G1: Ensuring food security through adaptation

Date: Sunday 30 May
Time: 11.30-13.00

Objective

Food and nutrition security in cities has become a sensitive issue for urban governments since the riots during the food price crisis at the end of 2007 and during 2008. Urbanization brings new challenges relating to food and nutrition security to cities all over the world, and the impacts of climate change are,
arguably, increasing these. Urban people rely mainly on purchases in the market for their food and dietary needs. Local authorities and policy makers are increasingly aware of the importance of food and nutrition security, including in the context of implementing the right to food, and see ensuring this as a
priority task. Sustainable cities will rely on adequate, healthy diets, biodiversity, integrated urban development and urban-rural linkages.

Ensuring food security through adaptation may come through a variety of different approaches:

- adaptation of diets (sustainable diets): more diversified, local and traditional food, more fresh and nutritious food, less energy consuming food;
- adaptation of agricultural production and natural resources management: growing plants that are more adapted to the climate (less water need, more resistant to heat and hydraulic stress...) relying on and promoting biodiversity, governance for land tenure, urban planning that integrate green spaces,
watershed management (from water resources management and floods prevention, to waste water management);
- adaptation of urban-rural linkages: movement of people, economic and financial flows, agriculture and food supply, enhancing local food processing.

Facilitator: Julien Custot, environmental Scientist Officer in the Climate Change and Bioenergy Division, FAO, Rome

Panelists:

• Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, Bonn

• Marielle Dubbeling, Global Coordinator, From Seed to Table Program, RUAF Foundation, Le Truel Aveiron

• Andre Mader, Senior Professional Officer, ICLEI Africa Secretariat, Cape Town

To find the details from presenters and their presentations download the session description.

G2: Climate change action plans in Latin American cities: Lessons learned and opportunities in adaptation

Date: Sunday 30 May
Time: 11.30-13.00

Objective

This session will focus exclusively on the challenges and opportunities in approaching Climate Change Action Plans in Latin American cities. Focusing on how key cities are responding to the need to adapt to climate change, the session will discuss a range of topics, from appropriate decision support systems and incorporating climate vulnerability into water planning to innovative programmatic developments. These topics will be discussed in the context of Mexico City, Quito, and Rio de Janeiro, with local representatives presenting the achievements and obstacles to the implementation of adaptation activities.

Facilitator: David Wilk, Environmental Specialist, Sustainable Development Department, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington D.C.

Panelists:

• Martha Delgado Peralta, Secretary of Environment, Mexico City, pt 2

• Carolina Zambrano Barragan, Climate Change Advisor, Quito Metropolitan Municipality

• Sergio Simoes, Secretary of Civil Defense, City of Rio de Janeiro

For additional information download the session description here.

G3: Tools in action I

Date: Sunday 30 May
Time: 11.30-13.00

Objective

In recent years, a number of tools and techniques have been developed around the world to assist cities and local governments to plan for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability- has always been at the forefront of strengthening climate change adaptation processes and methodologies in the local government sector since 2006. ICLEI regional offices in Africa, Australia, Europe and North America have developed culturally and regionally specific tools and techniques for climate change adaptation, based on previous experience with process facilitation in climate change mitigation and sustainability management. The adaptation planning tools have proven to help cities assess climate change risks and opportunities and develop and implement adaptation actions across municipalities. The Tools in action I session will feature a demonstration of selected adaptation planning and decision-making support tools developed and tested by ICLEI in various regions. A panel discussion aims at exploring which methodologies may be transferable to other regions and cultural contexts.

Facilitator: Mike Wiggins, Environmental Sustainability Advisor, Tearfund, London

Presenters:

• Hartmut Fuenfgeld, Manager, Climate Change Adaptation, ICLEI Oceania Secretariat, Melbourne, ICLEI Oceania: Adaptive and Resilient Communities (ARC) program and adaptation toolkit

•  Ewa Ciuk Jackson, Program Coordinator, ICLEI Canada, Toronto, ICLEI Canada Guide: Changing climates, changing communities

• Melissa Stults, Adaptation Manager, ICLEI USA, Boston, ICLEI USA: Climate Resilient Communities program and adaptation planning workbook series

• Christian Kind, Project Manager, Adelphi, Berlin, Decision-support for German communities: the Klimalotse, an online guide to adaptation

 For additional information download the session description here.

G4: Intelligent urban fabric

Date: Sunday 30 May
Time: 11.30-13.00

Objective

The Intelligent urban fabric session focuses on the challenges encountered by built environments of the 21st century and the need to respond to a changing climate in an urban context. It provides an opportunity to exchange knowledge and strategies for sourcing and integrating appropriate materials into design and construction processes. The panel delivered by US Green Building Council provides a general view on this matter and a presentation from Rio de Janeiro addresses the risks and solutions for an urban watershed.

Facilitator: Petra Schneider, Head of Department, C&E Consulting and Engineering GmbH, Chemnitz

Presenters:

• Jeffrey Raven, Principal, InfraPlan LLC., New York, Cooling the public realm: Climate-resilient urban design

• Cecilia Herzog, Director, INVERDE, Green Infrastructure and Urban Sustainability, Rio de Janiero, Green infrastructure as a strategy to reinstate the resilience of an urban watershed, part2
  

For additional information download the session description here.

G5: Cities in focus III

Date: Sunday 30 May
Time: 11.30-13.00

Objective

The Cities in Focus sessions -see session A3 and B3 as part of this stream- highlight adaptation challenges, policies and action in range of cities, municipalities and urban agglomerations. As such, this session provides cities, practitioners and academics with the opportunity to facilitate knowledge- sharing, exposing the breadth of adaptation approaches, tools and methodologies and decision-making processes being employed by cities across a range of diverse contexts. The presentations are organized so as to maximize learning and exchange among cities facing similar conditions and challenges.

Facilitator: Florence Lalöe, Project Manager, ICLEI Latin America and Caribbean Secretariat, Sao Paulo

Presenters:

• Jeremy Carter, Research Fellow, University of Manchester, Drivers of change: exploring the forces shaping future climate change adaptation in Manchester

•  Manfred Born, General Manager, Sustainability Center, Bremen, Approaches of urban and spatial planning and implementing adaptation strategies and measures

•  Susana Tellez Illanes, Territorial Adaptive Management Coordinator, Participative Communal Development Foundation (FUNDEPCO), Trinidad, Adaptive land management: The case of Trinidad, Bolivia

 For additional information download the session description here.