Topics
Sorted by (Issue date descending, Date of update descending, Date of creation descending, Number of collection descending) Add the result to your favourites Refine your search
Guidance on Integrated Urban Hydrometeorological, Climate and Environmental Services - Volume I : Concept and Methodology
This Guidance on Integrated Urban Hydrometeorological, Climate and Environment Services (Volume I: Concept and Methodology) serves to assist WMO Members in the development and implementation of the urban services that address the needs of the cities stakeholders in their countries.Mégapoles – Affi ner les modèles pour répondre aux besoins des clients
L’urbanisation galopante, la détérioration de l’environnement et le changement climatique rendent les personnes, les organisations et les entreprises plus vulnérables aux dangers météorologiques et environnementaux. La vie moderne nous oblige à rester à tout moment intimement conscients de l’état de notre environnement personnel – conditions météorologiques et climatiques, et qualité de l’air, de l’eau et du sol – au travail, au foyer ou pendant nos loisirs, à l’intérieur ou à l’extérieur.1234Megacities – Refining Models to Client Environment
Fast-growing urbanisation, environmental deterioration and climate change are making individuals, organisations and businesses more vulnerable to meteorological and environmental hazards. Modern life requires detailed knowledge about our immediate personal environment – the climate and weather as well as the air, water and soil quality – at work, home or play, may we be indoors or out.Strengthening urban resilience in Bangladesh
This brochure is part of a series highlighting the World Bank's achievements in disaster risk management initiatives. The brochure offers lessons learned on managing disaster risk and promoting urban resilience and it presents Bangladesh's path-breaking Urban Resilience Project, the product of a collaborative effort among the government, the World Bank, and GFDRR, which equips key government agencies with state-of-the art emergency management facilities and improves construction permitting processes.Urban flooding of Greater Dhaka in a changing climate: building local resilience to disaster risk
World Bank, 2015This study’s overall aim is to provide local decision-makers an effective planning approach for minimizing the damage risk of rainfall-induced urban flooding in Dhaka in a changing climate. Specific objectives are to assess the vulnerability of the Greater Dhaka area to urban flooding and waterlogging, estimate probable economic damage due to climate change, develop structural adaptation measures, evaluate the reduction in economic damage resulting from implementing these measures, and estimate their cost.Climate resilient infrastructure services: lessons learned
The Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services (CRIS) program was an initiative of USAID’s Climate Change Resilient Development (CCRD) project. CRIS worked to improve the ability of cities in developing countries to provide reliable and sustainable infrastructure services that support smart and lasting development, even in a changing climate. For two-and-a-half years the CRIS program worked with cities to develop, test, and implement approaches to improve the climate resilience of infrastructure services. These services—which include transportation, water, sanitation and waste management, energ ...How can climate change vulnerability assessments best impact policy and planning? Lessons from Indonesia
This research looks at climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) conducted in cities across Indonesia.
Two models are explored: one that was deployed in the cities of Semarang and Bandar Lampung through the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) programme, and another developed by UNDP and implemented by Yayasan Kota Kita in Manado and Makassar. They vary in duration, funding, emphasis on shared learning, stakeholder involvement, and external support; studying them helps indicate how different processes may have different impacts upon decision-making and ...Global estimates 2015: people displaced by disasters
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC); Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2015This annual report draws on information from a wide range of sources, including governments, UN and international organisations, NGOs and media, to provide up-to-date figures and analysis on displacement caused by disasters associated with rapid-onset geophysical and weather-related hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and storms. The report, the sixth of its kind, aims to equip governments, local authorities, civil society organisations and international and regional institutions with evidence relevant to these key post-2015 agenda.Adaptation to climate change: From resilience to transformation
Pelling Mark - Routledge, 2015The book offers a critique of the dominant trends in thinking about adaptation and climate change, particularly social dimensions.
It presents a framework for making sense of choices around resilience (stability), transition (incremental social change and the exercising of existing rights) and transformation (new rights claims and changes in political regimes).
