ISLAMABAD: As climate change threatens the sustainability of cities and communities, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance worked to empower poor and vulnerable urban communities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines in tackling the impacts of climate change by using nature-based solutions in community-led projects, according to a bank case study published earlier this week.

In Pakistan, a green park was constructed in Sialkot to help mitigate the impact of rising temperatures and urban flooding and to address the need for safe green open spaces, especially for women and children in the community.

The technical assistance, ‘Promoting Urban Climate Change Resilience in Selected Asian Cities – Development of Pilot Activities and Project Development Support’, was financed through the ‘Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund’ amounting to $6.07 million in the three countries.

The ADB case study said the rapidly growing cities in Punjab were susceptible to climate change-related hazards like extreme temperatures, extreme rain, damaging cyclones, and flooding.

Published in Dawn, january 1st, 2023