Training workshop on tools for disaster risk reduction and local resilience – Extreme heat risk management, climate adaptation planning, and financing

Introduction

Local governments remain on the frontline of opportunity to reduce the impacts of disasters and climate change. They play a pivotal role in protecting development gains, preventing poverty, and enabling municipalities to become more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. In the face of escalating climate emergencies, urban heat risks, pandemics, and other shocks, resilience building must be integrated across sectors and levels of governance, recognizing the interconnectedness of socio-economic systems and the complexity of hazards.

To support local governments in making long-term investments in risk reduction and resilience, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), together with its partners, continues to advance the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative. This 10-year global partnership aims to accelerate local resilience through a simplified three-stage Resilience Roadmap, from awareness (Stage A), to planning (Stage B), to implementation (Stage C), with open collaboration spaces for partners to contribute expertise. MCR2030 prioritizes strengthening local government capacities and fostering city-to-city learning, offering access to knowledge, tools, and services that support cities on their resilience journey and contribute to achieving SDG 11 and other global frameworks.

The 2025 training workshop will continue to introduce useful tools aimed at supporting local governments and stakeholders in disaster risk reduction (DRR) planning and implementation efforts. This year’s focus will include:

• Module 1 Extreme Heat Risk Management Scorecard Addendum, by UNDRR. This module will introduce a new tool to support local governments assessing and managing urban heat risks and developing heat action planning.
• Module 2 Investing in Urban Climate Resilience: From Project Preparation to Implementation, in collaboration with the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA). This module will explore pathways to access finance for implementing local climate resilience plans.
• Module 3 Climate Adaptation Project Preparation: Converting ideas to project, in partnership with ICLEI World Secretariat. This module will guide participants through the process of developing robust, fundable climate adaptation projects, including mini exercise.

Workshop objective

• To strengthen local governments’ knowledge and understanding of tools to assess climate resilience in particularly urban heat risks, and support DRR and heat risk action planning.
• To enhance participants’ capacity to prepare fundable climate adaptation projects and explore financing mechanisms.
• To facilitate experience sharing and peer-to-peer learning on urban resilience, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies.

Expected outcomes

• Participants have enhanced understanding of tools and methodologies to assess disaster and climate resilience, with a particular focus on urban heat risk and heat action planning.
• Participants are equipped with practical skills to develop fundable climate adaptation project proposals and navigate relevant financing opportunities.
• Participants engaged in meaningful peer-to-peer learning, exchanging experiences and good practices on urban resilience, climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
• Collaboration among cities and partners within the MCR2030 network is strengthened, supporting continued knowledge sharing and joint resilience-building efforts. 

Target audience

Approximately 40 local government representatives and stakeholders supporting capacity development for local resilience.

Note: While nominating participants, governments and stakeholders are encouraged to aim for gender parity and inclusion of persons with disability among participants.