The resilience– transition–transformation framework is supported by three detailed case study chapters. These also illustrate the diversity of contexts in which adaption is unfolding, from organisations to ...Urban opportunities : perspectives on climate change, resilience, and inclusion
USAID, 2015This publication critically examines urban policies and projects from the perspective of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, urban resiliency, inclusive cities, and the impacts of the informal economy.Urban climate change resilience in action: lesson from projects in 10 ACCCRN cities
This portfolio of projects provides a ‘first generation’ view of how a set of cities have interpreted building urban climate change resilience (UCCR) challenges and translated their understanding into targeted priorities and actions, as a pioneering effort to advance on-the-ground actions. These projects seek to strengthen the capabilities of cities to plan, finance and implement UCCR strategies for coping with the inevitable impacts of climate change taking place now, and in the decades to come.
The document describes the projects capturing details from the various experiences ...World risk report 2014: focus - the city as a risk area
Alliance Development Works ; United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) - UNU, 2014This WorldRiskReport (WRR) consists of an index, a priority topic and case studies. The index describes the disaster risk for various countries and regions. The WorldRiskReport was developed in close cooperation between scientists and practitioners. Combined expertise, i.e. scientific structure and procedure and practical competence distinguish this report from comparable academic studies.Cities and climate change: National governments enabling local action
OECD, 2014This report explores how enabling policy frameworks at the national level can support critical urban action to combat climate change. It argues that cities have a unique ability to address global climate change challenges and that local action takes place in the context of broader national frameworks that can either empower or slow down city-level action; therefore, supportive national and regional policies and incentives are required to ensure city-level initiatives have sufficient resources and potential to effect meaningful change. The report states that national policies often establish wh ...Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
This report assesses the vulnerability to climate change of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
It argues that cities must be at the centre of efforts to address the challenge of climate change, both to mitigate its causes and to adapt to its anticipated effects. This is because in urban areas, with higher population density, climate change will exacerbate and compound existing climate vulnerabilities, especially for the urban poor. It highlights that in Papua New Guinea urban populations are often located in hazard-prone areas in the coastal zone. Storm surges and sea-level rise can affect ...50 years of urbanization in Africa : examining the role of climate change
This paper documents a significant impact of climate variation on urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in more arid countries. By lowering farm incomes, reduced moisture availability encourages migration to nearby cities, while wetter conditions slow migration. The paper also provides evidence for rural-urban income links. In countries with a larger industrial base, reduced moisture shrinks the agricultural sector and raises total incomes in nearby cities. However, if local cities are entirely dependent on servicing agriculture so their fortunes move with those of agriculture, reduced ...Vulnerability profiling of cities: a framework for climate-resilient urban development in India
This working paper presents a holistic approach for how a city can customise its rapid vulnerability assessment in order to understand what is required for building climate resilience. The framework can be used to highlight the potential impact of climate change on urban services arising from the geographical setting of a city; the nature, size and density of its settlements; and the existing coping capacity of its society and governance system. The paper argues that the situation is aggravated by growing urban populations, high urban poverty and backlogs in the provision of basic infrastructu ...Building urban resilience to climate change in the secondary cities in Indonesia
Lassa Jonatan A.; Nugraha Erwin; Institute of Resource Governance and Social Change (IRGSC) - IRGSC, 2014This paper investigates the evolution of institutional transformation and policy change in the area of planing and building resilience to climate change in the Bandar Lampung City, Indonesia. It highlights the experience on how the city adapting to climate change through modified urban development policy. The paper also discusses challenges, barriers, and policy gaps in city-scale climate adaptation planning.Urban poverty, food security and climate change
This paper argues that the high and volatile food prices that triggered a renewed interest in food security since the 2008–09 crisis are expected to continue due to the impacts of climate change. It notes that current policy is focused on food production; however, a broader approach based on food systems would be more appropriate as it encompasses all aspects of food production, storage, distribution and consumption. As most low-income groups in both rural and urban areas are net buyers of food, access and affordability are central concerns. There is also a need for more attention to urban foo ...CDP cities 2013: summary report on 110 global cities
2013This report present CDP, C40 and AECOM latest results from the third consecutive year of climate change reporting for cities. The data presented in the report conveys information about every aspect of climate change measurement and management in cities, including risks such as temperature increase/heatwaves, frequent/intense rainfall, drought, storms/flooding and sea level rise, and adaptation. It is intended to provide city governments with information and insights in order to assist their work in tackling the challenge of climate change.Low Carbon City: A Guidebook for City Planners and Practioners
The report aims to provide basic guidance to city level policy makers, urban planners, transport planners and consultants. There is a focus on the meaning of ‘low carbon,’ low carbon scenarios and alternate development pathways to achieve these scenarios; and the role of low carbon development in India. Mitigation and adaptation as part of a framework for climate compatible development are explored and there is an evaluation of global energy systems.
