Latest MCR2030 news 

More than 60 representatives from local and national governments, European institutions, academia, civil society, the private sector, and United Nations agencies gathered in Geneva to confront a growing risk: extreme heat.

At the 24th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC), the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the UNDRR co-hosted a political debate on “Building Inclusive Community Preparedness and Resilience in the Age of Disasters.”

More than 20 representatives convened in São Tomé from 7 to 9 September 2026, for an assessment on Risk-Informed Urban Planning and Making Cities Resilient. The assessment was organised by the District of Água Grande in collaboration with UNDRR.

Under the theme “Translating Locally led Resilience into Action in the Age of Complex Risk and Digital Transformation”, IDRLF2026 addressed persistent implementation gaps for DRR with more than 350 stakeholders.

6 Ukrainian representatives and urban practitioners completed a 2-day Training of Trainers on the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities, held on 10–11 September at the UNDRR Global Education and Training Institute (GETI) in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The 13th EURESFO, held in Guimarães, Portugal, brought together urban resilience practitioners, city leaders, and international partners to accelerate local action on disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate adaptation, and resilient urban governance.

UNDRR and the VSF brought disaster risk reduction to the heart of the business community, hosting Business Under Pressure — an interactive scenario exercise for small and medium-sized enterprises as part of Venice Climate Week 2026.

On 2–3 June 2026, representatives from 27 MCR2030 member cities and municipalities in Serbia gathered for the first MCR2030 Annual Meeting in Serbia.

Anga do Heroísmo hosts the 14th edition of the National Meeting of Resilient Cities and Towns, bringing together local authorities, civil protection professionals, academic experts and international partners to exchange knowledge on urban resilience.

As global challenges grow in complexity and uncertainty, a coordinated, multilevel approach to international cooperation is essential to support cities and municipalities in addressing systemic risks that cross geographic and sectoral boundaries.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), in collaboration with the Municipality of Quelimane, organised an event to integrate technical DRR needs into municipal planning for Quelimane, a major seaport city in Mozambique’.

the Barcelona SME Resilience Forum brought together public authorities, business leaders, and experts from across Europe to strengthen the resilience of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises against disasters, climate impacts, and systemic shocks.

UNDRR and UNICEF launch special report on protecting children from intensifying urban heat across Europe and Central Asia.

On 15 April 2026, UNDRR facilitated a Training of Trainers (ToT) on disability inclusion in DRR in Brussels, marking the opening day of the three-day READY Baltics Kick-off Meeting organized by the EDF.

UNDRR GETI held a Training of Trainers in Incheon to strengthen urban resilience. 30 experts learned to use the Disaster Resilience Scorecard to help cities move from risk assessment to multi-sector action, supporting the MCR2030 initiative.

As a result of the city's commitments to DRR, UNDRR has recognised Kampala as an MCR Resilience Hub. The city was officially acknowledged during the National-Level event on MCR2030, held on 19–20 February 2026.

In February 2026, UNDRR convened Ugandan stakeholders at both the local and national levels to strengthen disaster resilience and climate change adaptation through the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.

UNDRR advanced partnerships and local resilience action in Greece through multiple meetings and events in Athens, reinforcing collaboration on urban resilience, extreme heat, wildfire risk governance, and community engagement.

As part of the engagement, participants worked with the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities, a tool under MCR2030 that helps municipalities evaluate governance, services, infrastructure, and local preparedness.

One-day regional reflection meeting marking the culmination of the two-year programme, “Harnessing Synergies between Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Reduction in Migrant-Inclusive Health System Responses.”

Three South African municipalities; Alfred Nzo District Municipality, Capricorn District Municipality, and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality have advanced their disaster risk reduction and resilience building through a series of technical workshops.

In October 2025, two milestones in Accra demonstrated how local evidence can shape national resilience governance, and how national coordination can, empower cities to act.

UNDRR organized a workshop in the Republic of Moldova with local level stakeholders on disaster risk reduction and climate action on 9 December 2025.

UNDRR and South Korea's NDTI organized a week-long study visit with a delegation of 13 disaster management officers to Bonn and Frankfurt, Germany.

On 16-17 October 2025, Dushanbe in the Republic of Tajikistan hosted a series of high-level regional events focused on disaster risk reduction, urban resilience, and early warning systems in Central Asia.

