The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Think City, have announced the launch of the Report and the Southeast Asia Climate Adaptation and Resilience (SEACAR) Alliance.
The trio said in a statement on Wednesday that SEACAR Alliance is a regional initiative that aims to emphasize the importance of nature-based solutions (NbS), climate analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the resilience of cities and communities across six key themes: natural ecosystems, infrastructure, water, agriculture, health, and trade.
According to the statement, the SEACAR Alliance is a response to the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change on the Southeast Asian region, which is home to more than 673.3 million people of the global population, and some of the world’s most biodiverse and vulnerable ecosystems.
With a focus on collaborative action, the alliance welcomes and encourages other stakeholders, cities, and communities from across the region to join this effort and share ideas, insights, and actions to speed up adaptation and resilience in the region.
“Nature is the foundation of life. Our disconnect with nature is the root cause of climate change threatening our very existence,
“In Southeast Asia, where communities and cities are at the forefront of climate change, embracing nature as an ally is not just a choice; it is a necessity for a sustainable and resilient future,” said Lavanya Rama Iyer, Director of Policy and Climate Change, WWF-Malaysia.
Dave Sivaprasad, Southeast Asia Lead in Climate and Sustainability, Managing Director and Partner, BCG, said that Southeast Asia is a region that is heavily exposed to the physical impacts of climate change.
“However, this is also a region rich in nature and natural capital, and we have enormous potential in the region to capitalize on both the oldest and newest solutions to adapt and build resilience,
“Specifically, this comes in the form of NbS and technology in the form of AI to plan, prioritize, and implement measures to adapt and build resilience for people, communities, and economies in Southeast Asia,” he added.
Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City said the firm is proud to join forces with BCG and WWF in a pivotal collaboration aimed at tackling climate change in
Southeast Asia.
“Our commitment to enhancing livability in cities, as engines of growth, aligns with the recognition that cities play a significant role in climate change, stemming from carbon emissions, pollution, water scarcity, and urban heat island effects,
“Leveraging our expertise in city making and NbS for climate adaptation, we aim to actively contribute our knowledge and foster partnerships with cities and urban settlements across the region as part of this meaningful alliance,” he added.
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over six million followers and a global network active in nearly 100 countries.
Its mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable.
It does this by promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
Founded in 1963, BCG is a global consulting firm that works with leaders in business and society to tackle their challenges and capture their opportunities.
Think City is an impact organization established in 2009 to create more sustainable and equitable places for the benefit of all.
It focuses on urban solutions, the environment, social communities, and the cultural economy.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, the sovereign wealth fund of the government of Malaysia.