Tag Archives: indicators

Viewpoints: Setting priorities in a new era for climate adaptation

Meghan Doherty
Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN), USA

climate change adaptationIt’s a new era for climate adaptation: Four out of the five most concerning global risks for the next 10 years are directly linked to the need to adapt to the changing climate (World Economic Forum, 2016). Though these are global problems often discussed at the national scale, urban areas are increasingly seen as having a critical role in the adaptation agenda. The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) highlighted the need to establish a global goal on adaptation of “enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change.” In addition, the agreement calls out cities as relevant actors by acknowledging the need for non-Party stakeholders “to address and respond to climate change” (UNFCCC, 2015).

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New Publication on the Urban Sustainable Development Goal

Title: Developing and testing the Urban Sustainable Development Goal’s targets and indicators – a five-city study

Authors: David Simon, Helen Arfvidsson, Geetika Anand, Amir Bazaz, Gill Fenna, Kevin Foster, Garima Jain, Stina Hansson, Louise Marix Evans, Nishendra Moodley, Charles Nyambuga, Michael OLOKO, Doris Chandi Ombara, Zarina Patel, Beth Perry, Natasha Primo, Aromar Revi, Brendon Van Niekerk, Alex Wharton and Carol Wright.

Abstract: The campaign for the inclusion of a specifically urban goal within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was challenging. Numerous divergent interests were involved, while urban areas worldwide are also extremely heterogeneous. It was essential to minimize the number of targets and indicators while still capturing critical urban dimensions relevant to human development. It was also essential to test the targets and indicators. This paper reports the findings of a unique comparative pilot project involving co-production between researchers and local authority officials in five diverse secondary and intermediate cities: Bangalore (Bengaluru), India; Cape Town, South Africa; Gothenburg, Sweden; Greater Manchester, United Kingdom; and Kisumu, Kenya. Each city faced problems in providing all the data required, and each also proposed various changes to maximize the local relevance of particular targets and indicators. This reality check provided invaluable inputs to the process of finalizing the urban SDG prior to the formal announcement of the entire SDG set by the UN Secretary-General in late September 2015.

Keywords: Bangalore / Cape Town / Gothenburg / Greater Manchester / indicators / Kisumu / targets / Urban Sustainable Development Goal

Global Carbon Project Workshop on Assessing Urban Resilience

GCP Logo
The Global Carbon Project (GCP), in collaboration with RMIT University, the Urbanization and Global Environmental Change Project, the Urban Climate Change Research (UCCRN) Network and IR3S, is organizing a workshop on Tools and Indicators for Assessing Urban Resilience on December 7-10, 2015 at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

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How to Apply :

If you are interested in taking part in this workshop, please submit your applications electronically, and in one file, to: sharifi.ayyoob@nies.go.jp.

The application file should include:

  • A CV of no more than 3 pages, including information about education, publications, and work experience.
  • A concise abstract of the work you would present at the workshop.
  • An abstract of any publications related to the workshop agenda.

Closing date for applications: September 30, 2015.

GCP has secured funding from Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) and NIES to support participants, including a limited number of young/early-career scientists.

To be eligible for funding, you have to be:

  • A citizen and resident of one of these countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam; and,
  • An early career researcher, under 40 years of age, who holds a PhD degree or is a graduate student with an equivalent level of research experience.