Cities around the world are facing unprecedented climate risk. Digital technology can support municipal governments, vulnerable communities and other stakeholders in integrating resilience to climate change and the environment into urban planning. Cities Alliance and its partners worked together on a number of digital solutions for disaster risk management and climate resilience planning.
Whenever we receive alert messages, we inform the rest of the people in the community to wake up and be prepared to help stop the flow of water from the river, we dash towards the river.
We immensely benefited from the training; it has been said unity is strong.
- Mohamed Aweys Mohamed, Community Leader, Somalia
Improving City Governance through City management and Mapping
Harnessing Digitalisation for Inclusion
Improving City-wide Service Provision
Digital Solutions for Environmental Integration
Mobile Phones for Disaster Risk Management, Somalia
Early warning systems are an increasingly important tool for helping vulnerable communities worldwide prepare for, monitor, and respond rapidly to climate-related natural disasters and risks such as flooding and famines. “Building and Strengthening Community Through Inclusive Community-Based Disaster Risk Management” is a project funded by Cities Alliance that aims to increase resilience to climate-induced shocks for 55,000 vulnerable people in the Marka district of the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.
In collaboration with local and global partners, this project is working to strengthen community capacities to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and adapt to disaster, especially via better mobile phone alert systems for events like seasonal flooding.
Digital Maps for Climate Resilience Plans, Bangladesh
Young people and digital technology often go hand in hand. “Climate Resilience Plans Development With Digital Maps In Bay Of Bengal's Cities”, a project funded by Cities Alliance, seeks to leverage this natural affinity to aid in an ambitious initiative to improve climate resilience planning in vulnerable urban areas.
The project has trained youth volunteers in data collection and digital mapping, using apps on Android mobile devices along with Open Data Kit (ODK), to collect and upload data in the field. The maps and databases are part of a coordinated local effort to better inform local authorities and residents of Patuakhali and Bagerhat about existing climate risks and to share climate resilience plans developed to help them cope with these risks. In addition, the databases may also be used to help with land tenure issues for members of poorer communities.