Creating Climate Resilient Cities for the Poor and Vulnerable

Cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks and stressors, such as extreme heat and cold, floods, storms, and wildfires, drought, air pollution, and land degradation. This is exacerbated by unplanned, rapid urban growth, which often occurs in locations exposed to current or future climate hazard risks. These areas are frequently home to the urban poor as communities around the world have been continuously and rapidly expanding into flood zones. In addition, the urban heat island effect is increasingly concentrating in cities and often the poor and vulnerable are facing the worst of these impacts due to poor planning and design, lack of tree cover and inadequate green spaces, among others. How effectively cities are planned and managed has long term consequences for climate vulnerability especially on the poor and is therefore critical to achieving greener, more resilient, and inclusive development.

This session will discuss the intertwined processes of urbanization, poverty and climate change and showcase project examples from around the world that facilitate poverty reduction while addressing climate change adaptation and resilience in cities. The event will also present recent analytical work led by the World Bank, including “Thriving” and “Unlivable,” on understanding and addressing within-city climate inequalities, highlighting the important link between data, knowledge sharing, scaling-up and replicating cities and climate change programs.

3:00–3:10 pm Opening remarks and introduction

3:10–3:40 pm Panel discussion

3:40–3:45 pm Closing remarks

*Agenda times are in GST.