Library

This video portrays today’s urban challenges using a paper and cardboard mock city, as part of its Urban October celebrations. As cities generate over 75% of the world wealth, attracting more people and conducing to urban sprawl, infrastructure and planning are key to reaching greener cities in order to alleviate the effects of climate change and provide a clean environment to their citizens. 

This technical document defines the rationale for green building intervention on social housing, details international examples of legislative and regulatory frameworks for enabling green social housing and identifies global and regional forms and approaches to green social housing. A range of technical measures for new social housing and environmental retrofitting of social housing are explained, along with the assessment of case studies, best practice and otherwise ineffective cases.

This guidance document explains how the implementation of gender-sensitive climate policies can maximize potential co-benefits and synergies. It provides advice on how to successfully take into consideration these challenges and opportunities in the context of urban climate policy.

This analytical document provides a contextual understanding of the challenges and opportunities of climate change in relation to human settlements in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It is a collection of initial thoughts in response to the call of Small Island Developing States for “the strengthening of the long-standing cooperation and support provided by the international community” and “enabling strong, genuine and durable partnerships at the sub-national, national, sub-regional, regional and international levels” (UNGA 2014).

This technical document complements the Planning for Climate Change: A strategic values-based approach for urban planners, a resource and planning guide developed for city planners and other professionals to better understand, assess and take action on climate change at the local level.

This analytical document was developed for city planners to better understand, assess and take action on climate change at the local level. Specifically targeted to the needs of planners and allied professionals in low and middle-income countries where the challenges of planning for climate change are particularly high.

This technical document provides local policy-makers and major stakeholders with a methodology to plan for climate change. These plans must address both mitigation (e.g., reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) and adaptation (responding to the impacts of climate change). If they are to be effective, local plans for climate change (both adaptation and mitigation) require the involvement of a variety of stakeholders and a specific focus on the most vulnerable groups.

This activity report discusses the CCCI Oslo workshop, expert group meeting on “Mainstreaming Climate Change into National Urban Policies” in Asia-Pacific and Euro-Asia dialogue “Climate Diplomacy and Urban Resilience”.

This analytical report displays CCCI’s engagements with Adaptation Fund, EU Covenant of Mayors, Compact of Mayors, SIDA, Vilankulo, Mozambique, Glasgow and Caribbean cities.

This technical document offers a toolkit providing:

1. An explanation of “how to” carry out a city-level assessment;

2. A summary sheet of indicators;

3. A worksheet for calculating indicator values;

4. A sample Table of Contents of an assessment report.

This guidance document for City Climate Action Planning reviews typical steps in the city-level climate action planning process in light of a proposed set of globally applicable principles. The principles, developed through a robust and open multi-stakeholder process, support local officials, planners and stakeholders in climate action planning. Such plans aim to help cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt low emission development trajectories, as well as adapt to the impacts of climate change and build local climate resilience.

This guidance document schowcases how meteorological services support the SDGs. The demand for accessible and accurate weather, climate, hydrological, marine and related environmental services will continue to grow in the years ahead. Continuing advances in weather and climate science will make it possible for the WMO community to satisfy this demand for continuously improved services, as well as to contribute to the 2030 Agenda.

This analytical document contributes to highlight the phenomenon of groundwater vulnerability to floods and droughts and call to the attention of decision makers the areas of highest vulnerability.

This technical document provides background information on groundwater protection with particular reference to its use in emergency situations as result of natural hazards and hydrological extremes. It also outlines the governance policy framework in which groundwater as an emergency resource may be integrated into overall emergency management and service provision. To illustrate the principles and techniques presented in the Guide, a varied number of real world case studies from widely differing regions is presented.

This guidanece document intends to summarize the (I) current state of groundwater on SIDS, (II) potential impacts of climate change to groundwater on SIDS, and (III) importance of groundwater resources in climate change mitigation on SIDS. UNESCO’s groundwater in SIDS studies are highlighted, including several from the Pacific, Caribbean, and other regions of the globe. 

This guidance document intends to highlight the important role groundwater has in meeting the demands for drinking water, agricultural and industrial activities, and sustaining ecosystems, particularly in the context of adaptation to and mitigation of the impacts of climate change. This paper outlines several key recommendations that are particularly relevant for future international climate negotiations.

This analytical document of 15 emblematic cities is simultaneously the result of concrete scientific presentations and a call for general mobilization to devise the sustainable urban policies the world needs. All these urban centres share a number of common characteristics: expansive size, disparities between rich and poor districts, environmental and industrial demand that strains the natural resources of an entire region – not to mention the economic weight of the country as a whole – and a wide range of cultural, scientific and educational resources. The international conference ‘Water, Megacities and Global Change’, organized at UNESCO Headquarters in December 2015 during COP21, shone a light on the key role that cities play in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda, pertaining to universal access to water and sanitation. 

This visual resource aims to raise awareness on the impacts of climate change in mountains, and potential solutions, as well as disseminate scientific data to policy and decision makers, diplomats and the general public during the Paris Climate Conference (COP21). The document was displayed on the gates of UNESCO from 02 November to 23 December 2015. Using satellite images, aerial and ground level photography, as well as descriptive texts, the document explains the diverse climate change impacts on mountain ecosystems, glaciers, water resources and ecosystem services. Case studies are used to illustrate both impacts and adaptation solutions from UNESCO sites: Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage sites. 

This analytical report provides insights for governments and policy makers to monitor and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal on education (SDG 4). The report shows that on current trends, contrary to global commitments for 2030, universal primary education will be achieved in 2042; universal lower secondary completion in 2059; and universal upper secondary completion in 2084.

This guidance note highlights the importance of transforming conventional industrial patterns to become climate resilient whilst promoting economic growth and job creation. This can be done through harnessing the synergy between mitigation and adaptation measures whilst anticipate potential trade-offs on a global scale. UNIDO’s success stories are showcased to illustrate possible pathways for countries to achieve climate resilient industry.