Clean Air for Smaller Cities
Brief summary of pre-event including objectives:
Cities in Southeast Asia are at varying stages of development, yet they face similar problems. With a rapidly growing population and high rates of industrialisation and urbanisation, the demand for transport, water, energy and solid waste management infrastructure pose a serious environmental challenge to all ASEAN countries.
In March 2003, the ASEAN Environment Ministers endorsed the “Regional Environmentally Sustainable Cities Programme” (RESCP) and agreed to form an ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities (AWGESC) to drive this initiative. Member countries have since then nominated 24 cities to participate in the implementation of the Framework. In 2005, the ASEAN Environment Ministers endorsed the ASEAN Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Cities (AIESC), which replaces the RESCP and serves as an overarching mechanism for ASEAN cities to pursue environmental sustainability. This initiative goes beyond the scope of Clean Air, Clean Water and Clean Land, to include green and blue issues in the future.
The next step would be to operationalise the AIESC for the 24 participating cities, and use best practices to help these cities to develop and fine-tune their action programmes in implementing the Initiative.
The German Government supports this important initiative and agreed to assist participating cities in AIESC through GTZ to establish and implement action plans to address air pollution. GTZ aims at rendering support directly at the participating cities, under the chairmanship of AWGESC as the main executing agency of the project.
The side event will hold a kick-off workshop for the project “CleanAir for Smaller Cities in the ASEAN-Region”. The project will be presented and its envisaged outcomes discussed. The project is able to assist 14 cities of ASEAN member countries. A final selection has not been made yet and can be discussed. The side event will also discuss the various measures cities can take as immediate action and will present financing options at international level.
Organizer(s) with contact details for main coordinating person
Roland Haas, GTZ (roland.haas@gtz.de)
Date/Time (proposed):
11 November / 9.30-12 and 2.30 – 4 pm
Meeting Room A
Target Participants (Expected number of participants and profile)
25 – 30 persons; invited country and city representatives and interested participants
Type of Event (closed/open/by invitation only)
By invitation and limited number of observers
