Linking our common challenges: fostering resilience in tropical cities through urban planning

This side event discusses urban policies that promote urban resilience and climate change adaptation strategies in view of the specific challenges faced by tropical countries through the presentation of the Colombian experience.

Rapid urban population growth, vulnerability to climate-related extreme events, a growing number of climate change refugees, as well as ecosystem fragmentation and biodiversity loss are common challenges for both Latin American and Asian cities. In Colombia most cities with a population of over one hundred thousand have the challenge to implement effective, inclusive and efficient responses to climate change framed by both the national commitments on SDOs 2030 and the New Urban Agenda. This event delves in three complementary strategies that the Colombian government is currently promoting: i) national policies that address urban and regional sustainable planning; ii) instruments to include local biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban planning; and iii) technology and knowledge-transfer tools related to climate change mitigation for local and regional governments. With this proposal Colombian government seeks to foster a productive discussion on our shared experiences as tropical countries, and to bridge the gap between urban environmental policies and their implementation from a multi-scalar perspective. For every project, an urban-regional approach is set in these regards.

The event is divided in two sections. The first section presents the implementation and challenges of two national programs: The System of Cities public policy and The Modern Territorial Management Plans program. Both programs foster interconnectivity between cities and have an impact beyond administrative borders, through an urban-regional approach. The second section discusses practical tools and good practices regarding the incorporation of biodiversity and ecosystem services through the presentation of specific cases. This discussion highlights the relationship between ecological functions and urban resilience and addresses challenging topics such as the implementation of climate change mitigation actions in Colombian cities