Building Urban Resilience

The event will have a panel format where a moderator will coordinate a discussion of experts' who will present concrete case studies and good examples of UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme and Disaster Risk Reduction work that will demonstrate and promote the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The discussions will be followed by an interactive session with the audience. The session is designed to provide concrete examples of strengthening the resilience of cities vis-a-vis their provision of basic services, and in particular services related to water as well as of their built environment from natural hazards. Principles of The New Urban Agenda include the including universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation, the protection and conservation of water resources and their sustainable management, calling for , reducing and treating wastewater, minimizing water losses, promoting water reuse, and increasing water storage, retention, and recharge, taking into consideration the water cycle. Furthermore, the NUA calls for the adoption and implementation of disaster risk reduction and management, vulnerability reduction, building of resilience and responsiveness to natural and man-made hazards and fostering mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The examples presented will address these needs and further provide support on how Member States could implement activities towards the achievement of SDG 6 on water and sanitation for all, as well as relevant water related targets of SDG 13 on reducing losses and damages from floods and droughts due to climate change, and the targeta on services provision and disaster risk reduction at city level under SDG 11.