Climate Resilient CitiesA Primer onReducing Vulnerabilities to Disasters

Kuala Lumpur, December 4, 2008

Dr. Jerry Velasquez,Senior Regional CoordinatorUNISDR Asia and Pacific

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Overview of presentation

The “Primer” – What is it? Why have one? Climate change and disasters in the region The links between CC and DRM Hot spots and identifying prioritiesCity case studies and key lessons learnedThe Climate Resilient Cities programThe Role of National Governments Discussion

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What is the Primer?

o The Primer outlines city typologieso Integrates climate change with DRMo Presents a “hot spot” tool for identifying city-

specific priorities for actiono Identifies both adaptation and mitigation

strategies at the local level, based on learning from regional and global sound practices

o Applicable to a range of cities

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Objectives of the Primer

o To understand the issues and impact of climate change at the city level

o To engage in a participatory approach to establish vulnerabilities

o To learn about the why and the how through illustrative examples from other cities

o To build resilience to future disasters into planning and adopt no-regrets actions

o To understand the requirements for moving from theory to practice

o To engage in partnerships and learning

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Why focus on cities in East Asia?

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Region prone to multiple hazards

Sour

ce: W

orld

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k, 2

005.

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Largest increase in incidence of natural disasters

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Largest amount of damage from several types of disasters

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Climate change and DRM

Climate Change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of hydrometeorological disasters CC can add new disaster risksDRM includes seismic activity/volcanoes while CC also addresses gradual average changes in ClimateDRM and CC adaptation greatly overlap and can strategically reinforce each other

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Climate change and DRMSea level riseTemperaturePrecipitationNatural hazards (incl earthquakes, etc)Extreme events

What are the effects and impacts?What are some mitigation and adaptation sound practices?Goal is to become more RESILIENT over time

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Why focus on cities? Cities disproportionately contribute to climate change mitigation

50% of global population, 80% of GHGsCities disproportionately suffer the impacts of climate change and disasters adaptation

Port cities: 9% of global GDP exposed4 of top 10 exposed (pop) cities in EA

Cities are also the front line in terms of preventive action and emergency preparedness and response

Sichuan, New Orleans, etc.

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Urban poor at greatest risk: What can local govts do?

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Is your city a Hot Spot?

The Primer provides criteria for determination of a Hot Spot using its City Information Base:

Vulnerability to different consequences of climate change in urban areasPreparedness and response capacity to different natural hazards in urban sector

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The Primer: The “Hot Spot” exercise

“Given” • Geographic location • City size and growth rate• Governance structure• Disaster history

“Influentiable” • City management • Financial resources• Built environment• Disaster response systems• Economic impact of disasters

RESILIENT

HOT

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City description and size

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Cities have a choice as to their physical footprints

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Building resilient cities: Learning from experience

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Sound practices overviewCity Geography Population

Tokyo Coastal, Very High EQ Hazard Very large

New York Coastal Very large

Jakarta Coastal, Moderate EQ Hazard Very large

London Coastal Large

Milan, Italy Inland Plateau Large

Singapore Coastal Large

Hanoi Inland, River Medium

Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam Coastal Medium

King County/Seattle Coastal, High EQ Hazard Small

Albuquerque, USA Inland Plateau Small

Venice, Italy Coastal Small

Rockville, USA Inland Plain Very Small

Dongtan, China Coastal, Moderate EQ Hazard --

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What to extract from the profiles

Detailed Profiles

City Profiles of Sound Practices (on CD)

Short Profiles

WHY? HOW?POLICYDETAILS

IMPLEMENTATIONDETAILS

COORDINATION

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Sound practices and lessons

1. Organizational structure & Information Base

2. Institutional mechanism

3. Ownership by line departments

4. Climate change strategy

5. Public awareness

6. Accounting and reporting of GHG inventory

7. Hazard risk financing

8. DRM system considering CC impacts

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Sound practices and lessons

9. Mitigation: Energy sector

10. Mitigation: Transport sector

11. Mitigation: Built environment & density

12. Mitigation: Forestry and urban greenery

13. Mitigation: Financial mechanisms

14. Adaptation: Infrastructure

15. Adaptation: Water conservation

16. Adaptation: Public health

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Action based on experience and risk assessment

o Hot Spot assessment can be used to prioritize vulnerabilities, not judge

o Specific local action programs can draw upon experience of other cities

o Not all actions are expensive, neither time intensive

o No-regrets strategies are important and can be complemented by specific investments

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Creating a virtuous circle

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A multi-year program:Climate Resilient Cities

Reach as many cities in East Asia as possible to support them in developing and implementing THEIR climate resilient strategies

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Program Objectives

o To disseminate the Primer tools in EA cities o To develop Implementation Tools for Action

(ITA)o To identify and strengthen partners for

implementation to go to scaleo To facilitate implementation of climate

resilience programs in 100 cities in East Asia

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Program Components

A. Develop local resilience action planso Populate Hot Spot risk assessment matrix and compile

City Information Base (Primer tools)o Identify priorities for action & design feasible programs

B. Strengthen national and local partners for implementation scale-up in initial countrieso Identify and engage national/ local partners at outset

C. Scale up implementation of resilience action plan development to 100 cities in East Asia

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Local Resilience Action Plan (LRAP): What is it?

o How can resilience help the city achieve its vision?o Populate Hot Spot risk assessment

o Identify particularly vulnerable areas, populations, sectors, capacities

o Compile City Information Base – identify and fill information gaps

o City masterplanso Socioeconomic profileo Hazard profileo Future growth mapo City institutional map

o Identify priorities for action o Design feasible programs with investment financing

strategies

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What role can national governments play?

o National governments very importanto Must enable cities and subnational regionso Provide support, funding, required changes

in national laws and regulationso Commit to applying learning from initial

demonstration cities to other cities

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What next?

Are you a Hot Spot?

Are you willing to become resilent?

Take the Primer, Learn about the processand be one of first implementing cities!

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Climate Resilient Cities

www.worldbank.org/eap/climatecities

Email: climatecities@worldbank.org