The Global Resilient Cities Network announces strategic partnerships to deliver joint projects in rapidly urbanizing, vulnerable cities

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (February 10, 2020) – Global Resilient Cities Network announced today the expansion of its strategic partnerships to extend network delivery capacity to support urban resilience actions in cities with a focus on vulnerable communities across all of its member regions. “Announcing these new partnerships at the 10^th World Urban Forum is not just information,” said Lauren Sorkin, Acting Executive Director of the Network. “It’s an invitation for innovators, investors and experts to join this powerful Network to drive urban resilience action.”
 
The Global Resilient Cities Network is working alongside partners to deliver regional and global programs that achieve in-city impact and scale solutions more effectively. Launched by a seed grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Network is welcoming partners to extend its delivery capacity. The Circulate Initiative, Citibank Foundation, Nanyang Technological University’s Environment & Water Research Institute, Mercociudades, Temasek Foundation, the Centre for Liveable Cities, the Ocean Conservancy, Visa and the World Resources Institute are among the new partnerships aimed specifically at addressing the needs of rapidly urbanizing communities. Through partnerships, the Network leverages it’s knowledge, capacity and global reach to create bold collective impact through urban resilience projects and implementable policies that are responsive to cities needs and protect their most vulnerable people.
 
“We are proud to support member cities and CROs as their work moves into a new phase, focused on implementing resilience projects that protect the most vulnerable from challenges such as climate change and rising inequality,” said Elizabeth Yee, Chief of Staff, The Rockefeller Foundation. “We need this work now more than ever, and we look forward to seeing the Global Network of Resilient Cities flourish.”
 
“Our Network is valuable because of the shared approach and commitment to our citizens and to one another as resilience practitioners,” said Piero Pelizzaro, Chief Resilience Officer of Milan, Italy. “Through our shared practice, we ensure that we can deliver the highest value investments in our cities and reinforce our abilities to respond to whatever shock or stress we face.”
 
“We work on shaping a future where cities work better for everyone. The climate crisis and growing demand for core urban services require new ways of designing and managing resilient urban water systems,” said Ani Dasgupta, Global Director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “The Global Resilient Cities Network is an ideal partner for us to accelerate urgently needed water action in cities and regions in Africa. Working together, we can move quickly to identify and implement water resilience initiatives in six cities with the objective of creating a regional city network that will pioneer the response to urban water challenges of the 21st century.”
 
The expansion of the Global Resilient Cities Network strategic partnerships responds to the growing range of shocks and stresses, including climate change, growing migrant populations, inadequate infrastructure, pandemics and cyber-attacks that challenge the ever-growing urban society.

About the Global Resilient Network

The Global Resilient Cities Network (GRCN) is the city-led organization that will drive urban resilience action to protect vulnerable communities from climate change and other physical, social and economic urban adversities and challenges. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation and other funding strategic partners, the Network aims to continue supporting cities and their Chief Resilience Officers in future-proofing their communities and critical infrastructure with a unique reach, strength and legacy to understand and support the challenges of the ever-growing urban society.

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