International Forum on Sustainable Infrastructure: Integrating Climate Resilience and Natural Capital into Transport Infrastructure Planning and Design
Ha Noi, Viet Nam 17 to 18 May 2017
A forum for decision makers and experts to deliberate and draft guiding principles for planning, designing and financing climate-resilient and ecologically sound transport infrastructure.
The Key Issues
The pace of global infrastructure investment is accelerating dramatically. For transport infrastructure alone, 25 million kilometers of roads will be added by 2050 – with 90% in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the Asia-Pacific region this translates to about $8.3 trillion dollars of transport infrastructure investments projected between 2016 and 2030.
This connective transport infrastructure, as well as other forms of ‘linear’ infrastructure such as energy networks and water supply systems – move people, goods, water and power and are essential for an efficient functioning economy.
But, how can we ensure that the quality and viability of this infrastructure is secure over the long term? Linear infrastructure plans and sustainability cannot be at cross purposes, as environmental degradation and climate impacts will lead to costly bottlenecks, delays and project cancellations – increasing risk and decreasing ‘bankability’ of investments.
In addition, most nations have agreed on targets for sustainability through their commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. These include the need for resilient, ‘low carbon’ and ecologically sensitive infrastructure that will not erode the welfare of current and future generations, or the productivity and stability of the planet’s natural systems.
The Five Forum Themes
These themes will support the preparation of “guiding principles” for integrating climate resilience and natural capital into transport planning, design and finance.
- Designing ecologically sensitive transport infrastructure: Capitalizing on opportunities and addressing constraints generated by biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change: Assessing risks and benefits, resilient and low-carbon approaches, and the use of natural infrastructure.
- Facilitating finance: De-risking and promoting climate-friendly, environmentally sustainable and ‘bankable’ projects to attract institutional investors.
- Improving options with better planning: Integrating natural capital and climate into spatial and strategic planning to increase opportunities for multiple benefits.
- Strengthening the enabling environment: Policies, laws and regulations to reduce environmental risks and increase incentives for sustainable infrastructure investing.
Organizers
The forum is co-organized by the Asian Development Bank, the World Wildlife Fund, the Viet Nam Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, and the Greater Mekong Subregion Environment Operations Center.
Forum materials including the application form, the agenda, and workshop presentations will be uploaded to this page when available.
Resources
See also
People’s Republic of China: Building Roads that Help Small Towns in Yunnan Province
A project in Yunnan Province helped bring the People’s Republic of China closer to its neighbors and drive local development.
ADB Project to Modernize Irrigation Systems, Improve Agricultural Productivity in Viet Nam
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved over $100 million in financing to help the Government of Viet Nam install eight modernized irrigation systems in five drought-affected provinces, which will improve agricultural productivity, especially among farmers growing high-value crops such as coffee, peppers, grapes, dragon fruits, and mangoes.