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SESSION DESCRIPTION
A2
Participatory governance and multistakeholder approaches for resilience
building
Presentations
Date: Monday, 8 June 2015
Time: 14:30-16:00
Rooms: S25-26
Language:
English
ICLEI contact: Evgenia Mitroliou
Organized by: ICLEI
OBJECTIVE
Given the complexity of urban adaptation challenges and the interdependency of urban systems, it is
imperative that all stakeholders work together towards achieving a common vision of resilience. This
session showcased examples of participatory, multi-stakeholder collaboration, including between local
governments, civil society, local communities, and donor organizations in the implementation of urban
adaptation plans. Examples were shared from the City of Copenhagen, the city of Melaka and three
cities in Colombia, through the USAID Colombia program.
The session opened with the City of Copenhagen, which has recently established its first climate
quarter by working directly with community members. The second presentation discussed how
community-based adaptation to climate change is taking place in cities in Least Developed Countries
(LDCs) and focused on innovative aspects of multi-stakeholder collaboration. The presentation
concluded by highlighting how involving CBA processes links to the progress of national-international
advocacy on climate change adaptation (at the UN level). Following that, representatives from USAID
Colombia’s LCRD program presented their experience in linking the national and subnational levels
from climate change policies to adaptation action. A participatory methodology for helping communities
reach their goals for climate compatible development, applied throughout the duration of the program,
was in focus. The session closed with an example from the City of Melaka, Malaysia on their
experience with multi-stakeholder collaboration to achieve urban resilience.
OUTCOMES

Participants learned directly from cities how to plan and implement adaptation measures
together with the communities;

Gained knowledge and understanding of the importance of multi-stakeholder involvement in
reaching urban development goals and common visions of resilience; and

They were able to take this knowledge with them to apply in their own cities and regions.
METHODOLOGY

The facilitator provided an overall introduction to the session topic and contributors.
(5 minutes)

Each presentation was allotted 10 minutes. (4 x 10 minutes)

The facilitator managed questions and answers. (40 minutes)

Closing remarks by the facilitator. (5 minutes)
CONTRIBUTORS
Facilitator
Sean O Donoghue, Manager of the Climate Protection Branch, Environmental Planning
& Climate Protection Department of eThekwini Municipality, South Africa
Presenter
Jan Rasmussen, Project Director, City of Copenhagen, Denmark
A climate quarter in Copenhagen: Local participation and action
The presentation showed how the city of Copenhagen worked with local citizens in the
development of the first climate quarter in Copenhagen. The neighborhood has been
selected for regeneration and allocated resources as a result of the adaptation plan for
Copenhagen. It is the home of the first physical results of the plan - in December 2014
the first water park was opened and the next big project is underway. The climate
quarter shows the comprehensive green water management system of the city from
the micro to the macro level - from how to handle water in a small yard in the
neighborhood to the big cloudburst solutions that will enable the transport of large
quantities of water in the case of large rain events. In addition, it shows the benefits of
a close process with local stakeholders in the development of the plan.
Presenters
Dr. Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change &
Development (ICCCAD); and Senior Fellow at the International Institute for
Environment & Development (IIED)
Driving urban adaptation from the ground up in Least Developed Countries
(LDCs)
How Community Based Adaptation to climate change is taking place in cities in Least
Developed Countries in Africa and Asia.
Presenters
Sandra Garavito, Chief of Party, Low Carbon Resilient Development Program (LCRD),
Bogotá, Colombia; and
Oscar Iván Galvis Mora, Urban Risk and Adaptation Expert, Low Carbon Resilient
Development Program (LCRD), Bogotá, Colombia
Low carbon resilient development: Integrating resilience into urban development
This presentation shared lessons learned in multi-stakeholder collaboration during the
implementation of USAID Colombia’s LCRD Program in two Colombian cities: Pasto
and Riohacha, with particular emphasis in Riohacha. The program is now working with
the cities to identify adaptation actions which can be translated in real, impactful and
replicable projects while assisting them in their efforts to develop resilience-building
planning for specific areas in the city. For this purpose, the program established a
methodology to involve all key stakeholders in the assessments within the cities
providing room for the inclusion of development priorities and tangible benefits for
specific area but also for the entire city. This presentation focused on the multistakeholder collaboration aspect of this program and gave an insight into the
possibilities of vertical policy integration and international-national-local cooperation.
Presenters
Zainal Bin Hussin, Mayor of Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia
This presentation introduced the audience to Melaka’s experience with multistakeholder approaches for resilience building: Melaka State has prepared a Green City
Action Plan focusing on low carbon resilience measures. The Mayor of Melaka presented
the stakeholder consultation process involved in the preparation of the plan and in its
implementation. Elements of the plan were also presented.
Further recommended reading
LCRD Colombia website: www.lcrdcolombia.org