Preety Bhandari, Chief of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, ADB

Societies and economies across Asia are increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters and risks. In 2020, the cost of climate disasters in Asia totalled US$67 billion, of which just US$3 billion was insured.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asia-Pacific risks seeing its ‘economic and social development gains’ undone due to ‘unchecked disasters and unabated climate change.’ Necessary mitigation costs in the region are estimated at around US$40 billion per year between now and 2050, the Bank reports.

Preety Bhandari, Chief of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management at the ADB, will brief Asia House Corporate Members on this critical issue on Thursday 25 March.

Speaking from Manila, Bhandari will discuss what lies ahead for Asia in terms of climate change, and what is being done to mitigate the risks. She will also brief Corporate Members on the broader importance of the Asia-Pacific region in the fight against climate change; the key obstacles facing  climate change actions on the ground; and current initiatives to improve disaster risk management in the region.

At ADB, Bhandari is responsible for providing policy and strategic direction to ADB’s initiatives on climate change and disaster risk management, including mobilising concessional financing from multilateral funds such as the Climate Investment Funds and the Green Climate Fund. She also oversees climate financing through investments in private sector.

This digital briefing is part of Asia House’s COP 26 Programme, a series of initiatives exploring key policy developments and business responses to climate change in the lead up to COP26 in the UK in November. The Programme has previously featured COP26 President Alok Sharma, and Ken O’Flaherty, the UK Government’s COP26 Regional Ambassador to Asia-Pacific and South Asia.

To register your interest in joining this digital briefing, please email Edward Danks: edward.danks@asiahouse.co.uk