The Building Climate Resiliency through Urban Plans and Designs Project, implemented by UN-Habitat with national government and funding from IKI-BMU, supported local government actions and enhanced the capacities of local government units (LGUs) in developing resilient urban plans and designs.
A concrete demonstration of this support will be through an Urban Resilience Investment Forum to showcase enhanced capacities in developing resilient urban plans and designs of the project’s five partner cities: Angeles, Cagayan de Oro, Legazpi, Ormoc, and Tagum.
Designed and managed with national partners, the forum serves as a venue for proof of concept by providing the five cities an opportunity to showcase climate change adaptation projects they have identified when they formulated resilient urban plans and designs and prioritized feasible options under the project. It also bridges the gap between urban adaptation plans and designs and actual project implementation by linking cities with potential funding institutions like national and international development banks and multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and development agencies.
In light of quarantine-related limitations in mobility and travel and in keeping with cautionary measures to avoid the spread of Covid-19, the investment forum will be done online and in modules throughout five days in October to November 2020. This allows investors to view a full suite of all five partner cities’ exhibit materials in plenary as well as meet with them bilaterally through online pocket meetings. Thematic panel discussions to be led by national partners are also programmed in the forum and cover relevant topics such as localizing climate finance, available financing windows that cities can utilize for climate adaptation, and innovative models that cities can deploy to narrow the financing gap for climate-smart investments.
Partner cities have been undergoing sustained coaching in project development and financing in the leadup to the forum and are in the final stages of producing their city profiles, project proposals and pitches, to be presented at the investment forum as a mix of recorded and live content.
Current and potential partners will be invited to the forum, including those in national government, the private sector, international development organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders that have the potential to become partners with the LGUs in achieving climate resilient urban development.
For updates on the Urban Resilience Investment Forum, go to https://designingresilience.ph/ or follow the project on http://facebook.com/bcr.upd or https://twitter.com/bcr_upd.