On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we cordially invite you to attend the Healthy Buildings 2017-Asia (HB2017-Asia), being held from September 2 to 5, 2017, at the College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan. The HB2017-Asia inscribes itself on the path of a series of Conferences that, since 1988, have been organized around the world with a focus on the quality of the indoor environment viewed from a holistic perspective.

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and the Taiwan Society of Indoor Environmental Quality (TSIEQ) are both honored to host this Conference, which will focus on the indoor environment and health in the Asia region, review the history and examine the current status of the Asia regional research, academic development, connection to business and the market needs in the future, etc. We firmly believe that vigorous international cooperation and domestic technical capacities will be created and enhanced through the comprehensive discussions and exchanges at this Conference.

The theme of the Conference is Breaking the Asia-Pacific Countries' barriers to Climate Adaptation, and Sustainable Development. Countering the adverse effects and adapting to climate change is important in the response to the impact of climate change that is already happening, while at the same time better prepare us for embracing further future changes. Although it is vital to minimize the extent of climate change through mitigation measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the opportunity to avoid the impact of climate change altogether has passed. Even as we attempt to mitigate effects of climate change, we must still plan for worse scenarios to come. The long lifespan of our buildings means that they are particularly at risk from climate change. Therefore, if climate change is considered when a home is being designed or altered, it is likely to remain comfortable for longer, possibly for its whole life. Moreover, among the determinants of the indoor air quality in a particular building, it is also important to address those that may be associated with strategies or options referring to urbanism, architecture and construction technologies. Several countries in the region are facing similar challenges as a result of climate change, and Taiwan has the technology to deal with those issues.