U20 Session on Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience Leadership in Rio de Janeiro

By
Jada Johnson
December 20, 2024

On November 15th, Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) and Columbia Global Center Climate Hub Rio hosted a session on “Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience Leadership in Rio de Janeiro” as part of the U20 Summit.

On November 15th, Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) and Columbia Global Center Climate Hub Rio hosted a session on “Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience Leadership in Rio de Janeiro” as part of the U20 Summit. By bringing together representatives from the City of Rio de Janeiro and international urban experts, UCCRN and the Rio Climate Hub provided participants with an opportunity to engage in the global discourse on climate change and cities as the G20 Summit and IPCC AR7’s Special Report on Cities come into focus. 

This “standing-room-only” session shared early findings from the UCCRN Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience Leadership in Rio de Janeiro project and highlighted Rio de Janeiro’s existing resilience strategies, such as the Sustainable Corridors program and Centro de Operações Rio technology. 

Rio de Janeiro has strong climate change leadership potential and is uniquely positioned to cultivate localized resilience and mitigation strategies that can act as a model for other cities in Brazil and Latin America as well as globally. Rio City representatives included Marcus Belchior, Daniel Mancebo, and Felipe Mandarino, and online speakers included Cynthia Rosenzweig and Daniel Zarrilli.

The session fostered collaboration among urban leaders, scientists, and planners to advance innovative solutions in urban planning and climate science within Rio de Janeiro. 

 

Maria Dombrov, Global Coordinator of UCCRN, speaking at the U20 session.

Session Highlights

Welcoming Remarks

Thomas Trebat, Director of Columbia Global Center Rio and Climate Hub Rio, began the session with welcoming remarks which emphasized the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address the challenges of urban climate resilience.

Presentation: Rio Project

After the welcoming remarks speech, Cynthia Rosenzweig gave a virtual presentation on UCCRN’s Rio Project. The presentation consisted of an overview of UCCRN. The organization’s involvement in providing knowledge that enables cities and their metropolitan regions to lead on climate change mitigation and adaptation through localized action focusing on sustainable development and equity. The presentation also delved into the Rio Project’s objectives and specific phases of which are included below:

Project Objective: To deepen urban climate resilience knowledge in Rio de Janeiro so that the city can fulfill its leadership potential in climate action and serve as an example for other cities in Brazil, in Latin America, and other cities around the world.

Activities:

  1. Co-generating urban planning and design strategies using climate information at the neighborhood scale and Rio’s Sustainable Corridors
  2. Enhancing Rio’s capacity to prepare for and respond to climate change as well as other chronic and acute stresses through the development of RioCLIM 
  3. Disseminating local climate knowledge at the “Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience Leadership in Rio de Janeiro” session at the U20 Summit

Panel Discussion

The panel session, moderated by Maria Dombrov, Senior Staff Associate I at Columbia University and Global Coordinator of UCCRN, promoted knowledge sharing amongst regional and international experts with a focus on urban planning, climate science, and policy.

The discussion panel featured concise presentations on key themes, including the intersection of climate change and cities, bridging gaps between policy, climate science, technology, urban planning, environmental justice. Panelists also explored sustainable development strategies such as Rio’s Sustainable Corridors, UCCRN’s Urban Design Climate Workshops, and actionable pathways for urban climate resilience. Overall, the session fostered co-generative learning among stakeholders and highlighted urban planning and climate data solutions to address decision-making gaps in science, policy, and development.

Closing Remarks

Dr. Tom Trebat and Cynthia Rosenzweig gave concluding remarks for the U20 session, emphasizing the importance of collaborative action in addressing the complex implications of climate change on cities.

Key Takeaways

Rio de Janeiro’s distinctive role as a global city, where natural beauty and rich cultural heritage coexist, highlights that protecting the city’s environment is also a way of preserving its vibrant culture and identity. The conference serves as a foundation for future phases of the Rio project, furthering the city’s capacity to lead in climate action and sustainable development to protect its people and heritage.

  • Collaboration for Climate Resilience: This U20 session on Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience Leadership in Rio de Janeiro highlighted the importance of partnerships among local institutions, global experts, and stakeholders to co-create innovative urban planning and climate solutions. This session encourages long-term engagements with concrete outcomes.
  • Project Goals and Future Steps: The project aims to enhance climate preparedness through initiatives like RioCLIM, neighborhood-scale planning, and stakeholder engagement, laying the groundwork for sustainable urban development.

 

Maria Fernanda Lemos, UCCRN's Rio Hub Co-Director, speaking at the U20.