Durban’s 100 Resilient Cities Programme: An overview for the City Planning Commission

18th/19th February 2015

The 100 Resilient Cities Programme

100 CITIES GLOBALLY

• Support (2 years) to develop a Resilience Strategy

• Access to platform of service providers

• Access to the network of cities

U N D E R S T A N D I N G R E S I L I E N C E

Urban Resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what

kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience.

T h e 1 0 0 R C T E A M - D U R B A N

T H E T I M E L I N E

December January - August

September

2014

2013

Durban was selected as one of the first 32 cities included in the Rockefeller Foundation’s international 100 ResilientCities Programme

Durban’s scoping exercise

Launch 100 RC in Durban – Resilience ‘Agenda-setting workshop’

E M E R G I N G I D E A S F R O M T H E V O I C E S O F D U R B A N

K E Y I D E A S E M E R G I N G

• Addressing inequality and unemployment

• Rebuilding the ‘societal fabric’ that allows us to stand together in the face of change

• The need to reduce crime

• Ensuring the provision of key services (water and housing)

• Planning differently to incorporate ecosystems as key ecological infrastructure

• Securing water supply

• Preparing for climate change

• Enhancing transport infrastructure to create access and opportunity

• Energy infrastructure for a low-carbon future

• The importance of good data in informing planning and decision-making

• Sound financial practices

Society building

Critical services

Environment

Infrastructure

Data

Finances

K E Y I D E A S E M E R G I N G

• Building active and engaged citizens

• Building human resourcefulness and supporting existing creativity

• Brave and visionary leadership

• The important role of a stable and capacitated local government administration in leading key processes (importance of skills retention)

• Rebuilding trust between government and society

• Strengthening partnerships between government, business and communities

• Building a political environment that facilitates Durban’s ability to respond to change

• Facilitating ‘platforms for conversation’ to inspire new thinking and innovation

Engaged communities

Leadership and Governance

• The need for a locally relevant understanding of resilience – In Durban, ‘resilience’ is less about responding to disasters and more about slow-onset and systemic issues.

• Many of the issues being raised sit in the ‘grey space’ (e.g. governance,

politics, social cohesion) – how do we facilitate conversations in these areas?

• 100RC Programme provides an important platform for reflection on the city system (regardless of resilience ‘definition’)

• Opportunity to think in innovative and transformative ways

• Durban’s resilience strategy will go beyond the 2 year programme

• The ‘Resilience Strategy’ needs to support and strengthen, rather than replace, existing city strategies.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR DURBAN?

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

K E Y N E X T S T E P S

Core work:

• Ongoing: Completion of compulsory work elements for 100RC

• Feb: Data trends for resilience issues• Feb: Analysis of global trends• March/April: Stakeholder

engagement process to prioritise resilience issues

• May: Consolidate feedback and draft Resilience Strategy

• June: Further discussions with municipal departments and city leadership

• July: Finalise draft Resilience Strategy

Parallel work areas:

• Pilot projects

ROLE OF THE CPC

• Provide critical input and guidance

• Ensure that the ideas emerging from the 100RC Process align with and support the broader strategic planning in Durban

Mrs Jo Douwes Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department, eThekwini Municipality

Joanne.Boulle@durban.gov.za+27 31 311 7697