Background
The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to climate change, with as much as 70% of its cities located along the coast. Settlements in these areas are exposed to hydro-meteorological hazards exacerbated by climate change, such as sea level rise, stronger typhoons, and storm surges. Regular flooding in cities undermines infrastructure, disrupts economic activity, and impedes the delivery of basic services.
The Philippine Government estimates that nearly 60% of the country’s population will be living in urban areas in the next 20 years. This increases the vulnerability of the urban poor as well as new migrants who tend to live in informal settlements located in environmentally fragile and dangerous areas, and who are without resources to bounce back when disaster strikes. This necessitates development and spatial planning that effectively addresses climate change vulnerabilities specific to urban areas.
Building Climate Resiliency through Urban Plans and Design (BCRUPD) is a capacity building project funded by the German government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI), and is being implemented by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Develop-ment (DHSUD), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP).
In support of the National Climate Change Action Plan and the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, it will enhance national and subnational government capacities to guide and manage urban growth and green recovery with resilience principles and practices. The project will supplement existing planning guidelines and develop knowledge through policy inputs, capacity development, and demonstration activities. Demonstration of innovative approaches in five cities with different ecosystems will showcase contextualized processes and schemes to build urban resilience considering balanced economic and ecological sustainability in the face of rapid urbanization. Two of the five cities are being assisted on green recovery from COVID-19 impacts through capacity building and national-subnational collaboration.
Objectives
Support the Philippine government to improve policies, regulations, and capacities for climate change adaptation by promoting climate-responsive sustainable urban development plans and designs.
By the end of the project period, BCRUPD aims to have delivered the following outputs:
- National agencies increased capacities on resilience through urban planning and design (UPD)
- City government increased capacities to apply resilient UPD
- Adaptation project/s developed and Investment Forum held
- Climate resilient UPD guides and training modules developed
- Climate risks diagnostics tools enhanced
- National agencies increased institutional capacities for urban management
- Policies and standards on resilient human settlements
Activities
- Improve knowledge and skills of planners and trainers on applying climate resilient urban planning and design tools
- Develop national guide with training module on climate resilient urban planning and design developed
- Develop policy notes on urban resilience building
- Support cities in developing innovative climate-resilience projects and strengthen their linkages to climate finance
- Organize an Urban Resilience Investment Forum
- Enhance climate risk diagnostics tool
- Capacitate key national government agency on policy development for resilient and green recovery
- Support cities on COVID-19 resilient and green recovery planning
- Conduct rapid research on impacts of COVID-19 to urban poor communities
Donors and Key Project Stakeholders
Donor:
European Union
Key Project Stakeholders:
Project Steering Committee (PSC): Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (PSC Chair), Climate Change Commission, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Economic Development Authority, League of Cities of the Philippine, German Embassy Representative, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat, PSC Secretariat)
Relevant Links
UN-Habitat Philippines: http://unhabitat.org.ph/
Project website: https://designingresilience.ph/
Video playlist: Building Climate Resiliency through Urban Plans and Designs
