Making Cities Resilient Report 2012

CONCLUSIONS OF THE REPORT
No city begins with all the political, technical or financial resources it wants; and no (or few) local
government count on ‘perfect institutions,’ yet all the cities reviewed in this report were able to leverage
the resources they did have. In some cases these resources came in the form of using existing finances
more efficiently; in others, they were available thanks to the creativity of their citizens or leaders with
vision. Often, it is the willingness to engage communities and partners that has stimulated progress
despite limited resources. Where, for instance, citywide storm and surface drainage system are improved
to cope with extreme rainfall, or building stock and other infrastructure are designed to withstand high
winds, multiple benefits for local development are being achieved. Innovation, whether home-grown or
shared from afar, remains an essential instrument in overcoming the very real challenges to building and
sustaining resilience in our cities.
2. The Making Cities Resilient Campaign has triggered new momentum
The report highlights how the Making Cities Resilient Campaign, which is led by UNISDR but is selfmotivating,
partnership—and city-driven—has raised the profile of resilience and disaster risk reduction
among local governments and urban communities worldwide. In the 1,050 cities that are currently signed
up, participation has served to legitimize on-going work and to inspire local governments to better
understand the scope risk and to initiative new efforts that reduce disaster risk and build resilience.
Box 6.1 : Key achievements of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign to date
( 2010-2012 )
• Strengthened local level leadership and political will for disaster risk reduction: In some
instances, the Campaign has served as the inspiration for evaluating and improving existing disaster
risk programmes; in other cases, it is has served as the conduit for new resilience planning.
• Increased encouragement for national authorities and parliamentarians to de-centralise
mandates and mobilise resources: The Campaign has functioned as a vehicle through which cities
and municipalities are raising their voice and that of their constituents at national and international
levels on disaster risk reduction. This is evidenced in several mayoral/local government declarations,
committing to city-level actions on resilience. At least nine significant declarations or manifestos
have been signed since May 2011, endorsed by Mayors, local government representatives and other
partners globally (see Time line, Annex 5).
• Broadened access to reliable disaster risk information and tools: The Campaign is meeting strong
demand from local governments for access to regular and reliable information on disaster risk
reduction, the current debate on these issues and its links to sustainable development and climate
change. In addition to the network of partners, who provide direct expert advice and information, the
Campaign tools such as the Ten Essentials, Handbook for Local Government Leaders and HFA Local
Government Self-Assessment Tool have been increasingly translated by local stakeholders and used
as basis for local planning and decision making. The demand is strong for standardised approaches
that can be used as basis for locally designed processes and solutions.
• Document what cities are doing: Learning by example has been a constant recommendation
of local governments participating in the Campaign. Systematic documentation has been
difficult but rewarding; this report and similar future editions aim to respond to this need.
Supporting collaborative knowledge-sharing, city-to-city learning workshops, events, awards, and
improvements to the Making Cities Resilient website (www.unisdr.org/campaign) remain essential
elements to documenting and learning. Academia and research institutions are building on the
networks and the formulated demand through the Campaign.
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