Making Cities Resilient Report 2012

disasters and build resilience, there are also many similarities in the challenges they face and in their
political will to invest in making their cities safer.
The focus on resilience as the theme for this report reflects a mounting recognition that disaster risk
reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development are inextricably linked. These issues
present mutually dependant challenges, which require collaborative, integrated strategies, strong
governance, and innovative technological and financial solutions. Nowhere is this more evident than in
cities. Complex, unique in their political and economic structures, and widely varying in the vulnerabilities
they face, cities—and the growth they will experience over the next two decades—will give way to some of
the 21st century’s most important social and economic challenges and opportunities.
Report aim and structure
The aim of the report is to provide a global snapshot of local-level resilience building activities and identify
trends in the perceptions and approaches of local governments toward disaster risk reduction, using the
Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient developed by the Campaign as a framework (see back-cover).
This report also analyses the factors that enable urban disaster risk reduction activities, including how the
Campaign has helped improve local knowledge of disaster risk and support capacity building.
The Making Cities Resilient Campaign seeks to encourage and support all urban centers to reduce risks
and become resilient to disasters. This includes urban centers that meet the conventional definition of a
‘city’ in terms of land size and population, as well as other sub-national administrations of different sizes
and levels, including regional, metropolitan and provincial areas, as well as municipalities and townships.
For the purposes of this report, the term ‘city’ is taken to include all these urban centers and is used
interchangeably with the term ‘local governments’.
The report is based on the wealth of material that cities involved in the Campaign have self-reported to
UNISDR and shared publicly since 2010. This includes detailed presentations for events, award documents,
and results of the HFA: Local Governments Self Assessment Tool (see Annex 3). A number of individual
interviews were also conducted with city leaders in preparation for this report.
The report is divided into five chapters, featuring a combination of analysis of cities’ resilience activities
and short stories from cities on good practice in urban disaster risk reduction. Chapters one and two draw
conclusions on the core building blocks and enabling factors for urban resilience and the Campaign’s role
in driving disaster risk reduction awareness and action. Chapter three identifies key trends in resilience
building at local level. Chapter four reviews cities’ activities against the Ten Essentials developed by
the Campaign. In a look toward the future, Chapter five proposes ideas to measure cities’ progress and
performance as they embark on a path toward strengthening their resilience to natural hazards and more
extreme climatic events.
The Annexes feature supplementary and detailed information on the methodology and various sources
used to prepare this report.
About the Making Cities Resilient Campaign
Since its inception, the Making Cities Resilient Campaign has associated its brand and strategy with the
people and municipal institutions who are on the front line of delivering benefits and services that enable
cities to function on daily basis, making progress on economic and social development, and protect people
and assets in times of crises.
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