Building Urban Resilience in an Era of Polcycrisis: The Holistic Agenda
25. June 11:15 - 12:30
In today’s era of polycrisis, resilience is no longer just about managing climate change — it’s about navigating the complex intersections of multiple, overlapping crises that test the very fabric of our cities. From climate extremes and geopolitical tensions to economic inequality, public health shocks, and social fragmentation, urban resilience demands a holistic, adaptive, and innovative approach that transcends traditional boundaries.
This session dives into what it truly means to build resilient cities—not only as a response to climate change but as living, evolving systems capable of withstanding and thriving amid systemic fragility and unpredictability. With Europe uniquely positioned at the crossroads of climate adaptation, geopolitical upheaval, and social transformation, urban resilience strategies must be recalibrated to meet the challenges of a volatile, interconnected world. Bringing together Chief Resilience Officers from Barcelona, Tbilisi, Ramallah, and London, alongside global thought leaders from UNDRR and frontline innovators from New Orleans, this conversation will unpack real-world experiences and practical insights. We will explore how cities are redefining resilience governance, integrating infrastructure with community-led adaptation, and fostering partnerships that bridge sectors and scales. “We aim to explore how cities can build resilience in the face of multiple interconnected crises—climate change, political instability, economic inequality, pandemics, and more. With Europe at the intersection of climate adaptation, geopolitical shifts, and societal challenges, urban resilience strategies must be recalibrated to address these overlapping and evolving risks. This session will bring together city representatives, chief resilience officers, and development agencies to discuss strategies, share experiences, and define the thinking necessary for thriving in this new and uncertain reality.
Speakers
Head of Strategy, Prevention, and Community Resilience, Greater London Authority
Krisen Guida, Head of Strategy, Prevention, and Community Resilience, Greater London Authority
Kristen is Head of Strategy, Prevention, and Community Resilience, and has been leading on City Resilience at the Greater London Authority since March 2022. Before that, she worked for more than 15 years coordinating climate change adaptation partnerships, as Manager of the London Climate Change Partnership, Director of Climate South East, and Chair of Climate UK. Her major interest is in bringing together people and ideas from across sectors to respond to social and environmental resilience challenges. In particular, she is interested in the social justice issues raised by climate change and other crises, and the need to incorporate equity in resilience policy and planning.
Chief, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Natalia Alonso Cano, Chief, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Ms. Natalia Alonso Cano is joining UNDRR as Chief of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia bringing over 25 years of professional experience in international development and partnerships. An agronomic engineer, she has worked 9 years overseas, mostly in India and the Dominican Republic, for the European Union and others on environmental resource management, governance, and disaster preparedness.
Prior to this assignment, Ms. Alonso Cano was Senior Adviser at UNICEF EU Office where she was leading on mainstreaming child rights into EU policy and practice and on strengthening partnerships to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people. Her previous leadership roles in Brussels included serving as Deputy Director at Oxfam International, where she played a pivotal role in advocating for ambitious EU responses to climate change and inequality while steering complex development, humanitarian, and partnership portfolios.
President, Grant Management Group
Cedric Grant, President, Grant Management Group
Cedric Grant has served as a senior executive at each of the three major levels of government. His expertise is in capital development, finance, economic development, government policy development, water utility and disaster grants management and resilience, urban, transportation and strategic planning.
He is currently President of Grant Management Group, a strategic advisory company. He is an advisor to public and private clients on government operations, business development, water management, resilience and sustainability. During his 40-year career he has delivered billions of dollars of public projects. He led the Hurricane Katrina infrastructure Recovery in the City of New Orleans as well as the Sewerage and Water Board recovery and investment in sustainable and resilience water management strategies.
Grant holds a BA in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana and a master's in public administration from the University of New Orleans.
Resilience Focal Point, Barcelona City Council
Eduard Carrasco, Resilience Focal Point, Barcelona City Council
Eduard is a civil engineer with over 15 years in public service, juggling infrastructure projects, urban chaos, and political headaches — all in the name of making Barcelona a bit more resilient (or at least less breakable).
He ran the city’s Operations Center, advised on resilience strategy, and is now elbow-deep in the Climate Master Plan, making sure adaptation and resilience aren't just buzzwords but actually land on the ground.
He also keeps Barcelona connected with the international urban resilience scene, working with partners from UN-Habitat, UNDRR, Resilient Cities Network, and others committed to making cities future-ready.
Believer in cooperation, shared learning, and good beer — especially after a long day of “multilevel governance”.
City Director, Chief Resilience Officer, Ramallah Municipality
Ahmed K. AbuLaban, City Director, Chief Resilience Officer, Ramallah Municipality
Ahmed K. Abulaban has led Ramallah as City Director since 2006, steering one of Palestine’s most progressive municipalities. Beginning his career in 1999 as Administrative Director of Ramallah Municipality, he previously served as Executive Director of Sirreyet Ramallah, a prominent youth organization. He holds a High Diploma in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Birzeit University. A pioneer in urban resilience and municipal innovation, he co-founded initiatives like the Ramallah Centennial Celebration and the Innovation Hub. As Ramallah’s Chief Resilience Officer, he represents the Middle East and Europe on the Resilient Cities Network Steering Committee. Ahmed was the first ICMA Credentialed Manager in the region and led Ramallah’s COVID-19 recovery plan, earning the city the first ISO 22393 certification globally. He is a respected advisor on municipal reform and active in global urban networks.
Chief Resilience Officer, Tbilisi City Hall
Ana Ardelean, Chief Resilience Officer, Tbilisi City Hall
Mrs. Ana Ardelean graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Georiga) and a Master of Science at DePaule University of Chicago (United States of America).
In the United States, Mrs. Ana Ardelean worked in the private sector for more than 10 years. In 2014 she moved to work with the local government in Georgia, Tbilisi. She held a variety of senior positions in the Mayor’s Office including the Head of Vice-Mayor’s office and the Head of International Relations Department.
Mrs. Ana Ardelean lead Tbilisi to become part of the Resilient Cities Network In 2017 she was appointed as first Chief Resilience Officer for Tbilisi. Since then with a team of experts, she has been working on making Tbilisi a more resilient and livable city.
Moderators
Lead, Programs, Climate & Health, Resilient Cities Network
Karl Astbury, Lead, Programs, Climate & Health, Resilient Cities Network
Karl Astbury leads the implementation of two flagship global initiatives at the Resilient Cities Network: the Urban Community Resilience Program - Resilience for Communities, funded by the Z Zurich Foundation, and Urban Pulse: Climate, Health, and Equity in Action.