The Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, a state-run think tank, said Thursday it has forged an agreement with the World Bank Group to share resources on sustainable urbanization.

Under the deal, they will jointly conduct research and exchange resources on areas such as green growth, urban development and information and communications technology for developing countries, the Korean institute said.

The partnership came as part of a launching event for its Urbanization Knowledge Platform in East Asia last week at the KRIHS’ office in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province.

In December, the World Bank initiated the web-based Urbanization Knowledge Platform, aiming to “better generate and share cutting-edge knowledge” among municipalities, policymakers, companies, scholars and nongovernmental organizations all over the globe.

The KRIHS said it will serve as a hub institute in the East Asian region.

“Many cities are already building climate change risks into urban planning and city management,” said Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank Group. “But this is a mammoth task that’s going to take local, national and international collaboration as well as strong financial support for local governments around the world.”

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)