expected 1.7 billion person population growth over the next 30 years – coupled with the unavoidable impact of climate change, the region is expected to face a multitude of unprecedented risks over the next few decades. Climate change impacts ranging from increased severity of coastal storms and flooding to more erratic rainfall patterns and periodic droughts are expected. Economically, roughly 80 percent of the region’s GDP is produced in cities and towns and a recent study from the Rockefeller Foundation, McKinsey Consulting and Swiss Re found that climate change could cost developing countries 19 percent of their GDP by 2030.
“Rapid urbanization is expected to exacerbate the fundamental problem of high density poor populations living in informal housing, without access to basic social and physical infrastructure, in areas that are susceptible to natural hazards as a result of climate change,” said Rockefeller Foundation Managing Director Ashvin Dayal.
“The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to ensuring that urban resilience is at the heart of our efforts to address climate change in the coming decade and that we invest in ensuring that these cities remain safe, resilient and vibrant. I want to thank both TEI and ADPC for their efforts to get us to this point of clarity in choosing two strong cities in Thailand, and we are delighted that ACCCRN now has its full set of 10 core cities.”
“The selection of Chiang Rai offers positive engagement opportunities because of a highly active government that has shown excellent commitment and engagement on environmental issues,” said Chamniern Paul Vorratnchaiphan, Senior Director of TEI and ACCCRN Project Director for TEI.
“While Chiang Rai is smaller in scale, it has strong rural linkages and a relatively high profile for its size due to the tourism economy that exists there. It is likely that the city will experience rapid growth as the trade and tourism corridors to Burma, Laos, and China are expanded, and its ability to maintain the ecological system will be one of the key adaptation measures of the cities which are located along the Mekong River in coping with the impacts of climate change in the sub-region.”
Hat Yai is a large, urbanized center in the south of Thailand with a strong tourism economy. The city experienced severe floods in 2000, and as recently this year. While the city has begun to address these issues, Hat Yai was chosen for the opportunity it provides to further engage local institutions and broaden the city’s ability to cope with climate change – particularly in some of the surrounding poorer neighborhoods.
“Climate change is a major threat that all parties need to get involved in,” said Prai Pattano, Mayor of Hat Yai. “The City of Hat Yai is ready to demonstrate our commitment to ACCCRN.”
With Mr. Prai due to take on the role of Chairman of the National Municipal League of Thailand with its membership of 1,327 municipalities, ACCCRN will have the opportunity to solicit political support for, and public interest in, its climate change resilience initiative in Thailand and around the region.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation works around the world to ensure that more individuals, institutions, and communities can tap into growth and opportunity while strengthening resistance to risks and challenges, affirming its founding mission to “promote the well-being” of humanity. The Foundation today supports initiatives to mobilize an agricultural revolution in sub-Saharan Africa, bolster economic security for American workers, inform more equitable, sustainable transportation policies in the United States, assure access to affordable, high-quality health systems in developing countries, and help vulnerable communities cope with the impacts of imminent climate change. For more information on ACCCRN please go to http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/what-we-do/current-work/developing-climate-change-resilience/asian-cities-climate-change-resilience.
Contact:
The Rockefeller Foundation:
Teresa Wells, Chief Media Strategist, The Rockefeller Foundation
Telephone: 212-852-8216 or 347-463-8314
Ashvin Dayal, Managing Director of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Asia Office
Acccrn@rockfound.org
Telephone: +66 2 2620091 to 95
Thailand Environment Institute:
Dr. Chamniern Paul Vorratnchaiphan, Senior Director, and ACCCRN Project Director
chamniern@tei.or.th
Telephone: +66 2 5033333
