Bandung declaration

Introduction
The leading role of Asian and African nations in development is dated back to the first large-scale Bandung conference on April 18-24, 1955. Fifty five years later, Bandung witnesses a senior policy seminar on Climate Change and Poverty in Asia and Africa, convening a gathering of Asian and African prominent scholars and policymakers in Bandung to discuss the impact of climate change on poverty in Asia and Africa. This event is jointly organized by UNCRD and ITB from 3 to 5 August 2010. The primary objective is to discuss adaptation and mitigation policies that are available to Asian and African countries to combat the adverse impact of climate change. Participants came from Africa - Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Asia - Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Discussion
General - Climate chang eaffects rural and urban poverty, food security, helat, water stess and other urban challenges, especially small island nations and coastal lowland cities by rising sea level and intensifying climate variability including flood and drought. Research is needed to identify the linkages between climate change and poverty, the challenges of adaptation and mitigation, and guide policymakers in dealing with the problem of climate change. Strengthening capabilities at all levels to effectively deal with the adverse impacts of climate change should be promoted. Community empowerment, sensitization and capacity development should be promoted to achieve sustainable development. Effective urban and rural policies and spatial plans should be designed and successfully implemented to address the problem of climate change and poverty reduction. Enforcement of law must be made effective.
Specific - Climate change impacts are complex and multiple with local variation in geofraphic, bio-physical, socio-economic and cultural contexts. Each community has its own coping mechanisms to deal with climate change and develop their own livelihood systems. Local wisdom, indigenous knowledge, options and constraints need to be understood and taken into account when dealingn with climate change. These best practices should be documented, disseminated and shared among countries. Economic growth should be sustainable and integrated with environmental considerations. Each nation should develop a holistic, integrated climate-resilient program. Implementation should be specifically designed and focused on the country's priorities with focus on water resources, food security (i.e agriculture, mariculture), renewable energy, coastal and lowland rural and urban areas, small islands and humid and arid regions, and primary producers (i.e. farmers, fishermen), among others.
Conclusion
The seminar concludes that the following should be umphasized:
- mobilize finance and empowerment of poor community and primary producers;
- promote adaptive capacity of poor nations and strengthen their mitigation ability;
- implement pro-poor policies;
- encourage research, education and sensitization in climate change and poverty;
- mainsteam climate change in national, regional and local policies and plans;
- strengthen partnership between developed and developing countries to enhance resilience of developing countries to deal with adverse impacts of climate change and promote their adaptive capabilities;
- promote climate-mitigation technologies such as wind power, solar energy, etc;
- encourage developed countries to do their part in mitigating green house gas emissions.