CMI - MARSEILLE CENTER FOR MEDITERRANEAN INTEGRATION

HIGHLIGHTS

Cities and Climate Change


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The program on Cities and Climate Change is jointly led by the World Bank and the French Caisse des D�p�ts et Consignations. It focuses on two main issues: urban vulnerability to climate change and climate-appropriate urban development. Through the production of urban vulnerability maps and the preparation of action plans for the adaptation to climate change, it aims at providing central and city governments with useful tools for the integration of climate change issues in planning documents and for the development of sustainable urban policies, thus strengthening the resilience of Mediterranean cities.

The CMI works in close collaboration with research centers, technical bodies such as statistical or meteorological institutes and local planning agencies in order to enhance the capacities of local actors and to build a community of practice in the Mediterranean.

In 2009, the World Bank launched a study on the vulnerability of North African coastal cities confronted with climate change and natural disasters in four main urban sites: Tunis, Alexandria, Casablanca and the Bouregreg Valley. The CMI supported the study in its communication and outreach events.



The objectives of the study were to:

  • evaluate the vulnerabilities of the four urban areas to climate change and natural disasters up to the year 2030 (Phase 1 of the project),
  • develop action plans to improve the cities� adaptation to climate change and their preparation to natural disasters (Phase 2 of the project),
  • disseminate the results of the study in order to raise awareness, build ownership around the results and engage local stakeholders in a decision process.


To achieve the third objective, 3 national workshops were organized in Alexandria, Tunis and Casablanca, as well as a final regional workshop which took place in Marseille on May 30-31 2011. These events aimed at presenting the results of the study to local, national and regional stakeholders, to discuss the action plans proposed and to impulse a participatory decision process.

The summaries of the studies and the minutes of the workshops can be downloaded below.

Following the regional workshop in Marseille, Algeria and Jordan both expressed a strong interest for the assessment of urban vulnerabilities in their own cities. The study is thus being replicated in Algiers, with stronger emphasis on capacity building. The project isfinanced by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. It will be directly supervised by the CMI and conducted by an independent consulting firm following an international call for proposals.
The methodology may also be replicated in Amman, Jordan.  However, the phasing out of the Amman Institute for Urban Development, originally identified to lead the project, has delayed the inception of the study, which now requires the identification of a new partner.

In line with the objectives of the CMI, the replication and the adaptation of the methodology developed by the regional study to other Mediterranean cities contribute to the development of a community of practice around urban development and climate change in the Mediterranean.



Minutes of the workshops:




Information about the �Vulnerability of North African Coastal Cities particularly exposed to natural disasters and climate change" Regional Study:




More information on the program and its related fields:





Articles on the program:




Related information:

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