Sponge City Green Infrastructure: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience 9 November 2021 Nature-based solutions (NbS) to improve climate resilience have been rediscovered and universally promoted and identified as essential moving forward on climate action, as in the UNFCCC’s 2020 annual report. ADB has been supporting NbS and green capital development in various countries. The seminar provided basics on NbS as green infrastructure to improve resilience to urban flooding, heat waves, dry periods, and desertification. Professor Herbert Dreiseitl presented principles and international cases with lessons, supplemented by cases from the PRC’s Sponge City program and guidelines promoting NbS nationwide to increase stormwater retention, infiltrate or reuse captured water resources, reduce urban runoff and increase the flow capacity of rivers reducing flood risk. John Matthews delivered a life report from Glasgow on the global climate policy related to NbS. The seminar contributed to providing needed evidence to overcome reservation and inertia challenges still prioritizing gray over green infrastructure by leaders, engineers, and contractors. Program and Learning Materials 09 November 2021 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Opening Welcome and Introduction Presentation 1 Sponge City Philosophie and Practice and Enabling Factors Herbert Dreiseitl Presentation 2 Sponge City Program and ADB Projects in the People’s Republic of China Stefan Rau Presentation 3 CRA Approaches This presentation provides an overview of the profound implications for sustainable urban design, including sponge cities. Charles Rodgers Presentation 4 Nature Based Solutions (Green infrastructure): Climate Adaptation This presentation gives an overview of key takeaways on climate adaptation. Sonia Chand Sandhu 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 Stefan Rau ADB Organizer/s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department Read Also 2021 Resilience Learning Month Topics Climate Change Disaster Risk Management