By Ms. Sumnima Ghimire

The webinar on “Urban Heat Management for Climate Adaptation and Resilience in ASEAN Cities“, was a regional knowledge-sharing event aimed at bringing together research, policy, and practice communities to discuss emerging evidence, lessons learned, and policy opportunities for urban heat management as part of urban climate adaptation. Held on 20 August 2026, the webinar was organized by the CLARE-ASEAN initiative at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) via Zoom.

The webinar brought together over 300 participants from around the world, providing insights into the growing urgency of urban heat and urban vulnerability. The discussion moved from challenges to solutions, exploring the efficacy of various heat management approaches implemented in ASEAN cities and sharing practical experiences from other parts of Asia.

The webinar featured several segments:

• Opening and Introduction: Mr. Sean Hilhorst, Head of Climate, Energy, and Nature, UK Mission to ASEAN, and Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal, Project Lead of the CLARE-ASEAN Initiative, AIT
• Keynote Presentation: Prof. Matthias Roth, National University of Singapore (NUS)
• Panel Discussion: Moderated by Mr. Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary-General, ICLEI, with panelists Dr. Negin Nazarian, Associate Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia; Dr. Emma E. Ramsay, Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Dr. Vishwas Chitale, Fellow and Team Lead, Climate Resilience, CEEW, India; and Ms. Phua Shi Hui, Urban Specialist, The World Bank
• Q&A: Interactive discussion with participants
• Closing and Key Takeaways: Dr. Dian Tri Irawaty, Program Director, Rujak Center for Urban Studies, Indonesia; Dr. Jeeranuch Sakkhamduang, Expert, Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), Thailand; followed by remarks from Dr. Arjan de Haan, International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

Missed the session? Watch the full recording.