This is one of three reports released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) as part of a project on 'Promoting Low Carbon Transport in In ...Urban disaster risk management in Latin American cities
Watanabe Eiji - ELLA, 2013Complex interactions between urban population dynamics, social processes and a wide variety of natural hazards are increasing the vulnerability of Latin American cities to disaster risk. So how are cities in the region aiming to strengthen disaster risk management?
This Guide begins by describing the complex interaction between processes of urbanisation and natural hazards that generate and intensify disaster risk in Latin America. It then provides a panorama of the evolution of urban disaster risk management in the region, including examples of key achievements towards building ...Capitalising on public transport: reducing GHG emissions in Latin American cities
Green Short Baptista V. - ELLA, 2013The transport sector is one of the largest contributors to global GHG emissions, both worldwide and in the Latin America region. In response, some cities in Latin America are taking steps to revamp their transport sectors as part of a strategy to mitigate GHG emissions. This Brief begins by discussing the environmental impacts of the transport sector before turning to three key Latin American transportation innovations: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems; bicycle lanes; and electric taxis. While stronger monitoring systems are still necessary, initial results do point to important mitigation effe ...Mind the risk: a global ranking of cities under threat from natural disasters
Swiss Re, 2013This publication seeks to address the knowledge gap in the risk exposure faced by the world’s metropolitan areas by providing a comprehensive analysis of natural disaster risk in locations around the world. Based on Swiss Re’s risk modelling expertise and the latest hazard information from Swiss Re CatNet® tool, it focuses on the most severe natural disasters confronting 616 of the world’s largest urban areas and assesses the potential impact they have on local residents and the wider economy. It is intended to give fresh impetus to the global debate about strengthening the resilience of citie ...Climate change adaptation: a critical time for action
UN-Habitat, 2013This paper addresses the need to strengthen disaster preparedness and mitigation capacities in the Philippines and to build resilient, sustainable, and adaptive infrastructures, ecosystems and livelihoods to face urban hazards. It presents WFP's Disaster Preparedness and Response (DPR) programme, aiming at enhancing resilience by strengthening technical capacity and piloting small-scale, high-impact risk mitigation projects with a component on climate change adaptation. It includes four case studies describing undergoing projects in Butuan City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City and Iloilo City. ...Cities and Climate Change: Global Report on Human Settlements 2011
This comprehensive report by UN-Habitat, the Global Report on Human Settlements, examines the issue of climate change and urban areas, two areas whose effects are converging in dangerous ways that threaten environmental, economic, and social stability. The authors argue that global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from cities could be as high as 70 per cent, although without a globally accepted method of determining the scale of emissions it is hard to be sure. This report presents extensive analysis on all aspects of the issue in depth, with data provided in the annex.Catalyzing Urban Climate Resilience: Applying resilience Concepts to Planning Practice in the ACCCRN Program (2009–2011)
Moench M.; Tyler S.; Lage J. - Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network: Indore Initiative, 2013'Catalysing Urban Climate Resilience' is an Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET) publication, reporting on the application of resilience concepts to planning practice in the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) program. Focusing specifically on the findings and activities of the second phase of the ACCCRN program, the paper examines work in cities across Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Thailand.
The report begins by presenting an overview of the conceptual framework, developed by ISET and its partners during the program itself. The Urban Climate Res ...Global megatrend update: 6 From a unipolar to a multipolar world
EEA, 2013In 2010, the EEA produced its first assessment of global megatrends as part of its five-yearly assessment of the European environment’s state, trend and prospects (SOER 2010). In preparation for SOER 2015, the EEA is updating each of the megatrends, providing a more detailed analysis based on the latest data. This publication is one of the 11 updates being published separately in the second half of 2013 and early-2014. In 2014 the chapters will be consolidated into a single EEA technical report, which will provide the basis for the analysis of megatrends included in SOER 2015.Global megatrend update: 5 Continued economic growth?
