COP31: Why future-proofing cities and infrastructure is central to climate conversations

For the first time, the COP31 Presidency has integrated the Resilient Cities and Built Environment Day into the Leaders Summit, giving urban climate action greater political visibility.

The COP31 Presidency of Türkiye’s emphasis on cities, infrastructure and water presents an important opportunity to elevate urban resilience from a technical and sectoral concern to a central priority of international climate leadership.

Key focus areas that will be deliberated include: Climate-friendly buildings, settlements and urban resilience, disaster risk management, local governments, smart cities, nature-based solutions, smart mobility, built environment and infrastructure, and sustainable waste systems.

This integration of Resilient Cities and Built Environment Day into the COP31 Leaders Summit is particularly significant. It signals growing recognition that cities, buildings and critical infrastructure are not simply exposed to the consequences of climate change; they are also central to delivering climate adaptation, mitigation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.

This agenda resonates strongly with the research, international engagement and policy contributions that Professor Amaratunga has engaged with in recent months. This includes the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and its Making Cities Resilient (MCR) initiative since 2009, contributing to international efforts to strengthen urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development.

This engagement spans the evolution of the Making Cities Resilient initiative into Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030), showcasing a commitment to advancing disaster resilience through research, policy engagement, knowledge exchange, and international collaboration.

A recent MCR 2030 United Nations report titled “Waves of Change” shows how cities across Europe and Central Asia are responding to growing food and water scarcity risks. This report also highlighted how flood and drought risks are associated with climate change and how cities should adapt to future changes.

From smart cities to resilient cities: A critical shift in urban thinking

Professor Amaratunga’s intervention, which she led for UNDRR, From Smart to Resilient: Future-Proofing Our Cities, provides a compelling conceptual foundation for COP31 discussions.

The fundamental challenge is that a smart city is not necessarily a resilient city. Digital technologies, intelligent transport systems, interconnected infrastructure and data-driven urban management can improve efficiency.

However, technological sophistication alone does not guarantee that a city can anticipate, withstand, respond to and recover from climate extremes and other disasters. Resilience requires a broader systems-based approach, bringing together physical infrastructure, environmental sustainability, institutional capacity, social inclusion, community preparedness and effective disaster governance.

This distinction is especially important as cities experience increasingly complex and interconnected risks. Flooding may simultaneously disrupt transport, electricity, healthcare and communications. Extreme heat can affect buildings, energy systems, water availability and public health. Coastal settlements may face the combined pressures of sea-level rise, erosion, storm surges and, in some regions, tsunami hazards.

The COP31 agenda therefore provides an opportunity to redefine smart urban development around risk-informed, climate-adaptive and people-centred resilience.

The central policy message is that urban innovation should be judged not only by technological advancement or efficiency, but also by its ability to protect lives, maintain essential services, reduce inequalities and strengthen long-term adaptive capacity.

At COP31, Professor Amaratunga, in her capacity as Co-Lead of the UNDRR Sendai Framework Science and Technology Stakeholder Group, will highlight how the science and technology community has contributed to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at national and local levels, with Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG) and Head of UNDRR, who is leading engagements aimed at strengthening the alignment between climate action and the Sendai Framework.

As part of the Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM), she calls for the systematic integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) into all climate policy frameworks and processes, including mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, and loss and damage.

Climate-related disaster risks are increasing due to the complex interplay of hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity. However, current policy approaches remain fragmented and insufficiently informed by disaster risk considerations.

To address these gaps, the SEM Climate Working Group has prepared the COP 31 Key Messaging: SEM Climate Working Group 2026 Position Paper. The paper advocates for stronger integration of DRR into intergovernmental climate policies, reflects the collective input of SEM constituencies, and provides a strategic framework for climate and DRR advocacy in 2026 ahead of the COP 31.

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