Our ExpertiseWhat we do
ICLEI’s definition of Resilient Development is “to anticipate, prevent, absorb and recover from shocks and stresses, in particular those brought about by rapid environmental, technological, social and demographic change, and to improve essential basic response structures and functions.”
~ ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision
The increasing frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of shocks and stresses affecting urban areas today, compels local and regional governments around the world to prepare, anticipate, and react to events decisively, in order to provide a livable, safe, healthy, resilient, and sustainable future for their communities. These shocks and stresses are related to a multitude of (often) interdependent and mutually-reinforcing challenges, such as climate change impacts, socio-political conflicts, socio-economic inequalities, biological threats, rapid demographic changes, and technological and environmental pressures that increase the vulnerability of the urban populations. Urbanization exacerbates those risks by concentrating people and assets in areas of potential damage and disruption. Therefore, since over half of the world’s population today lives in urban areas and expecting to reach 70% by 2050, the need to build and enhance urban resilience in cities, towns, and regions is pressing.
Within this context, ICLEI developed the resilient development pathway to support local and regional governments make resilience a core part of municipal and regional strategies, plans, and actions.
Through this approach, local and regional governments will be capacitated to be able to anticipate, prevent, absorb and recover from shocks and stresses and to improve essential basic response structures and functions. Inherently, resilience planning encompasses many types of hazards (including climate change-related and human-induced ones), city functions, and sectors. ICLEI helps build climate resilience through continuously strengthening essential systems, alleviating the burden on people and the environment and supporting the adoption of transparent and inclusive approaches that will enhance trust in municipal institutions and the processes that support them.
Our Work
We make resilience a core part of our local and regional government strategies and prepare for new risks and impacts taking into account the rights and needs of vulnerable sections of our society.
ICLEI’s resilience work in numbers
20+
Offices
180+
Active projects
120+
Completed projects
50+
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