Penang Nature-based Climate Adaptation Programme

PNBCAP is a five-year programme (2022-2027) funded by the Adaptation Fund with UN-Habitat as the implementing entity, in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), City Council of Penang Island (MBPP), Penang State Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), and Think City. The main goal of the programme is to enhance urban resilience and reduce human and ecosystem health vulnerability to climate change impacts and extreme weather events by implementing nature-based solutions (NbS) to reduce surface temperatures and storm water runoff, as well as to increase social resilience and build institutional capacity. George Town and Bayan Lepas, the two sub-districts or mukims in Penang have been selected based on a combination of their likely climate change impacts, land use and community vulnerabilities. The programme is designed to be demonstrative of the NbS concept with a strong knowledge codification component so that it can be scaled in Malaysia and elsewhere in the region. The programme is structured around the following components: Component 1 Adaptation to the urban heat island effect through urban greening Component 2 Built projects for stormwater and flood management Component 3 Comprehensive vulnerability/baseline assessment and action plans in targeted communities Component 4 Strengthening social resilience programme Component 5 Institutional capacity and knowledge transfer platform