Data speak louder than words: findings from an initial stocktake of climate adaptation and urban resilience efforts
This document provides a snapshot of the climate change adaptation targets, actions, and action plans of local and regional governments publicly reported on one of the most widely used subnational climate action reporting systems in the world, the carbonn® Climate Registry (cCR), managed by ICLEI. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data available was conducted and supplemented by relevant information during in-person consultation at key events, such as the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS); a C40 regional policy dialogue in Accra; the ICLEI 2018 World Congress; and the Resilient Cities 2018 forum. Data provided in the newly released Global Covenant of Mayors 2018 Global Aggregation Report, which intersect and overlap with data reported on cCR, corroborate the key messages contained in this publication.21 Finally, case studies from city-reported data on cCR and CDP, as well as programs, such as the 100 Resilient Cities, UN-Habitat’s City Resilience Profiling Programme (CRPP), and the Slum Dwellers International’ Know Your City Campaign, showcase progress on climate resilience in cities of the Global South.
The research particularly zooms in on urban centers in the Global South to pinpoint their adaptation efforts thus far, local conditions in the way of implementation, and solutions to overcome such obstacles and build resilience in parts of the world where it is most urgently needed. The report has three main objectives.
Firstly, it provides a baseline of adaptation progress made at the local and regional level. It demonstrates the type of information and resources already available to support achieving national climate commitments and implement plans. The data research concludes that enhanced coordination and integrated approaches to adaptation planning, implementation, as well as an integrated Measuring, Reporting, Verifying (MRV) system are needed to amplify collective efforts to adapt to climate change, steer clear of avoidable loss and damage due to climate-induced disasters, and build community resilience while advancing on the global sustainability agenda.
Secondly, it points to existing and persisting disadvantages and obstacles faced by local and regional governments – particularly in the Global South – when it comes to dealing with climate change impacts and striving to attain development goals. In such a way, following the Talanoa Dialogue spirit, this research brings forth the voices of often marginalized stakeholders. This visibility could enable that these voices can be part of the 2018 international stocktaking on climate change and sustainable development.
Lastly, it attempts to answer how to overcome the aforementioned barriers to enable local and regional governments to fulfill their mandate to protect their citizens against the impacts of climate change. The research argues for enhancing efforts to close the gap of knowledge, capacity, and finance at the local and regional level and creating a true multilevel climate governance system, whereby national, subnational (local and regional), and community stakeholders have equal footing in decisions and measures that affect our common future.
This research report is organized in such a way to respond to those three aims while presenting a clear evidence-based picture of local and regional governments’ progress in adaptation planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
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