Rebuilding Kenya Stronger: Here’s What’s Needed To Rebound After Catastrophic Floods
Rebuilding Kenya Stronger: Here's What's Needed To Rebound After Catastrophic Floods
In Kenya and throughout east Africa, flooding this past April and May wreaked havoc, leaving a path of deadly destruction. The unprecedented deluge of heavy rainfall resulted in a catastrophe that many in Kenya have never witnessed. According to a June ...
Unique and Irreplaceable Cities Making the Urban Amazon Visible
Unique and Irreplaceable Cities Making the Urban Amazon Visible
Amazonian cities are diverse in opportunities and needs. The region’s biodiversity is among the world’s most important, but its cities’ sustainability challenges are less well-known. These jurisdictions require financial support and capacity building to create sustainable, conservation-oriented, equitable, urban green ...
Equity in Action: Shaping Local Climate Solutions for All
Equity in Action: Shaping Local Climate Solutions for All
Every three years, ICLEI hosts the ICLEI World Congress to showcase how subnational actors advance sustainable urban development worldwide. The most recent installment, ICLEI World Congress 2024, held June 18-21 in São Paulo, Brazil, converged over 1,500 global attendees to ...
The Importance of Differential Vulnerability in Resilience Planning
The Importance of Differential Vulnerability in Resilience Planning
India is the seventh most climate-vulnerable country in the world, with nine of its states among the top 50 most vulnerable regions globally. The country’s cities are at the forefront of the climate crisis with more than 80% of the urban population living in ...
4 Examples of Supporting Children’s Play in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods
4 Examples of Supporting Children's Play in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods
The International Day of Play (IDOP), held annually on June 11th, is a unifying global moment to celebrate the power of play for all children everywhere. IDOP draws attention to Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of ...
Grassroots Action Against Polluted Skies: How Jakarta’s Urban Villages Tackle Air Pollution 
Grassroots Action Against Polluted Skies: How Jakarta's Urban Villages Tackle Air Pollution 
On a Sunday afternoon in September 2023, a group of about 30 individuals, including a group of mostly female neighbors from nine kampungs (a common term for “urban villages” or “informal settlements” across multiple languages and nations in Southeast Asia) ...
As Water Shortages Plague Bogotá and Other Cities, Nature-Based Solutions Can Help
As Water Shortages Plague Bogotá and Other Cities, Nature-Based Solutions Can Help
Bogotá, Colombia is in the throes of a water crisis. After several months of dry weather caused by El Niño, the Chingaza reservoir system, which provides 70% of Bogotá’s water, reached its lowest level in history. The city’s over 8 million residents are ...
Advancing Just Transitions in the Built Environment
Advancing Just Transitions in the Built Environment
Climate change and social inequality are two of the most pressing challenges of our time. But, in the race to net zero, a narrow focus on decarbonization risks exacerbating inequality and results in a rising tide of “greenlash” (backlash against ...
Better Buildings Are Taking on the Climate Challenge 
Better Buildings Are Taking on the Climate Challenge 
In March 2024, the inaugural Buildings and Climate Global Forum convened more than 1,000 participants to spur action towards built environment decarbonization and resilience. The first-of-its-kind forum was welcome, as the sector needs a shakeup.   The big issue on the table was ...
Tragic Flooding in Brazil; A Wake-Up Call for the World
Tragic Flooding in Brazil; A Wake-Up Call for the World
After a week of record-breaking rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil is experiencing an environmental and humanitarian tragedy. The death toll from the floods is in the dozens. The number of missing persons has surpassed 100. Hundreds are injured, ...