EEA, 2013In 2010, the EEA produced its first assessment of global megatrends as part of its five-yearly assessment of the European environment’s state, trend and prospects (SOER 2010). In preparation for SOER 2015, the EEA is updating each of the megatrends, providing a more detailed analysis based on the latest data. This publication is one of the 11 updates being published separately in the second half of 2013 and early-2014. In 2014 the chapters will be consolidated into a single EEA technical report, which will provide the basis for the analysis of megatrends included in SOER 2015.Disaster risk reduction and livelihoods
FIC, 2013This study seeks to improve the overall knowledge of the relationship between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and livelihood strategies, to improve the understanding and gaps in knowledge, practice, and policy, and to improve the impact of donor-funded DRR programs carried out by implementing agencies. The report is organized as follows: (i) a comprehensive literature review on existing DRR practices is included, identifying gaps that should be explored in future research; (ii) the Haiti case study explores financial resilience in urban settings; (iii) the Nepal case study looks at traditional D ...The demography of adaptation to climate change
UNFPA, 2013The document consolidates the knowledge, methods, and practices that emerged from the 2010 expert group meeting entitled "Population Dynamics and Climate Change II: Building for Adaptation" organized by UNFPA, IIED and the Colegio de México in Mexico City.
It intends to catalyze action in global, national and local communities around a more informed, data driven adaptation process, and to bring together disparate disciplines, from environment science to planning to social science and beyond. The use of spatial data is at the core of this agenda.
It is divided in ...The 2013 Great Alberta flood: actions to mitigate, manage and control future floods
Alberta WaterSMART, 2013This paper intends to outline actions that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of large-scale destruction resulting from extreme weather events in order to inform policy discussions across Alberta, Canada. The paper is organized according to the six recommendations for action: (i) planning for more frequent extreme weather events; (ii) improving operational capacity through modeling and data management; (iii) analyzing the costs and benefits of investment in infrastructure; (iv) strengthening building codes in urban planning; (v) evaluating insurance options; and (vi) improving the managemen ...Fourth session of the global platform for disaster risk reduction proceedings
UN/ISDR, 2013The proceedings of the Fourth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction highlight the four days of deliberations, discussions and presentations via various forums, which called for a shared vision and commitment for the next 30 years – a trans-generational compact for the sustainability of development. This Session generated critical and substantive advice for the preparation of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction, commonly called “HFA2”, and for the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which will take place Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture in March ...Feeding an urban world: a call to action
This report focuses on the specific issue of urban food security, describing the demographic and environmental trends as well as food production and infrastructure challenges that impact supply and demand for food in urban areas. Before providing specific examples of the food security challenges faced by cities around the world, the authors propose a framework, or matrix, of issues for policymakers to use in developing and assessing urban food security strategies. The report focuses on case studies in the United States before looking in depth at Chicago, highlighting the city’s challenges as w ...Cities in developing countries and their development in response to climate change
Future Fit is a DFID Executive Management Committee initiative, to produce a vision and strategy for DFID’s response to the challenges and opportunities that climate change and resource scarcity pose for poverty reduction and development. The Future Fit strategy asks the question what strategic shifts in front line sectors - Food, Water, Energy, and Cities - are needed to protect development gains and respond to the challenge of climate change and resource scarcity. Answers to this question will feed into the review of the DFID business model and resource allocation. As part of this strategy D ...Flood risk management in Europe: the flood problem and interventions
Utrecht University, 2013This report investigates the nature of the flood risk problem and the path to flood risk governance in 18 vulnerable urban regions in 6 European countries: the UK, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Poland and Sweden. The report summarizes current thinking on the nature of the flood problem, the intended objectives, and the appropriate courses of action.
