The Campaign is envisioned to serve as a platform for public, private and civil society stakeholders to discuss and reach consensus on policies, as well as share practical tools for sustainable urbanization.· The success of the WUC will be measured by the number of additional sustainable urban policies at the national level and increased investments and resources in support of those policies.· As part of the Campaign, the 100 Cities Initiative seeks to encourage different actors to tell their stories on how they contribute to better and more sustainable cities.· The Initiative will focus on the concept of Living Practices, holistic and forward looking approaches to the challenges faced by cities.· The processes and outcomes of such practices will then be documented, reported and measured over time.· EMI will contribute to the 100 Cities Initiative by highlighting the sustainable practices of Makati and its other partner cities.

More information on the World Urban Campaign can be found here: UN HABITAT

Mayors and their local governments are both the key targets and drivers of the campaign. Local government officials are faced with the threat of disasters on a day-to-day basis and need better access to policies and tools to effectively deal with them. The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005- 2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters offers solutions for local governments and local actors to manage and reduce urban risk. Urban risk reduction provides opportunities for capital investments through infrastructure upgrades and improvements, building retrofits for energy efficiency and safety, urban renovation and renewal, cleaner energies, and slum upgrading. Local governments are the institutional level closest to the citizens and to their communities. They play the first role in responding to crises and emergencies and in attending to the needs of their constituencies. They deliver essential services to their citizens (health, education, transport, water, etc.), which need to be made resilient to disasters.

But making cities safe from disaster is everybody’s business: National governments, local government associations, international, regional and civil society organizations, donors, the private sector, academia and professional associations as well as every citizen need to be engaged. All these stakeholders need to be on board, take on their role and contribute to building disaster resilient cities.