The world is urbanising at an unprecedented rate. Leaders in every city face a wide range of diverse issues, from public health, to access to clean water, sanitation, food and energy, to managing urban sprawl and the associated challenges, slums, congestion and environmental pollution. Strong leadership and governance can play a crucial role in building and managing sustainable cities.
The joint opening plenary discusses innovative and effective strategies and options for policymakers, across fields such as urban and industrial planning, affordable housing, efficient public transport, integrated water management and sound environmental management. Participants will consider the leadership and governance challenges they must tackle – from garnering support and securing resources to leveraging on growing public awareness – and explore models and frameworks that can help them build communities that are liveable and sustainable.
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- Dr Han Seung Soo, Ex Prime Minister of Republic of Korea and Honorary President of the Korea Water Forum
Dr Han may share Korea’s recent vision towards the sustainable strategy of “Low Carbon, Green Growth" – a paradigm shift from quantity-oriented and fossil-fuel dependent growth to qualitative-oriented and renewable energy growth. The Korean Government has introduced various measures and in Jan 09, the “Green New Deal” policy was initiated, which aims to create a low-carbon economy through Green Growth while stimulating job creation. As one of the Board Members of the UNSGAB, Dr Han may share that the prime aim of UNSGAB is to encourage sustainable solutions through technological, social and financial innovations. Another main challenge is to find ways to produce more food by using less water. More crop per drop is what Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for in his Millennium Declaration. UNSGAB believes that a new green revolution is needed to bring about long term resources sustainability.
- Mrs Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN-HABITAT
The UN-Habitat has recently released the “State of the World Cities 2010/2011: Bridging the Urban Divide” report, which examines the social, economic, cultural and political drivers of urban poverty and deprivation, and the need for both local action and national enabling policies. Mrs Tibaijuka is invited to share the key urban trends observed and their implications, especially on the liveability and sustainability of cities. She will also share her insights on the critical conditions necessary for fostering harmonious, creative and liveable cities, as well as the challenges that cities might face in realizing these conditions.
- Mr Huang Qifan, Mayor of Chongqing, China
Countries, regions and cities across Asia are actively pursuing far-reaching initiatives to improve infrastructure and address the challenge of rapid urbanization. Chongqing is one of them. Chongqing has invested heavily in infrastructure to attract investment. The network of roads and railways connecting Chongqing to the rest of China have been expanded and upgraded, resulting in reduced logistical costs and increased foreign investment. These infrastructure improvements have led to the arrivals of several foreign investors in industries ranging from auto to finance and retailing such as Ford, HP, Cisco, Mazda, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Chongqing has also been active in addressing environmental issues including water and air pollution. Mr Huang is invited to share on the role of government, the initiatives and frameworks that the city has put into place to develop and finance these infrastructural and pollution control projects, as well as some of the dilemmas faced in balancing industrial development and environment sustainability, and how they have reconciled the different priorities of urban development when deciding on the shape and financing of the different projects. Also, Mr Huang may share his vision for the city of Chongqing in the longer term say 20 years from now.
- Mr Wim Kuijken, Government Commissioner for the Delta Programme, the Netherlands
In 2025 the majority of the world population will live in flood prone delta areas. The Netherlands is a typical example. A large part of the country is located below sea level or prone to flooding from rivers. The Netherlands is also one of the best-protected deltas in the world. Both population and invested capital have increased dramatically, while climate change poses additional challenges in the form of sea level rise and changes in fresh water distribution. The Netherlands has appointed a government commissioner to deal with these challenges. Mr. Kuijken will explain how the innovative approach the Dutch are implementing turns the challenge into an opportunity to increase the quality of life and the environment, while providing increased protection for its inhabitants and investments, retaining the viability of key economic areas as the Rotterdam harbour, and tackling the problem of fresh water supply.
- Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
Urban areas in Asia and the Pacific are growing at the unprecedented rate of about 137,000 people a day. A majority of Asians (around 2.7 billion) will live in urban areas by 2030. The future of the region will depend on how well its cities develop and function.
