We are excited to announce a Durban Adaptation Charter side event being held at the COP21 in Paris this year. 

Urban & Local Self-Leadership and Capacity Building from Within: Emerging Examples from the Durban Adaptation Charter (DAC) Network of Cities

Representatives from Durban, South Africa, the South African National Government, the Central KwaZulu-Natal Climate Compact of Durban, the City of Miami Beach, FL, the SE Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, US EPA, and USAID/ICMA will share their experiences within the DAC network, on North-South, South-South city-to-city exchanges.  

The DAC is the outcome of the local government convention convened during COP17, and has been signed by 283 city leaders/governments representing over 1000 local governments from 45 countries. The DAC is Africa-based and led, and the majority of its signatories are presently from the ‘Global South’.

The DAC represents a voice still inadequately represented in the international climate change space, that of vulnerable (often poor) cities that have little option but to self-organize in the face of growing climate risk, often in the absence of outside support.  City-to-city exchanges have thus far resulted in community involvement, local self-leadership and self-organization, and enhanced capacity to take coordinated action.

Early outcomes suggest that with minimal, structured and reliable support, significant national and global momentum could be generated at the city level to tackle adaptation and development needs and bring about action and adaptation governance coordinated across local, urban and national levels.

Panelists include:

Anthony Socci – Office of International & Tribal Affairs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC; and member of the Durban Adaptation Charter Steering Committee.

Mayor James Nxumalo of Durban, South Africa, will kick off the side event by saying a few words about the Durban Adaptation Charter (DAC) and his personal and his city’s commitment to the DAC.

ICMA member Susanne Torriente, Assistant City Manager & Chief Resiliency Officer, City of Miami Beach, FL, and executive member of the SE FL Regional Climate Compact

Sean O’Donoghue, Manager of the Climate Protection Branch, Environmental Planning & Climate Protection Department, City of Durban, and co-head of the Durban Adaptation Charter Secretariat.

Vhalinavho Khavhagali, Director: Climate Change Adaptation, Department of Environment Affairs, National Government of South Africa.

The event will be hosted at the U.S. Center on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at 5:45 pm Paris time.  The event will be one hour in duration.