Making Cities Resilient Report 2012

• Strengthened partnerships: The Campaign supports a participatory approach to resilience building
that fosters dialogues between local governments, national authorities, legislators, civil society,
private sector, professional associations and academia, who previously may have had limited
interaction with each other. The Campaign currently counts on more than 40 global or regional
organisation partners, which are supporting knowledge products, training or technical assistance to
cities to build resilience. Many pilots, trainings and capacity building initiatives are associated with
the Campaign and based on its tools. Donor agencies, including some of the European Commission
Directorates, are making explicit use of the Campaign tools.
3. Commitments to date can be strengthened and extended
Despite the significant efforts underway by the cities documented in this report, much remains to be done
to make disaster risk reduction a priority for many local governments.
Increase the number of cities where commitments lead to action
Approximately one billion urban dwellers today live in informal settlements, most of which lack the
services and good quality buildings that are a key part of resilience. Most of the anticipated increase in
the world’s population between now and 2030 will be in urban centres in Africa and Asia – and a large
part of this will be in small and medium urban centres in these regions that lack basic infrastructure in
general and services to cope with disasters.
As the examples from Kenya and Tanzania show, many cities have signaled commitment but have yet to
take action to address disaster risks. While competing priorities are often cited as constraining factors,
increased support to establishing the enabling environment and promotion of innovation can unlock
doors to progress. The factors outlined in this report provide guidance for increased support. Among
these, showcasing local leadership in national and international forums can play an instrumental role in
increasing the flow of political, technical and financial support for local action.
Integrate disaster risk reduction into development planning processes
and daily city operations
Many aspects of the Ten Essentials are inextricably linked to development processes and decisions.
Multiple benefits for both development and disaster resilience derive from investments in good governance
and improvements in urban infrastructure, health and education, for instance.
While the initiatives undertaken by many of cities reported here are significant, very few have systematically
leveraged the instruments of development.
Introducing measures such as risk screening into the planning and design of urban infrastructure, for
instance, can save lives and extend the longevity of critical infrastructure. Having infrastructure that is
fit for purpose and well maintained is part of disaster risk reduction and resilience, but it is also central
to the smooth functioning of the city, its economy and people’s well being. Factoring risk into land use
planning procedures can reduce exposure to natural hazards. Protecting schools and hospitals can hasten
achievement of poverty reduction goals.
78 | Making Cities Resilient Report 2012