Producing over 80 percent of the region’s GDP, cities are engines of economic growth and centers of social development, culture, creativity and innovation. At the same time, cities and towns are places where poverty and disparities are most concentrated and visible. Over 40 percent of Asia-Pacific’s urban residents live in slums, without adequate shelter and basic services. Accounting for 67 percent of all energy use and for 71 percent of all greenhouse gases emissions, cities and towns have an enormous ecological footprint. With over 50 percent of its urban population living along coastlines, climate change will have a significant impact on cities and towns of Asia and the Pacific.
Infrastructure and housing built today are likely to lock cities and towns in development and consumption patterns for the next 20 to 30 years. Making Asian cities environmentally efficient and sustainable, economically productive, inclusive and equitable will require considerable innovative thinking and action. The presentation will outline a new vision of urban development that views cities as integrated systems that require synergistic and adaptive governance and management approaches.
Urban areas in Asia and the Pacific are growing at the unprecedented rate of about 137,000 people a day. A majority of Asians (around 2.7 billion) will live in urban areas by 2030. The future of the region will depend on how well its cities develop and function.
Producing over 80 percent of the region’s GDP, cities are engines of economic growth and centers of social development, culture, creativity and innovation. At the same time, cities and towns are places where poverty and disparities are most concentrated and visible. Over 40 percent of Asia-Pacific’s urban residents live in slums, without adequate shelter and basic services. Accounting for 67 percent of all energy use and for 71 percent of all greenhouse gases emissions, cities and towns have an enormous ecological footprint. With over 50 percent of its urban population living along coastlines, climate change will have a significant impact on cities and towns of Asia and the Pacific.
Infrastructure and housing built today are likely to lock cities and towns in development and consumption patterns for the next 20 to 30 years. Making Asian cities environmentally efficient and sustainable, economically productive, inclusive and equitable will require considerable innovative thinking and action. The presentation will outline a new vision of urban development that views cities as integrated systems that require synergistic and adaptive governance and management approaches.
- Dr Sadayuki Sakakibara, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Toray Industries, Inc
In Dr Sakakibara’s capacity as the Vice Chairperson of the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), Dr Sakakibara may also provide insights on the Hatoyama administration’s “New Growth Strategy”, where one of the strategies is to promote growth in the environment, energy and water sector through "green innovation." The Japanese business industry is also becoming more outward looking, the government has been providing a wide range of financial support measures, of which the Japanese companies can tap on to participate in water and environment projects in other parts of the world. Dr Sakakibara could also share how Toray continues to innovate amid the downbeat economic climate, and has gained its competitive edge through R&D and responding to the global demands for efficient energy membranes. In addition, Toray Industries, Inc. (Toray) received the 2008 Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Association of New York in recognition of its environmentally friendly business activities in areas such as seawater desalination, carbon fibre composite materials businesses as well as for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities targeting climate change prevention and sustainable social growth and energy saving. As a business leader, Dr Sakakibara may share how he has inspired the organization to not overlook the importance of environmental consciousness and leverage it to bring about increasing efficiency, in the face of pressure to cut costs and raise profits.
- Mr Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation
Urbanization in India is accelerating – by 2045 it is expected to be an urban majority nation for the first time, one of the last major developing economies to achieve this important growth benchmark. Managing this massive rural-to-urban migration will require massive investments in the physical and social infrastructure of Indian cities and – ultimately – equal investment in the growth of new urban centres.
Mr Amitabh Kant will share on the development roadmap for the future cities of India, with particular reference to the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor project, which is likely to serve as a strategic catalyst in this process.
The DMICDC has a memorandum of understanding with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) for facilitating collaboration between Japanese and Indian companies from environment related sectors and providing expertise in the development and promotion of DMIC projects including model eco-cities or smart community initiatives at various locations in the 1,483km DMIC region.
- HE Dr Jumaa Ahmed Al Kaabi, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, Kingdom of Bahrain
Led by the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been proactively engaging the private sector to participate in its waste management projects. We would like to invite HE Dr Jumaa Ahmed Al Kaabi to share on these on-going Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) projects within the Kingdom of Bahrain and how these approaches has helped to catalyse sustainable urban development within the Kingdom. Is PPP the best model to undertake such infrastructure projects in the long run in the Kingdom of Bahrain? Would this be a model that could be adopted by other countries pursuing similar environmental projects?
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