ADB-CDIA Marks Fifth Year of Contribution to the Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy
October 27, 2025
Since 2021, ADB-CDIA has actively participated in the Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy, an annual fellowship program that empowers newly elected city leaders to advance sustainable urban solutions. The 2025 batch included mayors from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, and the Philippines.
On 16 September 2025, Urban Development Specialist Brian Capati contributed to Module 6: How to Finance Sustainable Urban Development, providing practical insights on accessing climate finance and developing bankable infrastructure projects.
In his presentation, Brian shared examples of how selected cities secured financing for their priority projects through CDIA’s project preparation studies. These studies demonstrate the technical and financial viability of proposed investments, making them more attractive to potential financiers. He emphasized the importance of robust preparation, incorporating elements such as gender and climate considerations, inclusive stakeholder consultations, risk mitigation, institutional strengthening, capacity-building, and alignment with state/national priorities and financier requirements.
The Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy was launched in 2019 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), in cooperation with the United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).
