Nature and Climate Nexus Webinar Series: Promoting Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Infrastructures in Asia and the Pacific
Background
Nature-based solutions (NbS) can help address challenges in climate change, disaster risk management, water security, biodiversity loss, and food security. These solutions protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems. NbS also address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature (IUCN).
NbS provides practical and cost-effective approaches for long-term sustainable infrastructure in a changing climate when integrated into traditional construction methods. Furthermore, NbS offer multiple advantages such as reduce project costs and prolong infrastructure lifespan. NbS also provide co-benefits to ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, recreational opportunities, employment, and livelihoods.
Applying NbS requires integrated planning and management that are evidence-based and for long-term sustainability. It must be guided by international, national, and local policy frameworks to reach its full potential. Despite the increasing recognition of NbS, there is still a need to provide practical knowledge on its implementation. These factors are just a few that hinder designing and implementing NbS.
To address this knowledge gap, ADB hosted the Nature and Climate Nexus Webinar Series: Promoting Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Infrastructures in Asia and the Pacific. This webinar series shares the latest information and benefits from using NbS. The event highlights the integration of NbS into investments for sustainability and resiliency. The webinars feature lectures, trainings, and workshops based on the latest scientific knowledge, case studies and best practices on NbS for infrastructure projects. This webinar series is organized by ADB’s Environment Thematic Group in collaboration with other Sector and Thematic Groups as well as private, government and academic partners.
Target Audience
The event is designed for ADB officers and consultants, and decision-makers and stakeholders working on infrastructure development.
Webinar 1: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Disaster Risk Management Lecture and Clinic
This two-day webinar provided the latest information on NbS. It focuses on weather-related disaster management, such as flooding and drought, and presents specific examples to address relevant development issues. The NbS experts provided technical advisory services for improving project design with a combination of green and gray infrastructure.
For more information: See Webinar 1 Flyer and Proceedings.
Day 1: 15 September 2022 / 2:00–4:00 pm, Philippines (GMT+8) Zoom / Lecture (open session)
Resource persons from Deltares and Witteveen+Bos presented the latest information on NbS as well as specific examples to address relevant development issues. The event focuses on weather-related disaster risk management such as flooding and drought. This was followed by a panel discussion and an interactive Q&A session. The NbS Lecture is open to all.
Day 2: 21 September 2022 / 2:00–4:00 pm, Philippines (GMT+8) Zoom / NbS Clinic
This venue for NbS experts to give project officers technical advice to improve project design by integrating NbS with traditional gray infrastructure. Resource persons discussed selected ADB pipeline projects with potential NbS components.
Webinar 2: Putting Nature-based Solutions into Practice through Innovation
13 October 2022 / 1:00–2:00 pm, Philippines (GMT+8) / MS Teams
This webinar presented case studies across Asia and the Pacific to illustrate the wide-ranging challenges for which nature can provide a pathway to innovative solutions.
For more information: See Webinar 2 Flyer and Proceedings.
Webinar 3: Challenges and Approaches in Quantifying Nature-based Solutions Benefit Stream
24 October 2022 / 2:00–3:00 pm, Philippines (GMT+8) / Zoom
To enable the uptake of NbS in cities and communities especially in developing countries, key barriers must be addressed including:
• Limited examples of application of NbS in developing country context;
• The perception that NbS are complex, costly, and uncertain, compared to grey infrastructure; and
• Challenges in quantifying multiple benefits of NbS
This webinar organized by ADB’s Environment Thematic Group and Urban Sector Group through Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF) discusses the factors that make it challenging to quantify socioeconomic, ecological, and financial benefits of NbS and illustrates an approach to quantification of such. It draws on UCCRTF’s knowledge product on NbS developed through TA 9217 (UCCRTF’s Sub-Project 2: Resilience Measurement, Capacity Development, and Knowledge Sharing) implemented by a consortium led by Arup.
For more information: See Webinar 3 Flyer and Event Snapshot.
Webinar 4: Nature-based Solutions Promote Synergy between Addressing Climate Change and Conserving Biodiversity (COP-27 side event)
17 November 2022 / 4:00–7:00 pm / People’s Republic of China (PRC) Pavilion
This event demonstrates the critical role of NbS to play in addressing climate change, exploring potential synergies with biodiversity conservation. Global and regional experiences and lessons learned are provided through presentations and panel discussions by experts from a range of organizations, including government agencies, universities and NGOs. ADB’s key NbS initiatives are highlighted with practical examples of operations in PRC and other developing member countries in Asia and the Pacific. The event is co-hosted by the PRC Green Carbon Foundation and Tsinghua University's Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development with support from ADB and other development partners.
Webinar 5: Nature: Innovative Pathway towards the Carbon Neutral Future (COP-15 side event)
8 December 2022 / 6:15–7:10 pm / 514A, Montreal, Canada
This event highlights the potential contribution of NbS to the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Carbon Neutral Future. It showcases approaches with good practices and lessons learned from global experiences to create synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate change. A joint study focusing on the Asia and Pacific reason is launched with the announcement of call for case studies made. The event is organized by ADB and Tsinghua University in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy and the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate.
