Series: ADB Data Room: Regional Flyway Initiative Civil Society and ADB: BirdLife International – A Strategic Partnership on the Regional Flyway Initiative and Beyond 25 July 2024 Philippines On 25 July, ADB Managing Director General Woochong Um and Climate Change and Sustainable Department (CCSD) Director General Bruno Carrasco hosted a luncheon reception for officials from BirdLife International—one of ADB’s key partners in the Regional Flyway Initiative, along with the East Asian-Australian Flyway Partnership. Following the reception, BirdLife International CEO Martin Harper joined a panel of experts to discuss how civil society organizations can effectively partner with ADB to address the urgent ecological challenges in the region, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Read more: ADB, BirdLife International Affirm Commitment to Protect and Sustainably Manage Biodiversity in Asia and the Pacific During the event titled Civil Society and ADB: BirdLife International – A Strategic Partnership on the Regional Flyway Initiative and Beyond, Mr. Harper described how BirdLife International leveraged its technical expertise and network of local partners to forge a partnership with ADB in mobilizing $3 billion in financing for East Asian-Australasian Flyway wetland conservation to benefit 200 million people and 50 million migratory waterbirds. He stressed the importance of retaining the energy from project development to implementation to achieve ambitious goals, adding that this project has inspired other development organizations to do more to conserve and sustainably manage other major flyways. The hybrid webinar included panelists from the Office of the Compliance Review Panel, Office of Safeguards, and Sector Groups. BirdLife International CEO Martin Harper represented the voice of civil society. Silvia Cardascia, Water Resources Specialist from the Sectors Group, also joined the panel online. Climate Change, Resilience, and Environment (CCRE) Director Yoko Watanabe, NGOC Unit Head Haidy Ear-Dupuy, and Senior Environment Specialist Duncan Lang lauded BirdLife International’s partnership with ADB which can serve as a model for future collaborations between ADB and other civic organizations. They highlighted ADB's efforts to increasingly open its policy, operational, and knowledge-sharing activities to civil society participation, and the forthcoming operational approach to civil society engagement and environmental action plan. Panelists from the Office of the Compliance Review Panel, Office of Safeguards, and Sectors Group also shared insights on civil society’s important role in the development agenda and how it helps improve ADB’s development effectiveness. Watch the full recording below: Our contribution to the ADB development agenda: A spotlight on the Regional Flyway Initiative by adbandngos on Scribd Program and Learning Materials 25 July 2024 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Introduction Yoko Watanabe, Director, Environment, CCSD, ADB Message of Support VIDEO | NGOC Message of Support Delivered by NGOC Head Haidy Seang Ear-Dupuy on the occasion of the visit of BirdLife International CEO Martin Harper to the ADB Headquarters, 25… Haidy Ear-Dupuy Keynote Presentation Our contribution to the ADB development agenda: A spotlight on the Regional Flyway Initiative Since 2017 ADB has been working closely with BirdLife International both on the development of the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning as well… Martin Harper Panel Discussion Silvia Cardascia, Water Resources Specialist, SG-AFNR, ADB Panel Discussion Elisea Gozun, Chair of the Compliance Review Panel, ADB Panel Discussion Beatrice Gomez, Principal Environment Specialist, OSFG, ADB Q & A Audience members were invited to ask questions to Martin Harper and the other panelists for quickfire response Closing Duncan A. Lang, Senior Environment Specialist, CCSD, ADB Disclaimer The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Event Coordinator/s Duncan Lang Related Full Agenda ADB Organizer/s Climate Change, Resilience, and Environment Cluster Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department Read Also ADB’s Cooperation with Civil Society ADB Data Room: Regional Flyway Initiative Partner Organization/s BirdLife International East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership Topics Civil Society Environment