Roundtable held on Monday, September 8, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM IST
A Contribution Towards the IUCN World Conservation Congress, October 9–15, 2025, Abu Dhabi

SEE RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64jfjv4bzR8

SEE REPORT

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) jointly organised a virtual Roundtable on “Nature-Based Cooling Solutions for Cities” on Monday, September 8, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM IST.

As cities across South Asia continue to face intensifying heatwaves and worsening urban heat island effects, the Roundtable brought together policy leaders, researchers, practitioners, and city representatives to discuss innovative, equitable, and sustainable cooling strategies rooted in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)—including urban forests, restored wetlands, green corridors, rooftop gardens, and reflective surfaces.

🎯 Key Objectives of the Roundtable Were to:

• Highlight the urgency of addressing urban heat risks in South Asia.

• Showcase NbS practices and pilots from across the globe.

• Discuss strategies to integrate NbS into urban planning and policy frameworks.

• Explore opportunities for financing NbS through blended models.

• Promote equity, inclusion, and community participation in NbS for cooling.

• Foster cross-sectoral partnerships and knowledge exchange.

The Roundtable:

• Highlighted global, regional, and national perspectives on NbS for cooling.

• Shared city-level experiences and pilots from South Asia and beyond.

• Explored opportunities to mainstream NbS into urban planning, governance, and financial frameworks.

• Emphasised the importance of equity and climate justice, ensuring that vulnerable urban populations benefit the most.

A key highlight was the launch of a special issue of Southasiadisasters.net titled “Nature-Based Cooling Solutions for Cities”, which curated field experiences, policy insights, and scientific findings to amplify NbS knowledge and strengthen the call for action.

This Roundtable formed part of a broader joint initiative by IUCN and AIDMI to advance climate resilience, nature-positive investments, and inclusive adaptation strategies in cities—aligned with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and India’s Cooling Action Plan.

The discussions and outputs from this event are being carried forward as a contribution to the IUCN World Conservation Congress, taking place in Abu Dhabi from October 9 to 15, 2025.

 Speakers:

Dr. Prajna Paramita Panda, IUCN SSC AsESG, India
Mr. Khaled Marafi, Ecosystem Management Jordan IUCN Regional Council, West Asia
Dr. Shalini Dhyani, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), India
Mr. Raja Asvanon, Stockholm Environment Institute, Thailand
Mr. Mihir R. Bhatt, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India
Mr. Vishal Pathak, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India

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