June 7, 2023
Investing in Technologies for Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Asia
By 2030, it’s estimated that annual climate adaptation finance needs will cost between $27-$208 billion USD in East Asia & the Pacific and $23-$177 billion in South Asia. Last year alone, the region experienced devastating climate driven disasters from flooding in China (costing more than $12.3 billion); drought in China (costing more than $8.4 billion); and the flooding that impacted more than 1/3 of Pakistan (killing nearly 1,500 people; impacting over 33 million people, and costing an estimated $5.6 billion) . These impacts are anticipated to cause mass migration and have broad reaching implications for all sectors including agriculture, health, commerce, transportation, governance, and finance.
Technologies will play a key role in building up and bolstering the resilience of these sectors and requires immediate increased investment in order to meet the growing challenge of climate impacts. Companies across the region are at the forefront of fighting climate change and responding to these climate impacts and represent a growing opportunity for investments from both the public and private sectors.
Convened by the Adaptation SME Accelerator Program, The Lightsmith Group, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on June 7, 2023 – this event discussed the importance of technologies in building climate adaptation and resilience in Asia. Various initiatives and technologies in the transport sector, such as railways, airports, and energy sector, such as utility operations that focus on making infrastructure more adaptive to climate change are gaining momentum, and new ventures and companies are emerging that support specific solutions which build resilience.
About The Lightsmith Group & the Adaptation SME Accelerator Program (ASAP)
The Lightsmith Group is an investment firm pursuing superior returns by investing in companies that address critical societal needs. Lightsmith invests in growth-stage companies providing technology-enabled business services and solutions in the areas of energy, water, food and agriculture, and climate resilience. For more information on The Lightsmith Group, please see: www.lightsmithgp.com. Lightsmith manages the Adaptation SME Accelerator Project (ASAP), an initiative supported by the Global Environment Facility, Conservation International, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
About the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank with the mission to finance the Infrastructure for Tomorrow – infrastructure with sustainability at its core. Working with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity. For more information visit: www.aiib.org