Venice Mayor highlights Cities Campaign at C40

Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia

JOHANNESBURG, 5 February 2014 - Mayor Giorgio Orsoni of Venice, Italy – a UNISDR “Making Cities Resilient” Campaign Champion – emphasized the Cities Campaign in building resilient and adaptable cities during his speech today at the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Mayors Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"More so than ever, communities must rely on local efforts in order to protect themselves from increasingly frequent extreme natural events,” he stated at the Mayoral-level Plenary Session focusing on how C40 Cities are taking action on climate adaptation and urban resilience. “I strongly encourage all my colleagues to actively participate in networks and initiatives, such as the UNISDR ‘Making Cities Resilient’ campaign, as an effective way to cope with these responsibilities,” so Mayor Orsoni. He explained that the speed in which information and know-how is shared within these kinds of networks can truly make a difference and help cities and citizens respond effectively to natural hazards.

For three days, the C40 Mayor’s Summit brings together some 700 participants from the public and private sectors, including C40 Mayors from around the world, to advance urban solutions to global climate change through individual efforts as well as international engagement and collaboration. The theme of the 2014 C40 Cities Mayors Summit is: “Towards resilient and liveable Megacities– demonstrating action, impact and opportunity”.

At the Summit, urban leaders, sustainability and technical experts across multiple sectors exchange ideas, forge new partnerships and address cities’ unique problems and challenges in confronting the issue of climate change. The event marks the first time the C40 Summit will be held in Africa, a continent highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.

The C40 will also be releasing the 2nd volume of its global report “Climate Action in Megacities”, publishing the latest results of a three-year seminal research effort to gather and benchmark data on the actions and powers of cities to address the sources and risks of climate change. The report will document the progress and leadership of cities on this critical issue.

Delivered in collaboration with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), the fifth biennial C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Mayors Summit is taking place February 4th-6th, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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