JAPAN: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) continues to align its programmes and policies with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities.

MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said its initiatives emphasise environmental sustainability, inclusivity, and preparedness for climate-related challenges.

“Cities must be ready not only technologically, but also socially and mentally for the challenges that climate change brings,” said Dato Wee.

“Disaster resilience begins with people. Our approach in Kuching South has always been about the 3Ps - People, Public, and Private partnership, where innovation connects communities, policies, and purpose,” he explained.

The Mayor represented the city at the 16th United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Environmental Technology Expert Group Meeting (EGM) in Nagoya, Japan on Friday.

Dato Wee’s invitation to the meeting is a recognition of Kuching South’s ongoing commitment to sustainable and people-centred urban management, where technology is harnessed to improve the wellbeing of communities.

The high-level meeting, organised by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), and the City of Nagoya, brought together mayors, scientists, and urban development experts from across the Asia-Pacific region.

The focus of this year’s EGM is on disaster risk reduction technologies, climate adaptation, and urban resilience.

The UN-Habitat meeting serves as a strategic platform for Kuching South to exchange knowledge and explore partnerships in disaster-risk monitoring, early-warning systems, and climate-adaptive urban design.

Through these collaborations, MBKS reaffirms its role as a regional leader in people-centred and sustainable urban innovation. -UKASnews