A Message to the UCCRTF Community

The Asia and the Pacific region has seen significant improvements in poverty reduction
and economic growth over the past few decades. However, the region still faces
challenges of rapid urbanization, climate change, increasing inequality, social conflict,
environmental degradation and declining infrastructure stock, particularly in urban
areas. To help address these challenges, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
adopted Strategy 2030 to respond effectively to the region’s changing needs. “Under
Strategy 2030, ADB will sustain its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and expand its
vision to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the
Pacific”1. The strategy’s operational priorities include making cities more livable and
tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing
environmental sustainability.

ADB supports its developing member countries through lending, technical assistance,
and knowledge. In addition to ADB’s own resources, trust funds supported by
development partners allow additional focus on specific interest areas. Among these is
the Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF) managed by the Urban
Sector Group in the Sustainable Development and Climate Change (SDCC)
Department. UCCRTF is a $150 million trust fund supported by the Rockefeller
Foundation and the Governments of the United Kingdom and Switzerland. UCCRTF
has the primary objective of building the resilience of 2.2 million people in 25 cities in 8
countries in Asia by 2021. It aims to reduce risks faced by vulnerable communities and
assets from extreme weather events through better city planning and climate resilient
infrastructure.

                                                            
1
 ADB Strategy 2030, https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional‐document/435391/strategy‐2030‐main‐
document.pdf 
 
 
 
  

UCCRTF provides grant financing to help urban areas improve their resilience to
climate change impacts. It is currently supporting work in more than 40 cities in the
areas of climate resilience planning, resilience measurement, housing, urban health,
and climate resilient infrastructure such as cyclone shelters, flood early warning
systems, floating solar panels, e-vehicles, and nature-based solutions for water supply
and wastewater, among others.

The knowledge emerging from the work supported by UCCRTF aligns with the Strategy
2030 operational priority by providing integrated solutions that will help build livable
cities that are green, competitive, resilient, and inclusive.

This Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund Newsletter is being launched this
month with six issues per year. The newsletter will share articles, videos, resources and
more from ADB and UCCRTF’s work to enhance investment in resilient infrastructure
and cities across Asia. The newsletter is for ADB staff, financing partners, and external
stakeholders to raise awareness, share knowledge, and drive innovation and best
practice globally.

I invite you to subscribe to the newsletter through the following link:

http://eepurl.com/dCACx9