On 4 November 2021, the CityNet Secretariat was invited to present at the International Conference-Cities under COVID-19: A Systems Perspective. The International Conference was organized by the International Science Council’s global science programme on Urban Health and Wellbeing (UHWB) and hosted by the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China. This session aimed to bring scientist from around the world together and share experiences from different cities dealing with the pandemic situation. The conference was held online on the Zoom platform.

CityNet Secretariat Program Officer Danbee Lee presented on behalf of CityNet to share insight based on her research COVID-19 Impact Assessment & Pandemic Preparedness. In an effort to build strategic capacity for member cities against COVID-19, the research was initiated to analyze cities’ preparedness on responding to COVID-19. The report was based on the survey and questionnaire conducted by the CityNet Secretariat. The format of the questionnaire originates from the “UNDRR Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities.” The answers of 18 respondents including local governments and NGOs within the Asia-Pacific Region were analyzed thoroughly within the report. Ms. Lee pointed out the importance of exchanging best practices among cities and learning mistakes from others in order to successfully overcome the difficulties of the pandemic situation and become a more inclusive and resilient city. She also mentioned that the pandemic has created not only obstacles but also alternative opportunities for cooperation and solidarity among cities.