Over the past 50 years, the global urban population has quadrupled, and the earth’s surface temperature has increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This warming is primarily caused by greenhouse gases, with 70% of these emissions originating in cities. According to 2015 statistics, emissions in Asia and the Developing Pacific have risen sharply, increasing by 72% from 2000 levels. In Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Eastern Europe and West-Central Asia, this increase is approximately 40%.
As a result of climate change, cities worldwide have experienced significant impacts, such as extreme heat, floods, droughts, landslides, and storms. These effects are particularly severe in lower- and middle-income countries. Cities are at the forefront of facing the consequences of climate change, and it is crucial that all countries and cities, regardless of their income levels, take immediate action to adapt to and mitigate its effects.
From December 2 to 6, the Technical Deep Dive (TDD) on Cities and Climate Change convened delegations from seven countries—Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Romania, Thailand, Türkiye, and Uganda—to explore innovative approaches to urban climate resilience. Organized by the World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) in collaboration with the Sustainable City Infrastructure and Services Global Solutions Group (GSG), the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, and the Disaster Risk Management and Resilience GSG, the workshop focused on building resilience across three interconnected scales: cities, neighborhoods, and buildings.
TDD Goals and Structure
The TDD aimed to tackle three key questions for urban climate resilience: the current progress of cities, the goals for sustainable futures, and the practical steps to achieve these goals. The workshop covered citywide analytics and planning for climate action, neighborhood-level interventions, and building-scale resilience. This method allowed participants to address both strategic urban resilience challenges and specific technical solutions.
Key Activities and Highlights
The workshop started by discussing citywide resilience. Participants highlighted challenges in addressing climate change, such as weak frameworks, inadequate financing, lack of integrated approaches, limited technical capacity, insufficient stakeholder engagement, and poor collaboration with private sectors.
The first case study presented was “Zero Emission Tokyo” by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, a zero-emission initiative focusing on transitioning to zero-emission buildings and promoting solar energy adoption through partnerships with private sector stakeholders and residents. Discussions emphasized the importance of aligning governance, financing, and data management at both national and city levels to achieve these objectives. In Tokyo, participants also examined the green infrastructure in the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho areas where sustainable climate solutions are implemented in office and retail buildings through public-private partnerships and effective policies.
In Fukuoka, the focus shifted to neighborhood-level resilience, with the city highlighting innovative planning approaches. One example was the relaxation of building height regulations, which encouraged developers to create public spaces around buildings while optimizing land use through vertical construction. This approach balanced the need for urban density with community benefits. Flood control measures like the Sanno regulatory reservoirs demonstrated how integrating grey and green infrastructure addresses climate risks while supporting broader urban resilience goals.
The visit to Canal City Hakata stood out as a powerful example of private sector engagement in sustainability. This privately funded project integrated flood barriers, water recycling systems, and urban greening, showcasing how businesses can contribute to climate and resilience goals. By reducing water consumption, mitigating flood risks, and creating greener urban spaces, the site illustrated the transformative impact the private sector can have on sustainable development with support from the city.
At the building level, presentations emphasized the need for resilient and low-carbon construction. The case studies highlighted strategies for enhancing energy efficiency, disaster risk mitigation, and inclusivity in building design. An international case study from South Sumatra, Indonesia, demonstrated how green housing strategies can address energy efficiency and thermal comfort, particularly in low-income communities. This session drew significant attention from participants, reflecting the relevance of building-scale interventions to global urban challenges.
Key Themes and Lessons Learned
Several recurring themes emerged throughout the TDD. Community engagement was highlighted as a cornerstone of effective urban resilience, with an emphasis on building consensus and ensuring equity in climate adaptation efforts. Financing challenges were another central focus, with discussions exploring innovative mechanisms to align policy and financial commitments. Securing financing at various steps of investment is rather a challenging task for cities. The successful international practices shed some light on what is available and what can be attained. Lastly, the importance of participation—both from the private sector and through intergovernmental collaboration—was underscored as critical to driving impactful change. Interactive design exercises and peer-to-peer learning sessions further reinforced these themes, providing participants with actionable insights and tools.
Outcomes and Next Steps
The workshop underscored the critical role cities play in addressing climate challenges and highlighted actionable solutions at multiple scales. Key takeaways included:
Participants left the TDD, as evident in their final action plans, equipped with knowledge, tools, and inspiration to implement these lessons in their home cities, with a commitment to fostering sustainable, resilient urban environments.
Voices from the participants
"The nature-based solutions, such as ecosystems, reservations, waterways improvements to mitigate flooding and integrating nature into urban climate solutions are interesting and have the potentials of application in the Philippine cities."
MARILOU FLORES, City Mayor, City Government of Calapan, Local Government Unit of Philippines
“We found a very, very simple solution that can have a very huge impact on the neighborhood scale, and we have to work with the citizens group, with the other stakeholders, with other sectors."
LILIANA ANDREI, Regional Planning Expert, Planning Programming Monitoring and MA Projects Portfolio, Bucharest Ilfov Regional Development Agency of Romania
Please view the event photos here.