SESSION DESCRIPTION
C4
Building resilience in cities in the Middle
East/North Africa (MENA) Region
Panel discussion
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2013
Language:
English
Time: 9:00-10:30
Contact:
Agnes Wiedemann
Rooms: S27-28
E-mail/web:
[email protected]
Organized by:
Programs involved: CoMun, Strengthening Municipal
German Development Cooperation (GIZ)
Structures in Maghreb, GIZ
Centre for Mediterranean Integration (CMI)
Participatory Development Program in
Urban Areas, GIZ Cities and Climate
Change, CDC / CMI Adaptation of coastal
cities to Climate Change, GIZ
OBJECTIVE
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is considered to be the world’s second most vulnerable
region to climate change impacts. An increase in temperature from one to three degrees Celsius and a
sea-level rise of up to one meter by 2030 would subject 6 to 25 million people to coastal flooding. The
situation for the MENA region is aggravated by the increased risk of natural hazards like heat waves,
sand storms, and other extreme weather events.
While coping with population growth, the urbanization rate in the region has reached over 60 %, making
the tasks of cities especially challenging. The urban leadership must address climate change with an
innovative and integrated approach in order to cope with these challenges. The scope for action at local
level is thus key.
This panel comprises urban representatives and experts from Egypt, Morocco, and Mauretania who will
exchange on challenges facing their cities and identify possible solutions. Using as examples the cities
of Alexandria, Cairo, Tevragh Zeina, and Rabat, adaptation as well as mitigation approaches will be
demonstrated.
OUTCOMES
Participants will:
 Learn about common challenges brought on by climate change in the MENA region and how
cities are coping with them;
 Hear practical examples of local climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches through
the cases presented;
 Reflect on the scope for action at the regional and local level with regards to planning and
implementing the presented approaches; and
 Discuss the key role of citizen participation and how it can be implemented.
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[email protected]
METHODOLOGY

The facilitator, Johannes Lückenkötter, will provide an overall introduction to the session and
the topic of “Climate Change in the MENA region”. (10 minutes)

Panelists will present how their cities are coping with global climate change challenges,
demonstrating four different local approaches. (40 minutes)
Key questions will include:
o How is the situation in the MENA region with regard to resilience?
o What are local governments doing to build resilience and adapt to climate change?
o Which mitigation measures are the cities applying?

The facilitator will open the floor to questions and lead the discussion. (30 minutes)

The facilitator will summarize the discussion and lead a review of next steps. (10 minutes)
CONTRIBUTORS
Facilitator
Dr. Johannes Lückenkötter, plan + risk consult, Germany; Contractor for GIZ Egypt
Panelist
Saber Osman, UNFCCC / IPCC Focal Point, Climate Change Central Department,
Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Egypt
Will present on participatory community-based solutions to resilience and adaptation
for residents of poor urban areas in Greater Cairo.
Panelist
Maryse Gautier, Urban Program Leader, Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) /
CDC Climat, France
Will present experiences of Alexandria city, following-up on a recommended adaptation
plan and other outcomes of a World Bank financed regional study. The study is
analyzing the exposure to natural disasters and providing tools to evaluate risk and to
cost potential losses. How cities adapt to a changing climate and increase their
resilience to natural hazards will also be discussed.
Panelist
Fatimetou Mint Abdel Malick, Mayor, City of Tevragh Zeina, Mauretania
Will present how the municipality of Tevragh Zeina is using the campaign “my city is
getting ready” to prepare for sea level rise and other climate change impacts and to
develop a strategy prioritizing human and financial investments. She will also discuss
how to increase political leadership for urban resilience by strengthening local
capacities and partnerships through city to city learning and by technical cooperation
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[email protected]
Panelist
Caroline Huwiler, Territorial Energy Development Specialist, Institute for Development,
Environment and Energy (IDE-E); Coordinator, Territorial Energy Strategy, National
Agency for the Development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ADEREE),
Morocco
Will present the scope (opportunities and constraints) for action at the local level in
regards to renewable energy and energy efficiency (within the specific context of
Morocco); the “MENA Energy Award” framework and how it supports territorial efforts
for sustainable energy development; and how to leverage innovative local approaches
and lessons learned, through the “CoMun Cities Network on Sustainable Energy
Management”.
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[email protected]