JICA-RI Research Fellow Participates in International Symposium on Climate Change Hosted by Rockefeller Foundation

An international symposium, "Building an Urban Climate Change Resilience Partnership in Asia," hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, was held in Bellagio, Italy from November 16-17. JICA-RI Research Fellow Suguru Miyazaki attended to exchange ideas with officials from various international and bilateral aid organizations, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ).

The symposium’s main objective was to explore ways to convert existing studies and concepts into more effective practices and policies that would help build climate change resilience at the urban level. Providing an opportunity for aid practitioners and researchers in the donor community to exchange information and ideas, the event kicked off with donors sharing the status of their efforts in climate change. On the second day, participants engaged in intense discussions about the frameworks and institutions needed to promote collaboration among donors.

Miyazaki presented an overview of JICA's efforts in tackling climate change, with a particular focus on "Impacts of Climate Change upon Asian Coastal Areas: The Case of Metro Manila" – a study conducted in collaboration with the World Bank and ADB. "When it comes to climate change, it is crucial for the entire international community to share what they know and establish a common knowledge and information base," he argues. "Each stakeholder should use these 'bases' as a starting-point to invest in efforts that make the best use of their strengths."

Looking back at the meeting, Miyazaki notes that "In addition to spreading the word about JICA's efforts, I had a chance to network, and collect information on the latest movements of fellow donors. I was generally successful in gaining the audience's appreciation of the importance of building a new common ‘knowledge base’ and prioritizing areas in line with each donor's strengths." He also discusses his plans for the near future: "By building on the findings of JICA-RI's study on climate change in Asian coastal cities, I plan to look into new research projects that explore the possibilities of applying these to other large cities, as well as to smaller ones. I also hope to continue publicizing these research findings at international symposiums, and promoting their application in operations at the practical level."