Making Cities Resilient Report 2012

“Investments in disaster risk reduction and climate change
adaptation can make Copenhageners healthier, protect
biodiversity, improve quality of life, and make our city more
economically resilient.”
Ms. Ayfer Baykal, Copenhagen’s Mayor of
Technical and Environmental Administration
Maintaining natural defences
Essential 8 emphasises the importance of natural barriers in mitigating hazard impacts. Many Campaign cities
are focusing on environmental management measures to reduce risk, including planting and rehabilitating
mangroves for coastal protection (Albay Province and San Francisco, Cebu, and Makassar), reinforcing
sand dunes (Cape Town), planting trees to reduce wind damage to schools (Kampala), ridding wetlands of
encroaching species (Kampala), afforestation in Pune to reduce flood risk), and protecting slopes to reduce
the risk of landslides (Quito). Ecologically sensitive construction involves using natural materials to build
structures that are hazard resilient. For example, Pune has built earthen check dams in hilly areas to help
conserve the watershed and reduce flood risk (39). Another initiative in Saijo City constructed 22 dams from
wood from thinned-out local forests and local rocks to prevent mudflows (48).
Box 4.11 : Copenhagen implements Climate Plan after floods
The Danish capital of Copenhagen implemented a sweeping climate change plan, backed by the national
government, after the city was devastated by ‘a one in 1,000’ year flood in July 2011. The city’s Climate
Plan is designed to limit the impacts of more severe weather and climate change. Among other points,
the plan calls for a 20 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2015, and a goal to be carbon neutral by 2025.
Overall, Copenhagen estimates the Plan could deliver an estimated savings of €3 billion over the next 100
years in avoided economic losses related to future extreme flooding from the sea and rain. Over the next
century, rainfall on the city is expected to increase by 30 per cent, with intense late summer precipitation
increasing by as much as up to 50 per cent.
Box 4.12 : Integrating environmental sustainability and disaster risk
reduction in Overstrand, South Africa
As part of addressing broader challenges of environmental sustainability and community development,
the municipality of Overstrand has sought to increase its resilience. Water scarcity is the primary risk in
Overstrand and the local government’s water demand management strategy includes a public awareness
campaign, leak detection and repair, introducing restrictions on water use and development, and the
‘Working for Water’ project, in which disadvantaged groups are trained and employed to clear invasive
alien plant species. This project seeks to promote biological biodiversity, increase water security, and offer
livelihood opportunities Within South Africa, Working for Water has cleared more than one million hectares
of invasive alien species and provided jobs and training to approximately 30,000 women, young people
and people with disabilities. The Overstrand water resource management programme is the product of
a multi-stakeholder partnership among national and provincial water agencies, a regional biodiversity
conservation institute, and a group of community-based organisations. Key to the success and longevity
of this are cross-scale and multi-sector contributions and the local government’s role as facilitator.
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