Theme A:
Nature-based solutions for urban resilience:
putting them into practice
The value of urban nature is increasingly recognised on many fronts: for its ability to improve health, to foster closer ties within communities and to reduce the impacts of climate change. For municipal leaders and practitioners interested in harnessing these benefits, nature-based solutions have emerged as a compelling framing concept and call-to-arms. But these solutions don’t come with a user manual; they need to be made operational and embedded in local realities. A new park, a green roof, or a street tree – which is the ‘right’ solution, where, and at what scale? How can these actions be funded? And who needs to be involved? Sessions within this stream will address the practicalities of moving from concept to practice.
Theme B: Improving governance for inclusive and effective climate action
Data, best practices, decision-support tools, policy instruments – these alone won’t make a municipality resilient. Even the most detailed climate adaptation plan is destined for failure if not supported by a solid understanding of local circumstances. This also means recognising that citizens, civil society and the private sector all have a role to play in ensuring that climate action is accepted and effectively delivered – since municipalities are not governed by governments alone. Ultimately, the successful governance of climate adaptation at local level is highly context-dependent. It demands attention to scale, a careful assessment of local government capacity, the construction of convincing narratives to support the need for action, efforts to understand the distribution of climate impacts on social groups, as well as the creation of arenas for participatory democracy.
Theme C: Implementing, financing and monitoring strategies for urban resilience
So you’ve drafted a climate action plan. It’s been reviewed by an interdepartmental committee, shared with citizens at public workshops, revised by your team and approved by the city council. Now what? This thematic stream deals with what comes next – from unlocking funds to pay for a pilot project, to integrating climate adaptation measures with those for reducing emissions. Monitoring and evaluating the performance of the whole plan – often a weak point – will receive special attention as part of this thematic stream.