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Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit


17 June 2026
9:30AM – 12:15PM


Costal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit.jpg

About

The Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders’ Summit comprises two high-level panels where leaders from government, cities and international organisations share successful coastal and flood management strategies, policies and projects implemented in global cities to tackle the effects of climate change and sea-level rise. Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and Environment of Singapore, will give an opening address, followed by the sharing from our panellists on the topics: "Climate-Resilient Cities: Designing and Adopting Adaptive and Integrative Approaches" and "Climate-Resilient Cities: Flood Operations, Disaster Recovery and Social Resilience".

This programme is only open to high-level delegates.

Click here for full programme, session and speaker details.

This is a PDU points-eligible session. Click here for more details.

Programme

9:30AM – 9:40AM
Opening Address by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Singapore
9:40AM – 9:45AM
Launch of Code of Practice on Coastal Protection
9:45AM – 10:45AM Panel 1: Climate-Resilient Cities: Designing and Adopting Adaptive and Integrative Approaches 

Climate volatility is gradually surpassing the capacity of static infrastructure that safeguards against floods. Cities must move beyond traditional defences towards flexible, multi-functional systems that can adapt and evolve alongside urban growth and development. This panel will explore approaches that mesh grey infrastructure with nature-based alternatives, phased pathways for defences that grow with the city, and retrofitting of existing districts for a dynamic and climate-resilient city. 

Invited Panellists:

    • Wayne Brown, Mayor, Auckland Council
    • Johan Klaps, Vice-Mayor for the Port and Economy, City of Antwerp
    • Chan Chi-ho Johnny, Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) 2, Development Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR
    • Laurian Farrell, Deputy Commissioner for Coastal Resilience, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, USA
    • Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director of Water, World Bank Group's Water Department

Moderator: Wayne Middleton, Water Business Leader, Arup
10:45AM – 11:15AM
Networking Tea Break
11:15AM – 12:15PM Panel 2: Climate-Resilient Cities: Flood Operations, Disaster Recovery and Social Resilience

As floods grow more frequent, resilience depends on both infrastructure and how cities respond. This session explores the link between flood operations and social resilience, highlighting strategies for coordinated emergency response, data-driven decision-making, and community engagement. Panellists will share insights on protecting vulnerable populations and enabling rapid, equitable recovery, showing how effective operations can turn flood challenges into stronger, more resilient cities.

Invited Panellists:

    • Josefina Belmonte, Mayor, Quezon City Government
    • Mauricio Mira Pontón, Senior Sustainability Advisor to the City of Santiago de Cali
    • Nerina Di Lorenzo, Managing Director, Melbourne Water
    • Johan Verlinde, Programe Director, Rotterdam WeatherWise, Municipality of the City of Rotterdam
    • Norio Saito, Senior Director, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, Water and Urban Development Sector Office (SG-WUD), Sectors Group (SG), Asian Development Bank

Moderator: Dustin Atchison, Global Solutions Director for Water Resources, Jacobs
12:15PM
End of session

IN SUPPORT OF

SG Go Green Plan       Year-of-Climate-Adaptation
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