Climate Resilient Cities: A Primer On Reducing Vulnerabilities To Disasters

Climate Resilient Cities is the first tool of its kind for city governments to better understand how to plan for climate change impacts and impending natural disasters through sound urban planning. It equips local governments with information to actively engage in training, capacity building, and capital investment programs that are identified as priorities for building sustainable, resilient communities. A step-by-step self-assessment challenges policymakers to think about the resources needed to combat natural disasters through an innovative "hot spot" risk and vulnerability identification tool. The Primer is unique from other resources in its treatment of climate change under a dual-track approach that tackles both mitigation (lowering contributions to greenhouse gases) and adaptation (preparing for impacts of climate change), integrating it with disaster risk management as part of overall good urban management practices. It caters to a variety of city "types" and is equally relevant to cities that are just beginning to think about climate change as well as those that already have well established policies, institutions, and strategies in place. By providing a range of city-level examples of sound practices around the world, it demonstrates that there are many practical actions that cities can take to build resilience.