27 May 2010: The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) has launched a two-year campaign titled “Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready.” The campaign was launched during the First World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change, which convened in Bonn, Germany, from 28-30 May 2010.
The campaign urges leaders and local governments to commit to a checklist of “Ten Essentials” that will make their cities more resilient. The checklist includes taking measures to adapt to climate change. The campaign seeks to enlist over 1,000 local government leaders worldwide to increase investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR), including: improving urban planning, infrastructure and building safety; reinforcing drainage systems to reduce flood, storm and health threats; installing early warning systems; conducting public preparedness drills; and taking measures to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change. The campaign also calls on local community groups, planners, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector to join in the efforts to make as many cities as resilient as possible. [UN/ISDR Press Release] [Climate Change Policy & Practice Story on the First World Congress on Cities and Adaptation]