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2022 | 15 Sep and 21 Sep 2022 | Webinar 1: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Disaster Risk Management Lecture and Clinic | |
| 15 Sep 2022 | More information can be found here. |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 2022 |
[VIDEO] Webinar 2: Putting Nature-based Solutions into Practice through Innovation Video recording for Webinar 2. |
||
| 13 Oct 2022 | Moderator | Suzanne Robertson | |
| 13 Oct 2022 | Opening Remarks | Tony McDonald | |
| 13 Oct 2022 | Presentation |
Putting Nature Nature-Based Solutions into Practice through Innovation This presentation is an overview of nature-based solutions from Alluvium perspective. |
Simon Tilleard |
| 13 Oct 2022 | Reflections and Commentary | Qingfeng Zhang | |
| 13 Oct 2022 | Q&A and Open Discussion |
Nick Schofield Simon Tilleard |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct 2022 |
[VIDEO] Webinar 3: Challenges and Approaches in Quantifying Nature-based Solutions Benefit Stream Video recording for Webinar 3. |
||
| 24 Oct 2022 | Opening Remarks | Qingfeng Zhang | |
| 24 Oct 2022 | Moderator | Joy Amor Bailey | |
| 24 Oct 2022 |
NbS in addressing urban challenges and climate change |
Safiah Moore | |
| 24 Oct 2022 |
Challenges and Approaches in Quantifying NbS Benefit Streams |
Matthew Savage | |
| 24 Oct 2022 | Reflections and Commentary |
Lara Arjan Stefan Rau Jos Timmerman |
|
| 24 Oct 2022 |
How to quantify “resilience” benefits following ADB 2017 Guidelines for Economic Analysis of Projects? Sample from SCTEIIP |
Aimee Hampel-Milagrosa | |
| 24 Oct 2022 | Q&A | ||
| 24 Oct 2022 | Reflections on the Webinar Presentations and Closing Remarks | Jingmin Huang |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Nov 2022 | Keynote Speech | Moderator：HOU Yuanqing，Project Director, PRC Green Carbon Foundation | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Speech |
SUN Zhen，Deputy Director General，Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Ecology and Environment ZHOU Aiguo, Vice Chair of CGCF, CNPC chief expert of QHSE, CNPC representative of OGCI Executive Committee |
|
| 17 Nov 2022 | Forestry and Grassland Climate Change Actions and Achievements of PRC | ZHANG Guobin，Deputy Division Director，Ecological Protection and Restoration Division，National Forestry and Grassland Administration | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions in Climate Actions | Brendan Guy，Director of International Climate, NRDC | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Strategy in Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation Synergistic of CNPC | LIU Jun, Director of PRC National Petroleum Corporation Afforestation Committee Office | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Practical Implementation of NBS Guidelines and Standards in PRC | Angela Andrade, the Chair of the Commission on Ecosystem Management, IUCN | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | The CICC demonstration project of Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation | ZHU Yunlai，Consultant, CICC Charity Foundation | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Global Practice and Outlook of Synergies between Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation | John Verdieck, International Climate Change Policy Director，The Nature Conservancy | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | . The Practice and Outlook of Bamboo Forest Sequestration and Bamboo Products life-cycle carbon accounting in PRC | ZHOU Guomuo, Former President of Zhejiang A&F University, Professor | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | PRC's Practice of Meteorology-assisted New Energy Development and Climate Ecological Value Transformation | SUN Jian, Vice President of CMSA | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Policy and Perspective of Forestry addressing Climate Change | XU Jintao, Professor of Economics and Deputy Dean of National School of Development, Director of PRC Center for Energy and Development, Peking University | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Global Practice of NBS under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals | WANG Binbin，Executive Secretariat General, Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Panel Discussion I. Association and Enterprise promote NBS and Synergies between Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation | Moderator：GE Le，Climate change and Energy Director，TNC PRC | |
| 17 Nov 2022 | Panel Discussion II. NGOs Promote NBS and Synergies between Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation Actions in PRC | Moderator：ZENG Nan，Conservation Project Manager, NRDC PRC |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Dec 2022 | Opening Remarks | Li Zheng, President of ICCSD | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Keynote Speech | Moderator: Lesley Bearman Lahm, NARO, ADB | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Global Practices of NbS in the frame of Carbon Neutral Future | Binbin Wang, Lead of C+NbS, ICCSD and Executive Secretary General of GAUC | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Plenary | Moderator: Deepak Bahadur Singh, Senior Environment Officer, ADB | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Climate and Biodiversity Friendly Practices in Infrastructure | Karma Yangzom, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Opportunities to advance biodiversity in the Agriculture Sector | Bob Tansey, Global Policy Lead, Degraded Lands and Restoration, TNC | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Policy study on integrated land use for synergizing biodiversity targets, dual carbon goals and food security in China | Dr. Chunquan Zhu, Head of the Nature Initiatives, Great China, Beijing Representative Office, World Economic Forum | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Comparing top cases of Nature-Based Solutions between the EU and China | Dimitri De Boer, Director for Asia and Chief Representative for China, ClientEarth | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Nature-based Solutions for mitigating the impact of extreme weather events (virtual) | Zongxu Xie, Global Youth Ambassador, GAUC, PhD Candidate of Tsinghua and Oxford | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Call for C+NbS Good practice in Asia ( ICCSD & ADB) | Yueyu Zou, Environment Specialist, ADB | |
| 08 Dec 2022 | Closing remarks | Lesley Bearman Lahm, NARO Representative, ADB |