Empowering resilience: insights from the 9th Meeting of Portuguese Cities

The Portuguese cities of Amadora, Cascais, and Odivelas hosted the 9th Meeting of Resilient Cities, which brought together more than a hundred representatives from the 54 cities and one region that are part of the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) network. The meeting was held under the umbrella of the Portuguese National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The forum aimed to raise awareness among experts, operational staff, and politicians on the challenges associated with disaster risk reduction at the local level. Discussions primarily focused on territorial dynamics, urban planning, risk communication, and strategies for citizen engagement, including groups with special needs. Other topics on the agenda included risk education, non-structural earthquake safety in schools, the role of local media, and engagement with the private sector.

The next meeting of the network of Portuguese resilient cities is scheduled for May 2024 in Évora, Portugal.