USAID Resources
This section provides a curated set of USAID documents and tools related to increasing the resilience of urban systems. To search all USAID urban resilience resources click here.
USAID Urban Technical Guidance: This new resource provides evidence-based, practical approaches to strengthen urban resilience through USAID programming. The guidance was developed based on coordination and inputs from a broad range of pillar and regional USAID bureaus, including consultation with USAID staff in a wide variety of sectors from headquarters and field missions.
ResilienceLinks: The USAID Resiliencelinks website includes the Resilience 101 training course and other resources related to resilience and USAID’s work on building resilience in partner countries.
USAID Urban Learning Briefs: This series of four briefs was developed by the Urban team and researchers based on emerging trends in urban spaces and informed by the bi-annual World Urban Forum (WUF) in 2020:
Policy and Program Guidance on Resilience. USAID’s Resilience policy articulates the Agency’s approach to resilience across sectors.
Climate Strategy. Climate action in cities cuts across all elements of the Strategy and will be critical for meeting immediate climate targets of the Strategy while investing in long-term systemic transformation.
Environmental and Natural Resource Management Framework. One of the two priority areas in the ENRM Framework is improving urban systems for a cleaner environment and enhanced human well-being.
Local Capacity Strengthening Policy. Strengthening local capacity is a critical component of urban resilience.
Examples of other resources available on Urbanlinks include:
External Urban Resilience Resources
Below are some selected resources from other organizations related to urban resilience.
Websites and Online Tools
- Urban Resilience Hub: UN-HabIitat’s Urban Resilience Hub provides a wide variety of resources and updates on urban resilience globally, with contributions from cities, academia, governments, international organizations and resilience champions from across the globe.
- Resilient Cities Network: This website brings together global knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding related to building safe and equitable cities for all.
- Resilient Tools: This platform helps local governments and other municipal professionals understand the primary utility of the vast array of tools and diagnostics designed to assess, measure, monitor, and improve city-level resilience.
Selected Reports and Studies
Data Speak Louder than Words (2018) A report by ICLEI & C40 with findings from a stocktake of climate change adaptation and urban resilience efforts.
Integrating Green and Gray: Creating Next Generation Infrastructure (2019) by the World Bank and the World Resources Institute highlights a new generation of infrastructure projects that harness the power of nature to help achieve development goals, including water security and climate resilience.
An Analysis of Urban Climate Adaptation Finance: A Report from the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (2021). This report aims to assess the state of urban climate adaptation finance and to advance the methodology for tracking urban adaptation finance.
City Resilience Profiling Tool Guide: This report by UN HABITAT outlines the methodology and implementation steps of the City Resilience Profiling Tool and serves as a guide for cities to UN-Habitat’s methodology.
IPCC Summary for Policymakers Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
More USAID Resources
Building Urban Resilience to Climate Change: What Works Where, and Why
USAID Water and Development Technical Series: Urban Water Services
URBAN OPPORTUNITIES: Perspectives on Climate Change, Resilience, Inclusion, and the Informal Economy
Urban Resilience Planning for Secondary African Cities: A Case Study of Mozambique
Making Cities Work Assessment and Implementation Toolkit: Municipal Finance
Building Urban Resilience to Climate Change: A Review of South Africa
Climate Change Resilient Development: A Framework for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change
Urban Intersections: Food Security, Water, and Climate Change
Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience: A Training Manual
Urban Solutions: Metropolitan Approaches, Innovation in Urban Water and Sanitation and Inclusive Smart Cities
Related USAID Projects
Building Healthy Cities
Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project
Clean Air Catalyst
Clean Cities, Blue Ocean
CONTACT US
A variety of units have technical expertise related to urban resilience, including the Environment, Energy and Infrastructure Center; the Democracy, Rights and Governance Center; the Resilience and Food Security Bureau; and regional bureaus like Asia Bureau. USAID’s internal Urban Resilience Working Group includes a variety of experts who are available to provide support at either the conceptual/design phase, or during implementation. DDI/EEI Green Cities Division serves as a focal point.
Please send your questions or request to:
- Monica Bansal, Green Cities Division Lead, at: mbansal@usaid.gov.
- Rebecca Chacko, Climate and Cross-sectoral Strategies, at rchacko@usaid.gov.