This report is the first in a series of four which were compiled by the STAR-FLOOD project.Guidebook - Increasing Climate Change Resilience of Urban Water Infrastructure : Based on a Case Study from Wuhan City, People’s Republic of China
ADB, 2013Th is guide describes a practical approach to bridge the gap between theoretical analyses of climate change impacts and the planning decisions that need to be made by city authorities and utility managers to increase climate change resilience of the water sector in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It focuses on answering the questions currently being asked by city planners and managers all over the world.A global urban risk index
Which cities have the highest risk of human and economic losses due to natural hazards? And how will urban exposure to major hazards change over the coming decades? This paper develops a global urban disaster risk index that evaluates the mortality and economic risks from disasters in 1,943 cities in developing countries. Concentrations of population, infrastructure, and economic activities in cities contribute to increased exposure and susceptibility to natural hazards. The three components of this risk measure are urban hazard characteristics, exposure, and vulnerability. For earthquakes, cy ...Ensuring robust flood risk management in Ho Chi Minh city
Ho Chi Minh City faces significant and growing flood risk. Recent risk reduction efforts may be insufficient as climate and socio-economic conditions diverge from projections made when those efforts were initially planned. This study demonstrates how robust decision making can help Ho Chi Minh City develop integrated flood risk management strategies in the face of such deep uncertainty. Robust decision making is an iterative, quantitative, decision support methodology designed to help policy makers identify strategies that are robust, that is, satisfying decision makers' objectives in many pla ...City emergency preparedness: assessment status and action plan, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
WHO, 2013This case study of the Philippines addresses the knowledge gap on the level of preparedness of cities to address specific challenges posed by the risk of health emergencies. The study is divided into seven sections: (i) section one provides a background of the assessment, outlining the natural hazards present in the Philippines and the goals of the project; (ii) section two explains the methodology of the study; (iii) section three identifies the strengths and gaps found in the assessment; (iv) section four presents a summary of results; (v) section five concludes the study by highlighting nin ...GIZ training on flood risk management in cities
Germany - Government, 2013This paper addresses the growing risks of flooding in cities and presents GIZ's expertise in the domain. It introduces hazards involved in urban flooding and describes the main contents of the GIZ training course for urban flood risk management. It also includes a case study examining flood risk and governance in Vietnam. The paper was developed by the working group for Water and Sanitation in Asia.Heritage and resilience: issues and opportunities for reducing disaster risks
ICOMOS - ICORP, 2013This paper presents the current thinking in the field as well as various examples – from different regions of the world - of how heritage can be better protected from disasters while contributing to the resilience of societies. It aims to bring these important issues to the attention of the larger disaster risk reduction community and to stimulate wider discussion in the context of ongoing consultations around a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction and a post 2015 development agenda. In advocating for integration of these issues within both disaster risk and heritage conservation po ...Urbanization and climate change impacts on future urban flooding in Can Tho city, Vietnam: In Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 17
Huong H.T.L.; Pathirana A. - 2013Urban development increases flood risk in cities due to local changes in hydrological and hydrometeorological conditions that increase flood hazard, as well as to urban concentrations that increase the vulnerability. The relationship between the increasing urban runoff and flooding due to increased imperviousness is better perceived than that between the cyclic impact of urban growth and the urban rainfall via microclimatic changes. The large-scale, global impacts due to climate variability and change could compound these risks. We present the case of a typical third world city – Can Tho (the ...Exploring innovations in disaster education in Kesennuma 1
This report shows the relationship of specific activities to the five priorities for action of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and the strategic objectives governing them. It reveals the overall connection of national efforts to the expectations of the HFA and makes clear the significance of the progress that has been made since 2005, as described in voluntary self-reporting from countries and regional organizations. The report: (i) highlights some catalysts that engender progress in disaster risk reduction (DRR); (ii) presents an overview provided by individual countries regarding progre ...Preparing for disasters in global cities: an international comparison
This research report aims to illustrate current trends in research and practice concerning the management of disasters in cities around the world. The report particularly focuses on understanding cities’ contemporary approaches to risk management, exploring aspects of disaster preparedness and risk assessment, response and countermeasures, and the institutions and collaboration involved in current processes of disaster risk management. Beside this analysis of the status quo in cities in different world regions, it draws on a strong examination of the trends in disaster research to also explore ...Report on 2011-2012 M.Sc. Program 'Water-related disaster management course of disaster management policy program'
PWRI, 2013This report analyzes the success of a Master's programme intended to foster solution-oriented practitioners with solid theoretical and engineering bases who can serve for planning and practices of flood management within the framework of integrated river basin management at all levels from nations to localities. The Master's programme entitled "Water-related Disaster Management Course of Disaster Management Policy Program" took place from October 2, 2011 to September 15, 2012 in Japan.Synthesis report on consultations on the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction (HFA2)
UN/ISDR, 2013This synthesis report provides countries and all stakeholders with an overview of the issues emerging to date on the consultations and development of a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2). The key purpose of this report is to provide the basis for continued consultations, and to inform a draft HFA2 following the Fourth Session of the Global Platform in May 2013.
Add tag 