At the 23rd edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities, the CoR and UNDRR co-hosted a political debate on "Support for Regional Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction Financing."

Some 95% of COVID-19 cases have come from urban areas. Pandemic preparedness in cities and towns is more urgent than ever for reducing disaster risk, particularly in challenging situations where disease outbreaks could coincide with an extreme weather

This series is promoted by UNDRR, in partnership with the Ministry of Cities and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to leverage DRR knowledge concerning climate resilience and adaptation for local governments leading up to and during COP30.

Nestled in the hills of eastern Nepal, Suryodaya Municipality is making waves as a model for disaster resilience. The municipality has embraced the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient, transforming these guidelines into tangible, local action.

Mahasarakham Municipality and University in Thailand’s Northeast are showing how local governments can build urban resilience – by engaging communities, embracing creativity and drawing on local knowledge.

The 12th EURESFO held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 25-27 June 2025, provided an important platform for urban resilience practitioners to reinforce their commitment to accelerating local action on resilience, climate adaptation, and DRR.

GP2025 reaffirmed that local action is central to risk reduction. Empowering local governments, financing grassroots initiatives, and ensuring inclusive participation are no longer optional—they are imperative.

Urban risks are rising faster than they’re being reduced. A five-year UN partnership has trained 17,500+ people in 155 countries to build inclusive urban resilience through collaboration, localized tools, peer learning, and tech-driven solutions.

From 21 to 23 May 2025, the municipalities of Funchal, Machico, and Ponta do Sol hosted the 12th edition of the National Meeting of Resilient Cities and Towns — a key event under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.

A dedicated webinar on “The Gap Fund: Supporting Armenian Municipalities Towards Climate Finance” was held on 8 May 2025, marking a significant milestone in the engagement of Armenian cities in climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.

UNDRR-UNOSSC-PAHO concluded the fifth online certificate training programme on March 2025, attracted over 3,200 registrants, with 1,846 participants including 71 persons with disabilities.

The Venice Sustainability Foundation published the Disaster Resilience Assessment of the city of Venice, resulting from the MCR2030 cultural heritage addendum workshop in July 2024, with endorsement from the Venice Municipality.

On 4 December 2024, the first-ever MCR2030 training session for Nicosia was successfully held online.

The ECA Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction hosted a series of events highlighting innovative urban resilience strategies and showcasing the dedication of cities and partners committed to creating resilient, climate-adaptive communities.

At the 3rd International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum Incheon 2024 (IDRLF 2024), global leaders reiterated a clear message: collaboration is the cornerstone for building local capacity to disaster resilience.

UNDRR has extended its collaboration with Montenegro, focusing on improving disaster resilience in three key municipalities: Podgorica, Ulcinj, and Žabljak.

Various stakeholders received technical training on disaster risk reduction from UNDRR trainers, and then applied their knowledge in a hands-on project concept note writing workshop led by GCF experts.

The workshop aimed to enhance understanding of key frameworks for effective early warning systems focusing on gender-responsive design, digital governance, and innovative financial mechanisms, offering practical tools and concepts.

In Belém, the capital of the state of Pará, the climate crisis has contributed to extreme heat events and rising sea levels, threatening urban infrastructure and increasing the vulnerability of the poorest populations.

UNDRR ONEA & GETI and Incheon Metropolitan City welcomed a delegation from Makati City in the Philippines for a study visit organized by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM)

To strengthen local preparedness and support cities in reducing risk and building resilience, UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia expanded its cooperation in 2024 with three municipalities from the Republic of North Macedonia.

During the session, crucial issues such as the dissemination and reaction of the population to the warnings were addressed. The need for coordination between governmental entities and the integration of advanced technologies was highlighted.

One of the world’s most iconic cities in terms of its vast cultural heritage, Venice has convened multiple urban partners and sectors to assess capacities and gaps in its resilience to disasters on 15 July 2024.

An impactful one-day seminar, part of the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative, was successfully held on 4th of July in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event took place at the Social Services House under the auspices of the Almaty City Hall.

The EURESFO 2024 in Valencia, Spain, saw active discussions and exchanges. UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia brought four cities and one region (oblast) from Ukraine, participating in the MCR2030 to the Forum with USAID's support.