ADB-CDIA Champions Local Leadership and Strategic Partnerships at AWUF 2025

June 26, 2025

From 27–30 May 2025, the ADB Water and Urban Development Forum (AWUF) gathered nearly 1,200 participants from 59 countries to explore the theme, Valuing Water and Enhancing Livability in Asia and the Pacific. With over 40 technical sessions, field visits, high-level meetings, and an innovation fair, the event sparked bold ideas and collaborations.

CDIA added to the forum’s technical lineup by leading two dynamic sessions that spotlighted the power of local leadership and strategic partnerships in shaping inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable cities.

The Pipeline Exchange: Financing of Investment-Ready Projects

28 May 2025 | 1:30-3:00 p.m. | K-Hub

This session brought together project preparation facilities (PPFs), ADB project officers, and government representatives for structured matchmaking. The goal was to facilitate strategic partnerships that can accelerate financing at the local level, where projects essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goals are developed and implemented.

“In this session, we are not competing with each other – we are collaborating to catalyze more financing and make projects more bankable,” said Satoshi Ishii, Director for Strategy and Partnerships at ADB’s Water and Urban Development Sector Office (SD2-WUD), in his opening remarks. “As project costs rise and project preparation funding declines, sessions like this can foster collaborations vital for sustaining our work in making cities more livable,” he added.

Representatives from the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA) and CDP set the tone of the session, highlighting the critical role of PPFs and environmental disclosure systems.

PPFs, ADB project officers, and government representatives then pitched their projects, outlining partnership opportunities. PPFs included the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, Catalytic Finance Foundation, Smart Green ASEAN Cities of the United Nations Capital Development Fund, C40 Cities Finance Facility, ASUS Project of the United Nations Human Settlements Program, and Cities Alliance. Project officers represented various ADB sectors and offices, such as Water and Urban Development, Transport, and the Office of Markets Development and Public-Private Partnership (OMDP). Government representatives were from Nepal, Cambodia, and Lao PDR.

The highlight of the event was the pipeline exchange and matchmaking, where participants engaged in dynamic one-on-one exchanges to explore potential complementarities. By the session’s end, potential collaborations emerged, such as between ADB Transport and C40 Cities Finance Facility on the Bengaluru Transport Oriented Development Project. Post-event discussions were encouraged to pursue partnership prospects. More session details, including key takeaways.

Local Leadership in Action: Gender-Responsive and Climate-Resilient Cities in Asia

30 May 2025 | 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. | Multifunction Hall 3

This session convened government officials and technical experts to explore gender-responsive and climate-resilient urban strategies. Mayors from Nepal showcased their “Cities for Women” initiatives, promoting gender-friendly urban development interventions. Meanwhile, officials from Cambodia and Lao PDR highlighted nature-based solutions and inclusive development projects, respectively.

Through a fireside chat, representatives from ADB, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), and CDP unpacked the roadblocks – such as the lack of data, capacity, and financing – to scaling up gender-responsive and climate-resilient interventions in cities. Overcoming them requires community-driven data, institutionalized training, and transparent and accountable leadership.

“Institutionalization is the key word here,” said Bill Ho, Program Lead of the ADPC Academy. “I have seen so many project-level training sessions that just go by when the project is finished. Therefore, we need to work with national training institutes to build capacities continuously,” he added.

In his closing remarks, Kiyoshi Nakamitsu, Unit Head, Project Administration for South Asia at ADB’s Water and Urban Development Sector Office (SD2-WUD), emphasized learning from other cities.

“This session alone isn’t enough – we must sustain our interest in this subject,” he advised. “Not only that, we also need to have a practical translation of the session by visiting other cities to understand better what’s happening and learn from them as well,” he concluded.

Click here for more details, including key session takeaways.

As cities in the region navigate climate challenges and social inequalities amidst limited resources, the two CDIA-led technical sessions served as important catalysts for collaboration, innovation, and long-term impact.

Photos:

The Pipeline Exchange: Financing of Investment-Ready Projects

Local Leadership in Action: Gender-Responsive and Climate-Resilient Cities in Asia