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City will now develop resilience strategy to identify vulnerabilities and prepare to face challenges related to urbanization, drought and extreme heat
August 31st, 2022– Monterrey, the second largest metropolitan area in Mexico with a population of more than 5 million people, has joined the Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities).
The Mexican city will now be a part of the world’s leading urban resilience network, made up of nearly 100 cities worldwide, with presence in more than 40 countries and in 6 regions globally. In joining the network, the city will develop its resilience strategy and benefit from the experience and planning of the other member cities, such as Paris, Cape Town, New York City, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney.
The R-Cities Board of Directors and Global Steering Committee unanimously approved the decision and welcomed Monterrey to the network. Today, the Mayor of Monterrey, Luis Donaldo Colosio Rojas, signed the membership agreement together with Eugene Zapata Garesché, R-Cities’ Global Director of Strategic Partnerships and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“It is an honor that my city is now part of the network. The work that member cities do to build a more resilient and inclusive future around the world is inspiring,” said Luis Donaldo Colosio Rojas, the Mayor of Monterrey.
As part of the incorporation of Monterrey as a member of the Network, the city created the Office of Resilience and the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO). The city named Edgar Olaiz Ortiz, Director of the Monterrey Urban Planning Institute (IMPLANC), as its first CRO who will lead the development of a resilience plan.
Monterrey is currently facing a complex water security crisis, increasing extreme heat waves, and high pollution levels that are being exacerbated by climatic changes, which are impacting disproportionately the city’s most vulnerable communities. At the same time, the urban sprawl has created complex and interconnected challenges that highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive plan and metropolitan coordination. To manage these issues proactively, the next step in developing a resilience strategy will be to articulate a plan outlining how the city, stakeholders and partners will collaborate.
“Resilience is about working together. Individual efforts will never be enough to face and solve the challenges of urban sprawl. We are excited to work with the municipal government to secure the future of our citizens,” said Martha Herrera Gonzalez, Secretary of Equality and Inclusion of the Government of the State of Nuevo León and member of the Board of Directors of R-Cities. “Monterrey has demonstrated its ability to meet the challenges it faces. The work that Monterrey begins today as a member of the network, hand in hand with the private sector, the academic sector, and the community, will lead the city to become an example of a resilient city worldwide.”
“I know that Monterrey will greatly benefit from sharing and working with these cities. At the same time, it is an opportunity to showcase the great work we are doing to build a city and a state that seek sustainable and resilient solutions to their challenges and work proactively and hand in hand with all sectors, led by Edgar Olaiz Ortiz, the new Chief Resilience Officer,” she added.
Eugene Zapata Garesché, R-Cities Global Director of Strategic Partnerships and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “We are excited to welcome Monterrey to the Network. As a region-we have important challenges to solve-we know that the experience of Monterrey, a pioneer in so many areas, will enrich the work that cities do in collaboration with our strategic partners.”
From today, the city will begin the process to identify its main acute shocks and chronic stress, setting the pace for the development of a comprehensive urban resilience strategy that will draw the way to a more secure and resilient future for the city’s 5 million inhabitants.
About us
Resilient Cities Network is the world’s leading urban resilience network. It brings together global knowledge, practice, partnerships and funding to empower its members to build safe and equitable cities for all. Its unique city-led approach ensures cities drive the agenda to benefit the communities they serve. At work in nearly 100 cities worldwide, the Resilient Cities Network supports on-the-ground projects and solutions to build climate resilient, circular and inclusive cities while also facilitating connections and information-sharing between communities and local leaders.
R-Cities has offices for Latin America in Mexico City and 17 members in the Latin American region including four Mexican cities, Colima, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico City and the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area.
More information: www.resilientcitiesnetwork.org
Press Contacts
Fabiola Guillén
fguillen@resilientcitiesnetwork.org
